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Cultivation of cabbage in the open ground
White and red cabbage are suitable for outdoor cultivation. Conditions differ from greenhouse conditions and pose a risk to crops. You can only grow cabbage with proper care.
Cultivation of cabbage in the open ground
Before sowing, cabbage seeds are soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and then immersed in cool water. This will make the seedlings more resistant to cold temperatures. Loose peat soil is best suited for planting.
Growing cabbage outdoors requires painstaking care
Sowing time is determined based on the variety. Early varieties can be planted in early spring, late ones in April. Seedlings appear after 40-50 days and require special care:
- Moderate watering – a lack of moisture will lead to wilting of the plant, and its excess prevents air from entering and causes decay;
- Daylight – with a lack of light, seedlings will not be able to develop;
- Temperature – when the temperature is high, the seedlings are stretched.
The first 10 days the cabbage grows slowly. The first foliage will appear after the 20th day. Then the phase of active growth begins.
Growing cabbage and caring for it outdoors
After the seedlings get stronger and leave leaves, they can be planted in the ground. The distance between the holes is about 50 cm. You can use compost to fertilize the soil. Lost seedlings must be returned to their place immediately. Caring for cabbage involves:
- Timely watering – in a drought it is carried out every 2 days. During the rainy season, once a week is enough.
- Loosening of the soil – carried out after watering. A mulch layer can be used to retain moisture and nutrients.
- Weeding – timely removal of weeds.
- Top dressing – it is better to use potash fertilizers. This will help the plant settle into the soil. To avoid burns, top dressing is recommended to be applied to the soil moistened after watering.
- Treatment from pathogenic bacteria and pests – onion husk infusion, decoction of tomato tops and ash are used. It is extremely dangerous to use pesticides for processing food products.
After planting, 3 weeks should pass before the first hilling. Then it is repeated a week later. The early varieties bring the harvest after a couple of months, and the later ones – after 5-7 months.
Agricultural techniques for growing cabbage may vary slightly depending on the variety. It is not easy to care for this plant, but if you follow all the recommendations, you can get a rich harvest.