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Beijing cabbage fell in love with both consumers and gardeners. This culture has confidently entered the diet of s. The appearance of the plant resembles lettuce, which is why it is also popularly called lettuce. The leaves are collected in a rosette or head of cabbage, which can be of impressive size and length, sometimes up to 50 cm. The color of the leaves of the plant varies from pale yellow to light green. The veins on the leaves are wide and thick, but very juicy.
Peking cabbage leaves have a pleasant fresh taste. The simplest dish that can be prepared very quickly from a plant is a salad. The vegetable is cut into thin strips and seasoned with lemon juice and vegetable oil. The plant goes well with cheese and meat products in sandwiches. From it you can cook many healthy and tasty dishes. And consume not only fresh, but also stewed, pickled, salted and pickled. Everyone knows the Korean dish kimchi, which is prepared with an abundance of various spices. In the East, this type of cabbage occupies a significant place in the nutrition of the population.
A lot of useful properties are inherent in Beijing cabbage by nature. Therefore, the use of the plant keeps the mind sharp and the vessels elastic. The heart works without interruption, the body’s defenses increase, thanks to the high levels of vitamins and trace elements contained in the vegetable. What we miss especially in winter. Beijing cabbage is perfectly stored and retains vitamins, which increases the value of the plant in winter and autumn.
For a long time, this type of cabbage was an unknown exotic vegetable. Now gardeners and farmers grow this crop on their own. On the shelves of stores, the vegetable is present all year round. Gardeners call the plant “Peking” and love it for its unpretentiousness, not capriciousness, and for the fact that the crop quickly yields and not one, but 2 or even 3 in a season.
Features of care and varieties of Chinese cabbage for greenhouses
Happy owners of heated greenhouses can get an early harvest of Beijing cabbage. It will be especially in demand in early spring, when fresh vegetables are scarce and too expensive. Therefore, growing crops in greenhouses is a profitable and promising business.
Peculiarities of growing
Beijing cabbage tolerates significant temperature changes well. But in order not to rely on the vagaries of nature and get a consistently high yield of a plant, the cultivated crop should be provided with the correct temperature and lighting.
Peking cabbage seeds have high germination capacity already at temperature conditions of +4+5 degrees. Seedlings will tolerate a drop in temperature if the thermometer drops to -3 degrees. But the ideal temperature for growth and harvest is +14 to +20 degrees. A decrease and increase in temperature from extreme values uXNUMXbuXNUMXbleads to the fact that plants throw out an arrow and bloom.
A feature of Beijing cabbage is that it blooms with a long daylight hours, so the correct development of the heads of the plant will occur with a shortened daylight hours. Blooming “Peking” loses its taste properties, unsuitable for food.
Plants are “friendly” with cucumbers and tomatoes. You just need to take care of additional feeding of vegetable crops so that there is enough food for all plantations.
Growing Beijing cabbage in a greenhouse is a good solution. You can control the temperature and light conditions, that is, create the conditions necessary for growing a crop. What is especially important for a plant in early spring or late autumn.
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Varieties for the greenhouse
Success in growing crops largely depends on the correct choice of seeds for the greenhouse. The main criterion for choosing a plant variety will be the timing of the harvest.
Early varieties of Beijing cabbage are able to produce a crop within 1,5 months after planting. They are suitable for growing crops in a greenhouse in the spring:
- Spring Beauty F1 – a variety of cabbage that ripens very quickly and tolerates a lack of lighting well. The heads of the plant are juicy, white on the cut, weighing up to 2 kg;
- Spring Jade F1 – Peking cabbage variety is resistant to diseases, temperature extremes, especially high ones. Does not bloom, is not affected by diseases. The heads of the plant are large, weighing up to 3 kg, very juicy;
- Vesnjanka – a variety of leaf form, juicy leaves, with a high content of vitamin C. 35 days after planting, you can harvest;
- The first vitamins F1 – the variety is suitable for growing both in spring and summer, resistant to flowering and temperature extremes. The vegetable harvest is early, the heads of the plant are round and oblong in shape with juicy, crispy flesh.
Autumn varieties:
- September F1 – a variety of vegetable crops is characterized by fast ripening and a pleasant taste. On the cut, the color is light green. The mass of the fruits of the plant is about 1,5 kg. The variety is resistant to diseases and temperature extremes;
- Autumn Jade F1 – a plant variety that forms a large elongated head of cabbage, up to 50-60 cm in size, weighing up to 3 kg. The color of the fruit of a vegetable crop is bright green;
- Autumn Beauty F1 – a cold-resistant plant variety with a mass of heads of cabbage up to 2,5 kg. On the cut, they are slightly yellow, the upper leaves are rich green.
Universal varieties:
- Beijing Express – suitable for cultivation of a plant in open ground, but gives a particularly high yield in a greenhouse. Light green cabbages of a vegetable culture of an elongated shape, very juicy, weighing about 2 kg. The variety is zoned for Siberia, the Moscow region, the Urals. It tolerates adverse climatic conditions;
- Martha – an early ripening variety of cabbage, it takes only 40 days to fully ripen. Does not suffer from a lack of lighting, resistant to the release of peduncles. Heads of plants weighing up to 1 kg.
Otherwise, heads of vegetable crops will give arrows and the crop will be spoiled.
Landing
“Beijing” loves light and fertile soil. If there were cases of plant diseases in the greenhouse, then the soil must be treated with steam, spilled with copper sulfate (weak solution) or potassium permanganate. But too light soils dry out quickly, and heavy soils lead to the development of diseases. Therefore, soils with an average composition, neutral in acidity, are most suitable. Beijing cabbage is planted in a greenhouse after tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions and legumes.
A vegetable crop is planted in a heated greenhouse already in early March, in April, if the greenhouse is not heated. Plant seeds are planted in furrows, following the recommended planting pattern. In the aisles, a distance of 30-40 cm is usually left. Per 1 sq. m of prepared soil take 2 g of cabbage seeds. They are sown without deepening too much, by 1-1,5 cm, then moistened well.
Before the emergence of seedlings of the plant in the greenhouse, a temperature of at least +20 degrees must be maintained. As soon as shoots appear, the temperature is lowered to +10 degrees for a period of 5-7 days. Then, for the full development and ovary of heads of vegetable crops, a temperature of no more than +20 degrees in the daytime is required, at night it should not fall below +15 degrees.
Slightly grown seedlings of the plant should be thinned out, leaving the strongest plants. At this stage, 10 cm is left between the plants. After a week, the plantings are thinned out again, leaving 30-40 cm between crops.
The seedling method is also suitable for planting “Peking”. So? farmers get an even earlier harvest. But the culture reacts very poorly to transplantation, so it is recommended to plant seeds in separate containers, peat cups or peat tablets. Before planting, the soil is shed with a solution of potassium permanganate. And sow 3 seeds. Sprouts appear very quickly, literally in 4-5 days.
Unviable sprouts are removed. Regular watering is carried out when the soil dries, excess moisture can lead to the development of rot. After three weeks, the seedlings will have 2 pairs of true leaves, it is ready for transplanting into the ground.
Regular care
Regular care consists in maintaining the required temperature in the greenhouse, regular watering. Water as the topsoil dries up, preventing complete drying. Too frequent watering should be avoided, as excess moisture and thickening of crops leads to the development of diseases.
During the season, you can carry out 2 top dressing: organic and mineral substances. The “Beijing” responds well to top dressing with infusion of slurry, chicken manure, infusion obtained from green mass.
Mineral fertilizers are best applied in the fall when preparing the land in a greenhouse. For 1 sq. m contribute double superphosphate (1 tablespoon) and potassium sulfate (2 tablespoons). When planting, superphosphate (2 tablespoons), urea (1 teaspoon), wood ash (1 cup) are added.
Pests and protection from them
Beijing cabbage is very fond of a variety of pests, which are sometimes quite difficult to deal with. Particular damage to plants is caused by: cruciferous flea, slugs.
In order not to use a variety of chemicals in pest control, it is better to follow preventive measures that will protect your plants from the harmful effects of pests.
- The cruciferous fleabane does not live in the low temperatures of early spring, late summer, or early autumn. Thus, you only need to respect the landing dates.
- You can treat young plants with ash.
- Observe crop rotation. Do not plant Beijing cabbage after all types of cabbage, daikon, radish. The pest hibernates in the soil. Therefore, for the “Peking” there is always a threat.
- The culture is not affected by the cruciferous flea if plantings of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic are compacted with it.
If all else fails, use heavy artillery: Iskra, Inta-vir, Aktara preparations.
Cleaning and storage
Heads are cut for storage when they are compacted. Not all varieties are suitable for storage. As a rule, spring varieties are used immediately for consumption. But autumn varieties can be stored.
To do this, each head of cabbage is wrapped in cling film, and then in a newspaper. So, Beijing cabbage is stored for a long time, more than 4-5 months at a temperature slightly above zero degrees.
Conclusion
Growing Beijing cabbage in greenhouses is a very profitable business and can become a source of constant income for someone. For experienced gardeners, this is a way to provide yourself and your family with a healthy, vitamin-rich product. Beginning gardeners, observing simple agricultural practices, can easily cope with growing crops, get a delicious vegetable that diversifies their nutritious diet.