Cabbage harvesting: rules and secrets
Summer residents usually harvest cabbage the very last – in October. Then they complain that it is poorly stored. And all because you need to look not at the calendar, but at the weather. Sometimes cleaning needs to start much earlier.

Cabbage harvest time

In October, cabbage of medium late and late varieties and hybrids is harvested – they ripen for a long time, up to 150 days (1). These include Aggressor F1, Ammon F1, Atria F1, Belorusskaya 455, Bloktor F1, Galaxy F1, Zimovka 1474 (2), Counter F1, Quilaton F1, Kingston F1, Kolya F1, Coronet F1, Lennox F1, Novator F1, Paradox F1 , Rusinovka, Hurricane F1, Fundaxi F1 (3). These varieties are designed for long-term storage.

But early and mid-season varieties and hybrids should not be kept in the garden until October: they are selectively harvested from June 15 (4), and the main harvest after September 15. These are Amazon F1, Bronco F1, Dido F1, Pructor F1, Rinda F1, Slava 1305, Fresco F1 (3). Such cabbage is stored for only 1, maximum 3 months, so it must be used first.

Cabbage must be harvested in dry, clear weather. The optimum temperature for harvesting cabbage is 0 – 5 °C. It is in this range that the process of breathing in heads of cabbage slows down, which means that they will lie for a long time. Cabbage is considered a cold-resistant crop, its heads can withstand frosts down to minus 5 – 6 ° C, but after frost they are worse stored. That is why you should not delay cleaning. But if the cabbage is still frozen, it is better to leave it on the beds so that the forks thaw in the bud. However, there is no need to rush to clean up. If you harvest heads of cabbage at temperatures above 7 – 8 ° C, they will not lie for a long time.

Chopped cabbage should be put for several days in a dry, cool room so that the cuts on the stalk are ventilated. It is impossible to leave heads of cabbage in the garden even for a short time – they wither very quickly in the sun. Heads of cabbage harvested in the rain must be dried before storage. Cracked, damaged, frostbitten and underdeveloped heads of cabbage cannot be left for storage: they will quickly rot. They need to be eaten first.

How to cut cabbage

Heads intended for storage are cut at harvest with a stalk 3 cm long and 3-4 loose green leaves (5) – they protect the cabbage from mechanical damage and fungal diseases. The cuts must be straight and horizontal. Longer lies the cabbage, which was uprooted.

How to store cabbage

It is best to store cabbage in a cellar at a temperature of 0 – 1 ° C and an air humidity of 95%. If the temperature is above 4 °C, the heads will begin to germinate.

There are many ways to store cabbage, but here are 6 of the most reliable.

In the boxes. They must be slatted so that the forks can breathe. Lay them with stumps inside.

In the pyramid. Heads of cabbage spread on a thin bedding of straw or spruce branches. The first layer is stumps up. The second one is with the stumps down so that the four lower forks support one upper one. The result should be a pyramid.

In the clay. A rope is tied to the stump. Clay is diluted with water to the density of sour cream and cabbage is lowered into it. After that, the heads of cabbage are dried and hung in the cellar from the ceiling.

In limbo. This is the most reliable way, but the cabbage must be rooted. Heads of cabbage are tied in pairs and hung on the crossbar. The main thing is that they do not touch each other.

In the garden. Polish gardeners store cabbage in ditches. The essence is simple: on an elevated site, they dig a trench with a depth and width of one head of cabbage and a length of 10 – 12 heads of cabbage. Cabbage is placed in it with the stumps up. Covering leaves are tightly tucked down. After that, the forks are covered with earth. With the onset of frost, the beds are covered from above with leaves, straw or peat.

In lime. To prevent cabbage from rotting, Ukrainian vegetable growers, before lowering it into the cellar, pollinate heads of cabbage with slaked lime or chalk (2-3 kg per 100 kg of cabbage).

Popular questions and answers

We talked about harvesting and storing cabbage with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

What varieties of cabbage keep the longest?

The most keeping varieties of white cabbage: Turkis, Airbus, Mara, Amager 611, Podarok, Zimovka 1474, Belorusskaya.

How long does cabbage keep in the cellar?

In the cellar, under optimal conditions, late varieties of cabbage are stored for 4 to 5 months. At the same time, it must be constantly inspected and blackened leaves removed. Rotting heads of cabbage should be immediately removed from storage so that they do not infect healthy ones.

How long does cabbage keep in the refrigerator?

Cabbage lies in the refrigerator for 20-30 days, but provided that it is wrapped with cling film in 2-3 layers, it will protect against high humidity, which leads to rotting of heads. Without a film, the shelf life of cabbage is 2 to 3 days.

Can cabbage be stored in the freezer?

Shredded cabbage is usually stored in the freezer, which can then be used for stews or soups. You need to freeze it in portions, each in a separate bag. Such cabbage is stored for 9-12 months at a temperature not lower than -18 ° C.

Sources of

  1. Fisenko A.N., Serpukhovitina K.A., Stolyarov A.I. Garden. Handbook // Rostov-on-Don, Rostov University Press, 1994 – 416 p.
  2. A group of authors, ed. Polyanskoy A.M. and Chulkova E.I. Tips for gardeners // Minsk, Harvest, 1970 – 208 p.
  3. State Register of Breeding Achievements, https://reestr.gossortrf.ru/
  4. Yakubovskaya L.D., Yakubovsky V.N., Rozhkova L.N. ABC of a summer resident // Minsk, OOO “Orakul”, OOO Lazurak, IPKA “Publicity”, 1994 – 415 p.
  5. Ilyin O.V. and a group of authors. Vegetable grower’s guide // M.: Rosselkhokhizdat, 1979 – 224 p.

Leave a Reply