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It is worth feeding Beijing cabbage regularly, up to 3-4 times after disembarkation. The last time fertilizers are applied two weeks before harvest. The optimal scheme is the alternation of mineral supplements with organic ones. You can also use biological fertilizers – the most effective and affordable are described in this article.
Do I need to fertilize Chinese cabbage
Fertilizers for Beijing cabbage should be applied without fail. Thanks to this, plants quickly gain green mass, get sick less, form large heads of cabbage, which positively affects both yield and taste.
Fertilizers must contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. These are the main elements that perform vital functions:
- Nitrogen is present in the composition of protein compounds, provides the processes of cell division, growth, due to which the leaves actively grow.
- Phosphorus contributes to the formation of the root system, participates in metabolic processes.
- Potassium also strengthens the roots, and also stimulates flowering and the formation of ovaries. Therefore, it is actively introduced at the stage of budding.
It is also necessary to feed Beijing cabbage with microelements. Boron activates the formation of ovaries, and iodine helps in the absorption of nitrogen, so that the bushes grow faster.
Signs of a micronutrient deficiency
Beijing cabbage needs all macro- and microelements. But there are also situations when it is necessary to feed the culture with specific substances. To do this, it is necessary to learn how to determine the deficiency of an element by external signs.
Element deficiency | External signs |
Nitrogen (N) | lagging behind in development; yellow, pale spots on the leaves; bluish bottom leaf plates; Visible patches of red heads of cabbage are small. |
Phosphorus (P) | The foliage is dark green, bluish; petioles purple or purple; Some of the leaves are covered with black spots; Delayed flowering. |
Potassium (K) | Foliage looks as if burnt; · young leaves fade; leaf plates become bluish, “bronze”; Curling around the edges Delayed flowering. |
Sulfur (S) | yellow spots appear on the leaves; The veins take on a purple hue. |
Calcium (Ca) | young foliage becomes yellowish-green at the edges. |
How to fertilize Beijing cabbage for tying heads
Beijing cabbage needs top dressing to form heads. Experienced summer residents recommend applying balanced complex fertilizers, as well as feeding plants with liquid organic matter. The main types of drugs and dosages are presented below.
Mineral Fertilizers
You can feed Beijing cabbage to form a head of cabbage with mineral fertilizers. These are inorganic (rarely organic) compounds that are produced in the form of powder or granules that are highly soluble in water. They quickly penetrate the soil, enter the roots and then move through the vascular system of plants, saturating the tissues with nutrients.
Among the most important mineral fertilizers that need to be fed to Beijing cabbage, the following should be highlighted:
- Urea is an organic compound that is a source of nitrogen. It should be applied a few days after transplanting seedlings into open ground. To properly feed, you need to dilute 20 g in 10 liters of water.
- Ammonium nitrate is an inorganic source of nitrogen. It is highly soluble in water, quickly penetrates into the root system of the plant. To feed, you need to dissolve 20 g in 10 liters. Then start watering.
The second time after transplantation, Beijing cabbage should be fed with phosphorus and potassium compounds. You can use, for example, superphosphate (40 g per 10 l) and potassium salt (25 g per 10 l) or superphosphate with potassium sulfate (30 g per 10 l). Instead of these preparations, it is allowed to feed with complex fertilizers, for example, azofoska (30 g per 10 l).
Another option is to use ready-made preparations with a balanced composition. It can be “Ideal”, “Baikal”, “Mortar” and other means. You need to feed according to the instructions, carefully observing the indicated amount.
Organic Fertilizers
After landing in the ground and throughout the season, you can also feed Beijing cabbage with organic matter. The best option is to alternate it with mineral fertilizers, observing an interval of 15-20 days. Among the most popular remedies are mullein and litter. On their basis, an aqueous infusion is prepared for 10-15 days. The instruction is this:
- Take raw materials and dilute with water five times.
- Let stand indoors for 10-12 days.
- Stir occasionally.
- Then dilute with water 10 times (for mullein) or 15-20 times (for litter).
- Feed Beijing cabbage by watering the solution under the root.
In the store for summer residents, you can also purchase such organic fertilizer as potassium humate. It is produced in the form of a concentrate, which is diluted in water (10 ml per 1 liter). It is allowed to feed in two ways – spraying the leaves and watering under the root.
They can fertilize the soil in the fall in preparation for planting next spring. Raw materials are embedded in the ground in the amount of 8-10 kg per 1 m2 and left to rot.
Biological fertilizers
You can also feed Beijing cabbage for growth and tying heads with biological fertilizers. They are water infusions or decoctions based on the waste products of organisms. Some of the popular tools include:
- Infusion of freshly cut weeds, especially young nettles. Plants are mowed before the end of flowering, chopped with a shovel and poured with water in a ratio of 1:1. Insist 5-7 days, stir occasionally. Then filter and dilute with water three more times. You can feed the infusion directly under the root.
- Take a banana peel, add a little water and soak for a day. Then you need to feed Beijing cabbage with the resulting infusion. You can also puree the peel and lay it out in the garden as mulch.
- Take fresh or dry yeast 10 g, dissolve in 10 liters of warm water and put 2 tbsp. l. Sahara. Stir, leave warm for a day for fermentation. You can feed Beijing cabbage with such a solution right under the root, the liquid consumption is 0,8-1 l per bush.
- Instead of yeast, you can take a loaf of any bread, soak 10 liters of water in a bucket. Hold for a day, then mix and pour pharmacy iodine (30 drops). Next, you need to dilute with water three times and feed under the root. The solution is important to use on acidic soil.
Terms and rules of fertilization
Beijing cabbage should be fed several times per season (up to 3-4). The standard application schedule is as follows:
- When landing in the ground.
- In mid-June.
- At the beginning of July.
- Two weeks before harvest.
Along with the timing, it is important to follow the basic rules for fertilizing:
- Since precise dosage compliance is required, powders and granules are measured on a kitchen scale or in measuring utensils.
- Fertilizers must be applied regularly, and the composition must be balanced.
- In order for nutrients to quickly penetrate the roots of Chinese cabbage, the plantings should be watered.
- For irrigation and fertilization, only settled water is taken – it is prepared for at least 12 hours.
Tillage after harvest
Beijing cabbage is important to feed throughout the season. It actively consumes nutrients. From one hundred square meters, the culture takes about 2 kg of nitrogen, 1,5 kg of potassium and 130 g of phosphorus. Obviously, due to such volumes of consumption, the soil is quickly depleted. Therefore, it must be fertilized even after growing Chinese cabbage.
First, the crop is harvested, then all plant residues are removed. Next, you need to feed the soil. In September, the soil is dug up and humus or compost is added in the amount of 10 kg per 1 m2. If there is a lot of clay in the soil, sawdust or sand 2-5 kg is covered in the same area.
Common mistakes
You need to feed Beijing cabbage correctly to ensure normal growth and yield. This is not difficult to do, although in practice gardeners often make mistakes. Among the most common are the following:
- Sometimes summer residents believe that the more fertilizer to apply, the better. In fact, it is necessary to carefully observe the dosage, remembering that overfeeding is worse compared to underfeeding.
- If Beijing cabbage grows on fertile soil, it is worth feeding it with the same fertilizers, but the concentration is reduced by 1,5 times.
- Before and after top dressing, the soil is carefully loosened to provide access to the roots of both oxygen and the nutrient solution itself.
- Watering and spraying is better in the late evening. If you feed at the root, you need to carefully guide to the root zone. If the solution gets on the leaves, they should immediately be washed with a stream of water.
Conclusion
Feeding Chinese cabbage is not difficult, but the main thing is to follow the nutrition regimen. The plant is responsive to fertilizers, planting together form heads of cabbage, which has a good effect on productivity. To do this, it is recommended to regularly give complex and organic compounds.