Cabbage is not tied in a head: what to do, reasons

White cabbage cannot be called an easy-to-care and picky culture. She reacts to some deviations in growing conditions from optimal ones and errors in care by “refusing” to form heads. So you can lose most or all of the crop, so it is important to understand why exactly white cabbage is not tied and what to do in each case.

When the cabbage begins to tie

White cabbage begins to tie in phase 6-7 of the true leaf. But the period of head formation depends on the ripening time of a particular variety or hybrid:

• early ripe – 40-45 days from the moment the seedlings appear when growing seedlings or 15-18 after transplanting into open ground;
• mid-season – 60-65 days after seed germination or about a month from the moment of transplantation;
• late – 80-85 days after germination or around mid-August.

The gardener should be wary both when the plants are excessively “sluggish” and when they are clearly “fatty”

Why do cabbage heads not tie?

In most cases, the fact that white cabbage does not tie is the fault of the gardener himself, who has chosen the wrong place for the garden or makes serious mistakes in care. But bad weather conditions can also be the cause.

Poor quality seeds

Poor quality seeds not only show poor germination. If seedlings do appear, they are noticeably behind in development, heads of cabbage are not tied up because the plants simply do not have enough strength.

In some cases, poor-quality seeds are the result of “pollination” of white cabbage with other plants from the Cruciferous family. In such “hybrids” heads of cabbage are not tied in principle.

Also, poor quality seeds can be associated with an expiring shelf life. The experience of gardeners shows that after 2-3 years of storage, their germination is significantly reduced, weak seedlings of white cabbage are formed, the plants do not tie heads.

In order to avoid problems with the quality of seeds, they should be purchased only where the seller can provide a certificate of conformity for the product

late sowing

Each plant has its own period of active vegetation, “oriented” to the climate and weather in a particular region. If you are late with sowing seeds of white cabbage, and, accordingly, with planting in the ground, it is very likely that heads of cabbage will not be tied in it – they simply will not have enough time for this.

The optimal timing also depends on the ripening time. In central Our Country, planting seedlings is planned for:

• 04-05.05 (early varieties and hybrids);
• 15-30.05 (mid-season);
• 05-05.06 (mid-late and late).

Unsuccessful landing site

To the conditions of cultivation, white cabbage is quite demanding. If they do not suit her, she most likely will not tie. A place for a bed is chosen taking into account the following criteria:

• good illuminance;
• fertile, but rather loose substrate;
• neutral or close to this pH;
• lack of prerequisites for stagnant water at the roots.

Lack of light in the beds with white cabbage – a guarantee of its “refusal” to tie

Incorrect watering

White cabbage is an extremely moisture-loving crop; with a lack of water, it does not tie. In extreme heat, the water needed by plants actively evaporates from the surface of the leaf plates.

Therefore, it is necessary to irrigate not only the substrate, but also the sockets themselves. Also, in order for white cabbage to tie heads, it is very useful to increase the humidity of the air.

The regularity of watering is extremely important. When the gardener fills the garden very abundantly in the intervals between long “droughts”, heads of white cabbage, even if tied, crack during the ripening process.

Not satisfied with the culture and excessively abundant and / or frequent watering. White cabbage reacts to constant waterlogging of the soil by rotting the roots. Obviously, heads of cabbage on such plants will not be tied.

Sprinkling watering white cabbage, unlike many horticultural crops, does not harm

lack of light

White cabbage is one of the most photophilous garden crops. The optimal length of daylight hours for her is 14-16 hours. During all this time, plants need bright, but diffused light. It does not tie even when landing in partial shade. The only assumption is a very light shading in the hottest time of the day.

Acidic soil

White cabbage categorically does not tolerate acidified soil: at a pH above 6,5, its root system practically does not develop, the growth of seedlings is “inhibited”, the leaves become very small. Obviously, in such unfavorable conditions, it is not tied up.

Planting density

An undesirable shadow is created not only by taller plants and other “obstacles”, but also by overly thickened plantings of white cabbage. With crowding in the garden, it also does not tie, since the leaves of plants shading each other become very small.

To avoid it, you must follow the recommended landing pattern. It has its own for each variety or hybrid, varies depending on the size of adult outlets.

With excessive “crowding” in the garden, white cabbage will not be tied due to a lack of nutrients

Weather

White cabbage loves light, but not extreme heat. The optimum temperature for its growth, at which heads are tied, is 17-20 ° C. If it rises above 27-30 ° C, the development of plants freezes.

Micronutrient deficiency

In order for white cabbage to be tied, it needs a large amount of nutrients. What exactly she lacks can be judged by the appearance of the plants:

• potassium (white cabbage does not tie, despite the large leaves, they gradually acquire a pink-purple undertone, then turn yellow);
• phosphorus – the leaves turn yellow and dry along the edges and along the veins;
• calcium – the leaves turn black and die, white cabbage stops developing, does not tie;
• boron – the leaves are very small, as if “rusty”, heads of cabbage are “loose”;
• molybdenum – the head is very soft, the leaves seem to crumble into dust.

When white cabbage is tied, it is most susceptible to potassium deficiency.

Cabbage Diseases and Pests

There are a lot of diseases in which white cabbage does not tie. This symptom is characteristic, first of all, for the keel. Plants wither, turn yellow, ugly “tumors” form on the roots.

The keelfish causative agent remains viable in the soil for 4-6 seasons

Also, heads of cabbage are not tied in severe cases of powdery mildew, fusarium, and mucous bacteriosis. Even if they form, the crop is unsuitable for food.

Pests that feed on the tissues and juice of white cabbage can damage the growing point. Accordingly, she is no longer able to tie into a head of cabbage.

Most often it affects:

• cabbage moth – the greatest damage to the culture is caused by its caterpillars, eating away, first of all, the core of the outlet;
  
  

  Cabbage moth caterpillars are very voracious, in 2-3 days they eat leaves to the state of a “skeleton” of veins

• cruciferous flea;
  
  

  Cruciferous flea quickly turns leaves into a “sieve”

• stem secretive proboscis;
  
  

  You can “track” the path of the stem secretive proboscis by brownish “stripes” along the veins

• cabbage aphid.
  
  

  The aphid not only sucks the juice from the leaf plates, but also spreads the spores of some fungi that are dangerous for the culture.

The appearance of several heads of cabbage

Most often, several small heads instead of one large one are tied if the main growth point is damaged in white cabbage. As a result, the spare ones located in the axils of the leaves are “activated”.

What to do if the cabbage is not tied

If white cabbage “refuses” to tie due to errors in agricultural technology, it is necessary to provide the plants with competent care. It is enough to normalize watering or make the necessary top dressing.

With an unsuccessful choice of a landing site, it is already impractical to transfer white cabbage to a new bed. The only thing left for the gardener is to provide her with the highest quality care. They do the same if it is not tied up due to adverse weather conditions. In these cases, “support” with biostimulants will also be useful.

In the process of preparing the beds, it is imperative to find out the acid-base balance of the soil. If this moment is missed, “deoxidizers” can be added to the soil during the season. But such an “emergency measure” does not give a guarantee that white cabbage will begin to tie.

It is impossible to make a mistake with the acidity of the soil using special “indicators”.

A set of preventive measures will help to minimize the risk of infection with diseases and pest attacks:

• choosing a place for the garden, taking into account the requirements of culture;
• cleaning the site from plant and other debris;
• deep digging of the soil since autumn;
• taking into account the principles of crop rotation;
• compliance with the planting scheme that is optimal for a given variety or hybrid;
• competent care during the season;
• timely weeding and loosening;
• regular inspection of plants in order to identify problems at an early stage.

How to speed up tying a head of cabbage

In order for the heads of white cabbage to begin to tie more actively, you can use folk remedies:

1. Yeast. Briquette (100 g) and unnecessary jam (500 g) are poured with warm water (10 l) and left for several days in a dark place under a tightly closed lid for fermentation. After the appearance of a characteristic smell, a glass of liquid is diluted in 10 liters of water and white cabbage is watered, spending a liter of top dressing on plants. The procedure is repeated no more than once every 3-4 weeks.
2. Manure and wood ash. About 500 g of fresh manure and 50 g of sifted wood ash are poured into 10 liters of water and left for several days, allowing excess ammonia to “weather out”. Before use, filter, dilute with water in a ratio of 1: 2. Top dressing is carried out after abundant watering. The norm is a glass per plant, the frequency is once every three weeks.
3. Boric acid. Powder (2 g) is diluted in a liter of hot water until dissolved and 9 liters of cold water are added and the plants are sprayed. After 7-10 days, the treatment is repeated.
4. Tying the leaves into a “bundle”. No “auxiliaries” are required. When at least 12 leaves are formed in the outlet, they are collected in a “bundle” and fixed with a fabric tape or a wide soft elastic band. This method to speed up the tying of heads of cabbage is used mainly in the heat.

The action, at first glance, is strange, but in such a “bundle” moisture is much better preserved

Any purchased biostimulants give the desired effect. Epin, Heteroauxin, Crystalon are popular with gardeners. They are used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Many biostimulants not only activate the process of tying heads, but also positively affect their taste and keeping quality.

Conclusion

Having found that white cabbage is not tied, although the plants have already reached the appropriate stage of development, it is necessary to find out as soon as possible what reason provoked this phenomenon. There are a lot of ways to save the crop, but the measures taken directly depend on why white cabbage is not tied. There are also methods for “activating” the process, both folk remedies and purchased biostimulants will be effective.