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Sweet, crunchy, sour and spicy – all these are the characteristics of one vegetable that has been very popular in Our Country since the time of Kievan Rus. After all, it was about dishes prepared from cabbage that the saying “And it’s not a shame to serve, and they’ll eat it – it’s not a pity” has developed.
Cabbage is an absolutely versatile vegetable that is indispensable both in the daily menu and for preparing countless holiday pickles. Moreover, it can actually cure complex diseases such as stomach ulcers and gastritis. Since ancient times, the cultivation of cabbage in Our Country was accompanied by many rituals, in particular, only women, girls and girls were allowed to sow and plant this vegetable. There was a belief that if representatives of the male part of the population participate in the sowing of cabbage, then it will not bear fruit. Of course, many of these customs and traditions are already outdated, but some things can still be used, for example, signs and special days associated with sowing and planting cabbage for seedlings.
And at present, gardeners often use the lunar calendar to choose the days most suitable for sowing this most useful vegetable. All this will be discussed in this article. But first, you need to get acquainted with its main characteristics.
Different types of cabbage and their features
First of all, it should be noted that there are quite a few varieties of cabbage.
Red cabbage
It is very similar in terms of growing conditions to its relative, but has a much smaller distribution. Although, due to its unique properties, it deserves to be settled in the garden. It contains much more carotene and cyanidin, which regulate the activity of the heart and blood vessels and are powerful antioxidants. It suffers less from drought than white cabbage, but makes higher demands on soil fertility. Very tasty pickles and marinated blanks are obtained from it.
Savoy cabbage
It is the most drought-resistant and at the same time frost-resistant of all types of cabbage. It is characterized by bubbly corrugated leaves and a rather loose head of cabbage. More demanding on top dressing, even compared to white cabbage. But less other species are exposed to diseases and pests.
It has several varieties: according to the ripening time, early and late varieties are distinguished. You can’t ferment this cabbage, but it is actively used for cooking second and first courses, as well as in salads. Especially useful for children and the elderly.
Brussels sprouts
A plant with a very original appearance, when many small heads of cabbage form on a rather thin and long cylindrical stem in the axils of the leaves. This species is quite resistant to low temperatures, easily tolerates frosts down to -7°C.
The growing season is comparable to the average varieties of cabbage, that is, it is sown at approximately the same time. The sprouts are often used for canning and freezing.
Cauliflower
In this species of cabbage, original in appearance, modified inflorescences are used for food, which can reach considerable sizes – from 10 to 25 cm. The root system is superficial and not as well developed as in other species. This variety has the highest requirements for growing conditions. It is much more thermophilic than the others, the most demanding on soil fertility. It is especially picky about lighting conditions during the seedling period – it grows best with an average light day.
Broccoli
It is also called asparagus, although it is rather the closest relative of cauliflower. The culture is distinguished by a high ability to remontance – that is, after cutting the apical inflorescence, additional small heads appear in the axils of the lower leaves. This increases its productivity. Broccoli is much more resistant to cold than colored broccoli, withstands frosts down to -7 ° C, is not so demanding on soil fertility, but is more sensitive to lack of moisture. It is even more precocious than the color, so it is often grown several times per season, including seedlingless.
Kohlrabi cabbage
One of the most precocious types of cabbage – often ripens 2 months after sowing. Despite the general unpretentiousness of cultivation, it is quite sensitive to low temperatures. Contains the largest amount of vitamin C and other elements of all varieties. It can be sown up to the beginning of July and grown in a seedless way.
Calculation of the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings
Even among the many varieties of white cabbage, there are three groups that differ in their characteristics:
- Early
- Average
- Late.
Early varieties (vegetation period from 70 to 110 days) are distinguished by their small size, loose heads of cabbage, their yield is small – but they can be eaten as early as June.
Medium varieties (vegetation period 111-145 days) are usually ideal for pickling and fermentation and, of course, for consumption during the summer period.
Late varieties (vegetation period of 146 or more days) are best stored, therefore suitable for winter consumption. These varieties also make good sauerkraut. These are usually the most productive varieties.
Cabbage variety | Vegetation period (days) | Seedling age at planting (days) |
|---|---|---|
early head | 70 – 110 | 45 – 60 |
Medium head | 111 – 145 | 35 – 45 |
late head | More 146 | 30 – 35 |
Savoy | 108 – 142 | 35 – 45 |
Brussels | 120 – 150 | 45 – 50 |
color | 100 – 150 | 40 – 45 |
Broccoli | 65 – 80 | 35 – 45 |
kohlrabi | 60 – 70 | 30 – 35 |
As can be seen from the table above, the age of later cabbage varieties at planting can be half that of early ones. Therefore, if seedlings are planted in the ground at approximately the same time, it is clear that for early varieties, the time when cabbage can be sown for seedlings will be very different.
It is customary to plant seedlings of cabbage in the ground when the earth is already mature enough so that the plants immediately after planting quickly grow. The average air temperature in this case usually exceeds + 10 ° С – + 12 ° С. In different regions of Our Country, these terms can, of course, vary greatly. In the conditions of the middle zone, it is customary to do this during May, sometimes from the end of April, if the spring is early and warm.
However, if you have the ability to protect the plants with a covering material, then you can plant it earlier.
Therefore, the following terms are optimal for sowing seeds of various types of cabbage in the middle zone.
for the southern regions of Our Country, all dates will accordingly be shifted by a month and a half earlier than those indicated in the table. For the regions of the Urals and Siberia, on the contrary, the dates can be shifted by several weeks to a later time. Using all the above data, it is easy to create your own sowing calendar for different types of cabbage for 2021.
Use of the lunar calendar
To determine more accurately the days when you can sow cabbage for seedlings, it is advisable to use the lunar calendar. After all, there are days when sowing cabbage, and any other crops, is simply contraindicated, and, having sowed in these terms, you can be completely without a harvest. To prevent this from happening, you need to find out when you can sow cabbage according to the lunar calendar.
The fact is that the moon has four main phases:
- New Moon (lasts three days);
- Growing moon (continues from the end of the new moon to the full moon);
- Full Moon (lasts three days);
- Waning moon (lasts from the end of the full moon to the new moon).
The period of the new moon, as well as the full moon, captures one day before and after the most specific date indicated on the calendar.
It should be well understood that the periods of new moon and full moon are completely unsuitable for sowing, transplanting, and, in general, any work with plants. At these moments, all living things seem to freeze and prepare for the change of the period.
It is strictly not recommended to plan any work with plants for these six days in each month. These days are the most important and you can always recognize them in any lunar calendar for 2021.
It was also noticed that during the waxing moon it is very good to work with all plants, the fruits of which grow above the surface of the earth. And, conversely, for all work with root crops growing in the ground, the time of the waning moon is great. From this we can conclude that it is desirable to plant cabbage for seedlings and plant it in the ground during the growing moon.
There are also so-called days when the moon passes through different signs of the zodiac. Here it is advisable to remember only that the days when the moon is in the signs of Leo, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Aries and Gemini are considered unproductive. These days, cabbage for seedlings according to the lunar calendar is usually not sown.
All other days are more or less suitable for sowing cabbage.
Folk omens and holidays
Cabbage is such a favorite culture that the Slavic peoples have long developed a variety of signs that allow you to determine the timing – when to plant cabbage.
The first such holiday is Arina (Irina) – a nursery, which is celebrated on April 29 (according to the old style on April 16). This holiday is dedicated to the three sisters of Thessalonica – the martyrs Agapia, Khione and Irina. On this day, it was customary to plant cabbage for seedlings, as well as sow seeds in the ground under shelters.
It is interesting that in the folk calendar there is a second Irina nursery. This day, celebrated on May 18 (May 5, according to the old style), is called Irina – cabbage. It is celebrated in honor of Irina of Macedon and got its name from the fact that from that day on in Our Country it was customary to plant cabbage seedlings in open ground.
There is another holiday associated with the sowing of vegetables in general, and cabbage in particular. On May 16, the feast of Martha the nursery is celebrated. The day is considered favorable for planting many vegetables, both seeds and seedlings.
The timing of sowing and planting cabbage has long been associated with the growth and flowering of wild herbs and trees. And these observations may well help modern gardeners, since wild plants have adapted well to weather conditions and often know much better than people what condition the soil is in and whether it is ready to accept seedlings.
The following are the main tips that can help you navigate when planting seedlings:
- If the leaves on the birch reach the size of a small coin, you can plant seedlings of white varieties.
- If daffodils have bloomed, it’s time to plant seedlings of early and cauliflower in open ground.
- If irises have bloomed, you can plant seedlings of Brussels sprouts in the ground.
If you use all the above information, it turns out that there are not so many days left for sowing and planting cabbage. But on the other hand, following all these tips, and be sure to follow all the basic agronomic requirements, you can definitely be sure that the heads of cabbage will grow large, dense, juicy and tasty.
