One of the main and most beloved vegetables in Russia is considered to be cabbage. Those lucky ones who are lucky enough to have their own garden tend to grow cabbage on their own. As a rule, in this case we are talking about the familiar white variety. However, there are others as well. How are they different and how difficult is it to grow cabbage in general?
Varieties of vegetable
Most people are used to: if they talk about cabbage, then they mean white cabbage. Perhaps this is really the most famous variety of this vegetable. But it's not the only one! There are a lot of types of cabbage. For example, red-headed - it looks like white, only its color, as you might guess, is red. Or rather, even red-violet. Its advantageous difference from the white "relative" is that it contains more vitamin C, carotene, protein and iodine. Close to these varieties is Chinese cabbage, which is interesting in the complete absence of a head of cabbage.
Cauliflower is a more dietary dish. In addition to protein and vitamin C, it also contains potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron. BUThere is their Savoy "brother", not only that there are more vitamins, but also the taste is richer and more tender. Kohlrabi cabbage is a large sweet stalk, very useful for diabetics: it is rich in glucose, fructose, calcium, potassium, and it contains many times more vitamin C than lemon. However, kale is considered the most useful in its composition - it is a storehouse of valuable vitamins. There are three more varieties: broccoli, Beijing and Brussels sprouts. More details about them will be discussed below.
What is useful cabbage
This article will discuss in detail four types of cabbage: ordinary white cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and Beijing. Therefore, it is worth dwelling on the beneficial properties of these varieties.
And, of course, you need to start with the most common cabbage in vegetable gardens - white cabbage. Due to the content of many useful vitamins, it prevents the appearance of stomach and duodenal ulcers. It also contributes to the treatment of gastritis, is useful in diseases of the liver, spleen. White cabbage is widely used as a medicine in folk medicine, in cosmetology (face masks are made from it). And with the help of this variety of this vegetable, they successfully fight overweight.
Beijing cabbage became in demand in Russia not so long ago - just a few decades ago, while in the East its useful properties have long been known. It contains carbohydrates, fiber and a small amount of fat, water, ascorbic and citric acids, many minerals andvarious vitamins. Beijing cabbage is classified as a dietary dish, it contains a minimum amount of calories and has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora. Such cabbage can be safely included in your diet even with an ulcer or gastritis. In addition, the Beijing type of vegetable is indispensable in the fight against stress and beriberi, and vitamin C, contained here in large quantities, perfectly copes with the first signs of a cold or flu. Nevertheless, it is worth remembering that Beijing cabbage is contraindicated for people suffering from pancreatitis.
Another cabbage "relative" from Brussels is not very popular in Russia, while in Western Europe, Canada and the USA it is in demand. Like any other sprouts, Brussels sprouts are high in vitamin C, as well as vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, and other beneficial substances. Just like Beijing sprouts, Brussels sprouts are low in calories. Eating it helps reduce the risk of cancer cells and heart disease. It is highly recommended to eat this vegetable for expectant mothers - Brussels sprouts are just a storehouse of folic acid, which is so necessary for pregnant women. But people with thyroid problems should refrain from eating Brussels sprouts.
Broccoli is famous for its immune-boosting qualities, and also contains substances that slow down the aging of the body. Broccoli contains many useful micro and macro elements and vitamins that our body needs. They reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
Cultivation of white cabbagecabbage
We figured out the views and benefits. Now you can proceed to the most interesting - growing cabbage in the open field and care. Many plant this vegetable in their garden, but, as a rule, they manage only with a white-headed species. Meanwhile, each variety has its own tricks that both beginners and experienced gardeners need to know about.
You should still start with ordinary white cabbage. And first of all, it is important to remember: she has three varieties - early, middle and late. The first sprouts in two or three months, the middle one in about five, and the last bears fruit only after six months or even more. Depending on when the harvest is needed, the variety should also be selected. An important factor in growing cabbage is that it does not tolerate transplantation well, and therefore it is better to immediately distribute the seedlings into separate containers and place them in a greenhouse.
Cabbage seeds should be sown between February and May, depending on the variety chosen. Accordingly, in order to obtain a quick harvest, it is necessary to plant the seeds as early as possible. However, you can do without growing cabbage seedlings, and sow the seeds directly into the ground. Then this must be done in the middle of spring, after thoroughly loosening the soil.
Outdoor care
Planting cabbage seedlings in open ground is directly related to the weather. However, it is important to remember that it is necessary to “relocate” the sprouts to the ground no later than at the age of forty to sixty days.
White cabbage is picky about soil. She does not like excess moisture, as well as herdisadvantage. She needs a measure in everything, and therefore, when choosing a place for growing cabbage in the ground, you need to choose one where the earth is not too dense, not too fertilized, and not too loose. In general, you need to find some kind of middle ground.
In addition to good soil and moderate moisture, white cabbage needs oxygen and light to thrive. If the latter is not enough, then, despite the large leaves, the cabbage will turn out to be completely tiny. So the abundance of the sun is an important point when growing and caring for cabbage in the open field.
As for watering, it should be daily. Otherwise, the vegetable will become tough and will not grow well. However, here, as mentioned above, it is important not to overdo it and not flood the plant. The next day after watering, each time you need to loosen the ground near the cabbage sprouts. By the way, in order for them not to get sick, it is recommended to water them with a solution of pink potassium permanganate.
Caring for cabbage also involves protecting it in the form of covering the seedlings with a film and treating the site with special chemicals in order to prevent a possible attack by various pests.
Pests of white cabbage
In order to keep cabbage sprouts intact, you need to regularly inspect them for damage. If holes of different sizes suddenly appear in the leaves, these are fleas, which you can get rid of by treating the cabbage area with ashes. In dry weather, plants should first be watered, in wet weather this should be donenot needed.
One of the main cabbage parasites is caterpillars, from which the vegetable must be properly protected. There are several ways to deal with them: spraying the plant with a variety of chemicals that are sold in abundance in pharmacies and stores, manually collecting eggs laid by butterflies, scaring away with eggshells hung over cabbage. This method is interesting because the butterflies take the shell from chicken eggs for the eggs of their fellows, and therefore do not approach the plant, believing that it has already been occupied.
Another pest is the cabbage fly that gnaws on the root of the vegetable. You can destroy it with shag (you need to spray the plant with it) or water infused with tobacco (this is also watered with cabbage).
Harvest
Growing cabbage and caring for it will be useless if you do not collect ripe fruits in time. This should be done after frost. Do not worry that the vegetable will die, cabbage calmly tolerates temperatures down to minus seven degrees. About three weeks before harvesting cabbage should stop watering. This allows the heads of cabbage to accumulate fiber. It is important to remember that only mid-season varieties are suitable for s alting for the winter, the later ones are stored fresh, and the early ones should be eaten right away.
Beijing cabbage
Growing Chinese cabbage involves creating special conditions for it. For example, she does not like too much bright light, so a shaded area should be chosen for this type of vegetable. If a greenhouse becomes the "home" of Beijing cabbage, then it is worth planting it - even with seeds, even with seedlings - in March -April.
In the open field, the cultivation of Beijing cabbage begins in early May, when the soil warms up well with the sun's rays. Peking cabbage seedlings are best kept separately, as well as white cabbage, otherwise the roots may be damaged during the resettlement of seedlings.
Beijing cabbage care
These are three important factors: watering, fertilizing and weeding. At the same time, it is desirable that the air temperature at which cabbage ripens remains within fifteen to twenty degrees during the day, and does not fall below plus eight at night. Humidity should be at least eighty percent, otherwise the leaves of the plant can easily be subjected to such misfortune as rot.
Beijing cabbage, like its white "colleague", is picky about the soil. It should be fertile, high in nitrogen and calcium. Cabbage needs moisture, but does not tolerate its excess. At the same time, she favors fertilizing with various complex and natural fertilizers. However, this must be done before the growing season.
When growing Beijing cabbage in the open field, it is recommended to water it in drought every day, preferably by sprinkling (using special nozzles) - this way there will be no excess moisture for sure.
Pests
Growing Chinese cabbage and caring for it involves fighting all sorts of parasites. This is primarily a butterfly named after a vegetable, as well as various slugs, bedbugs and fleas. To reduce their activity, you can resort tolittle trick: plant Chinese cabbage between tomatoes, onions or garlic.
In addition, when growing Beijing cabbage in the open field, it is well protected from pests by regular destruction of weeds, constant inspection of plants and spraying of leaves with special means.
Brussels sprouts
A variety of vegetable, bred in Belgium, is the closest "relative" of white cabbage. However, unlike her, it is a biennial plant. It is one of the most unpretentious of all cabbage species: for example, it tolerates a drop in temperature down to minus ten degrees.
The peculiarity of growing Brussels sprouts is that it is produced, as a rule, with the help of seedlings. The fact is that this variety sings longer than others. Sowing for seedlings must be carried out no later than the beginning of April and keep the future cabbage on a glazed balcony: the air temperature at night should not exceed about five degrees Celsius.
Before sowing, the seeds of Brussels sprouts should be processed - warm in boiling water for fifteen minutes, and then hold in ice water for a couple of minutes. After these manipulations, the seeds must be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for about twelve hours, rinsed with clean water, stored for a day in a refrigerator box, and only then dried and planted.
As in the case of Beijing and white cabbage, seedlings of the Brussels subspecies should be located inseparate containers. Growing cabbage from seeds occurs at a depth of one and a half centimeters, and if the crops are covered with a film, they can sprout in a couple of days. You can plant sprouts in open ground when five leaves appear on them. This is done around mid-May or early June. And two weeks before the expected moment of relocation, you need to start "hardening" the seedlings: take them out to fresh air daily.
Growing and caring for Brussels sprouts
This cabbage variety should be placed in a well-lit area. Its predecessors in this place can be carrots, cucumbers, legumes - then the cabbage will grow perfectly. But we must remember that the soil must be fertile and loamy. Before planting cabbage, the soil must be fertilized with humus or compost.
Seedlings should be relocated to the ground without fail in the absence of sun - either in the evening, or, even better, on a cloudy day. It is not necessary to spud it - it is fraught with decay. Caring for Brussels sprouts, in fact, is no different from other types: regular watering and weeding, top dressing - as needed (if the soil is fertile enough, they may not be needed at all). Perhaps the only feature of this species is that it is very moisture-loving. However, you should not be overly zealous and pour sprouts either.
Brussels sprout pests
Since this variety is a close "relative" of white cabbage, they also have "common" pests. Therefore, you can deal with them using the same methods. However, you should always remember: it is easier to prevent the appearance of parasites and diseases than to destroy them. Therefore, it is worth carrying out preventive work to keep seedlings safe.
Broccoli
This kind of cabbage is not the most frequent guest in the beds of our summer residents. Few dare to plant her, but meanwhile she is not so difficult to care for. Broccoli is very fond of light and water, tolerates both frost and heat well. However, for the most successful cultivation of broccoli, the optimal temperature is between plus fifteen and plus twenty.
As a rule, broccoli is sown with seedlings, but this can be done not in pots on the balcony, but immediately in the greenhouse, planting seeds in late April or early May. In just over a month, it will already be possible to relocate it to open ground. The soil for broccoli should be selected fertile and loose, preferably one where legumes, carrots or potatoes used to grow.
Growing and caring for broccoli
It is necessary to transplant this type of cabbage in open ground either in the evening or on a cloudy day, as is the case with Brussels sprouts. Holes need to be prepared of sufficient depth, they must first be filled with compost or ash. It is better to immediately cover freshly resettled seedlings with a film - this way they will be protected from fleas, lovers of nibbling leaves.
Growing broccoli in the open fieldinvolves, as in any other case, constant watering, regular weeding and fertilizing. It is recommended to moisten the plant in the evening every other day (if the summer is not very hot), otherwise, twice a day. Broccoli is very positive about top dressing, therefore, no matter how fertile the soil is, it is still advised to fertilize it, for example, with mullein or chicken manure. As for broccoli pests and their control, they are all similar to those already described above.
Interesting facts
- The word "cabbage" comes from the ancient "kaputum" ("head").
- Charles Darwin claimed that all cabbage varieties are descended from one wild species.
- Some countries have cabbage museums.
- China is the leader in growing vegetables.
- "Kapustniki", friendly gatherings-performances, used to be organized during Lent, when cabbage pies were the most common dish. Hence the name of the holiday.
- In China, cabbage is a symbol of we alth.
- Cabbage has been used by humans since the Bronze and Stone Ages.
- The exact origin of the vegetable is unknown. There are versions that this is Georgia, Greece or Italy.
- In Russia, this vegetable has appeared since the ninth century.
- The phrase "professor of sour cabbage soup" appeared in this way: sour soup used to be called a special drink made on cabbage, which required great skill. Accordingly, the one who knew how to prepare this drink was called the professor of sour cabbage soup, and much later the meaning of this expression changed dramatically.
- Women eat cabbage for breast growth, but for a visible effect, you need to eat at least a whole head of cabbage every day.
Growing cabbage, like any other vegetable, is a responsible, but exciting and worthwhile business. After all, the result of this work will be the fruits from your own garden, and it has long been known that your own is the most delicious.
