Contents
Being a native of distant China, Chinese cabbage has found many admirers around the world, including in Our Country. It is grown by many gardeners in their summer cottages in an effort to get a good harvest of very healthy and tasty vegetables. At the same time, the cultivation of Beijing cabbage in the open field can cause some difficulties associated with non-compliance with the temperature regime, the regularity of watering, parasitism of pests and other nuances. So, the article below provides a detailed guide on how to grow Chinese cabbage in the garden correctly, avoid difficulties and get a rich harvest of vegetables.
Uniqueness of culture
Beijing cabbage can be found under various names, for example, lettuce or Chinese cabbage, petsai. The vegetable is loosely connected into a rosette or head of juicy leaves. They contain a large amount of ascorbic and citric acid, vitamins of groups B, A, PP. The composition of the vegetable also includes protein and carotene. Such a rich microelement complex allows us to talk about the significant benefits of vegetables for the human body. At the same time, it should be noted that the taste of the product is high: the leaves are very juicy, do not contain bitterness, their veins are practically devoid of coarse fibers. It is thanks to the combination of irreplaceable benefits and excellent taste that Chinese cabbage is popular with culinary specialists and gourmets around the world.
Time to sow the seeds
Beijing vegetable has a fairly short ripening period, which, depending on the variety, is 35-60 days. Such precocity allows, even in domestic climatic conditions, to harvest crops twice a season. At the same time, it is very important to pay attention to the choice of time for sowing the seed, since untimely sowing can provoke flowering. So, seeds for growing Beijing cabbage in the spring-summer cycle should be sown in mid-April (for seedlings) or from late May to mid-June (in open ground). At the same time, for the first cycle of cultivation, it is recommended to prefer varieties with an early ripening period.
In the summer-autumn period, long-ripening crop varieties can be grown, since such vegetables can be stored subsequently for a long period of time. Seeds are planted in the summer-autumn cycle from late July to mid-August. At the same time, the timing of sowing the seed for seedlings and directly into the ground coincide.
Growing methods
Experts identify two ways to grow Chinese cabbage: sowing seeds directly into the ground, where the vegetable will grow until fully ripe, or growing seedlings. Thus, the technologies for growing crops and the features of these methods are given below:
Sowing seed into the ground
Beijing vegetable has a very whimsical root system. It does not tolerate picking to a new place of cultivation, which is why the crop is often sown with seed in the ground. At the same time, there are two ways to sow cabbage in the beds:
- in rows. To do this, make shallow long grooves along the entire length of the ridge. The distance between two adjacent grooves should be at least 50 cm. Seeds are sown with an interval of 20 cm to a depth of 1-1,5 cm. Subsequently, such crops will need to be thinned out.
- In the holes. The method involves sowing cabbage seeds in shallow holes located at a distance of at least 35 cm from each other. 2-3 seeds are sown in each hole, and with the emergence of seedlings, the crops are thinned out, leaving only one, the strongest sprout.
Sow the seeds of a Beijing vegetable should be on a well-lit, sun-filled piece of land, which is dominated by nutritious, loose soil. Good predecessors for vegetables are garlic, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, carrots. It is not recommended to sow cabbage seeds in areas where radishes or mustard have previously grown.
After sowing the seed into the soil, the ridges must be watered and sprinkled with wood ash to prevent parasitism of the cruciferous flea. When sowing a crop in spring, it is recommended to additionally cover the ridges with plastic wrap to create the most favorable microclimatic conditions for the crop. Depending on the temperature conditions, cabbage shoots appear after 3-10 days.
Seedbed method
The seedling method is more often used in the spring-summer cycle of growing vegetables, since it allows you to harvest relatively early. So, the vegetable ripens and is ready for use on average 25-30 days after the seedlings dive into the ground.
Given the capriciousness of the root system, Beijing cabbage seedlings should be grown in peat pots or tablets. This will allow you not to remove the plant from the container while diving into the ground.
Particular attention must be paid to the soil in which the seedlings will grow. It should be well-drained, light, nutritious. You can prepare such a substrate by mixing equal parts of peat and garden soil. Such soil should be filled with peat containers, after which it should be compacted and seeds should be planted to a depth of 0,5-1 cm. Crops should be watered and placed in a room with a temperature of +20-+220C. Subject to the technology, the appearance of shoots occurs in 3-4 days.
Containers with seedlings of Beijing cabbage should be placed in a well-lit, sunny place with a temperature not higher than +220C, but not lower than +180C. Watering young plants is necessary as the soil dries. A few days before planting in the ground, watering the seedlings should be stopped.
Dive seedlings into the ground
Seedlings of vegetables can be dived on open ground, in a greenhouse or greenhouse. In this case, the soil must be saturated with organic matter and have a neutral acidity. Plants should be dived at the age of 25-30 days. At this time, cabbage seedlings should have 5-6 true leaves.
Planting of plants must be carried out in compliance with the distances:
- In protected ground, there should be at least 20 cm between adjacent plants. Such picking involves subsequent intermediate cutting of plants for consumption before full maturity.
- In open ground between cabbages, distances of 25-30 cm should be maintained.
Using peat containers for growing seedlings, plants do not need to be taken out during picking, embedding containers in the ground. Natural material will soon begin to decompose and turn into organic fertilizer. In this case, the root system of cabbage is injured in the least way, and the culture does not significantly slow down its growth. Plants after picking should be watered abundantly and powdered with wood ash on the garden bed.
Cabbage care in the garden
Beijing vegetable prefers to grow in conditions with intense lighting, high soil moisture and cool air. It can be quite difficult to create such a microclimate in the open field. That is why many farmers use geotextiles when growing vegetables. Cabbage wrapped with this material is protected from direct sunlight and overheating. Also, geotextiles are a barrier to the penetration of pests.
The best temperature for growing crops varies from +15 to +220C. Deviations from these indicators slow down the growth of cabbage and reduce its yield.
Plants need to be watered regularly. So, it is recommended to water Beijing cabbage with warm water abundantly once a week. With excessive drying of the soil, you can periodically additionally water the plantings. Mulching also slows down the evaporation of moisture from the soil. The soil should be mulched 1 weeks after the seedlings dive, or 2 weeks after germination in case of sowing seeds directly into the ground. It is worth noting that soil mulching is also a preventive measure in the fight against weeds.
Top dressing is also a mandatory procedure when growing Beijing cabbage. Primary feeding of plants is recommended before mulching. As a fertilizer, you can use an infusion of mullein or chicken manure. Also, the culture responds well to the introduction of herbal infusion. The application rate of such dressings is 1 liter per 1 plant. Beijing cabbage, grown in the spring and summer, must be fed three times. Planting Beijing cabbage in open ground and in a greenhouse in the summer-autumn period requires top dressing twice.
Some gardeners, when growing vegetables, resort to the use of boric acid. It helps the cabbage to tie better. The substance is used to prepare a solution in a ratio of 2 g per 1 liter of warm water. After thorough mixing, the resulting concentrate is diluted in a bucket of cold water and used to spray the cabbage.
So, knowing the rules for growing Beijing cabbage and caring for it, it is easy to get a good harvest. This task will certainly be feasible not only for an experienced, but also for a novice gardener.
Pest Control
Knowing how to plant Beijing cabbage, it is very important to know how to protect it from all kinds of pests. So, the vegetable has two main enemies: the slug and the cruciferous flea. You can fight them with the help of special preparations or folk methods. However, preventive measures are equally important. For example, timely planting of seedlings in the ground, covering crops with polyethylene, twisting cabbage with geotextiles and powdering the soil with wood ash make it possible to deal with the cruciferous flea on distant approaches. Also, in the fight against this insect pest, the use of mixed plantings shows high efficiency: by planting potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes next to cabbage, you can scare away the insect.
If the preventive measures did not bring the desired result, and the cruciferous flea still struck cabbage crops, then biological preparations should be used that will not worsen the quality of vegetables. These include Bitoxibacillin and Fitoverm. It is possible to use chemicals such as Iskra, Aktellika and some others only in the most extreme cases. In general, there are a large number of funds so that the forces devoted to planting and caring for Beijing cabbage are not wasted.
The cabbage slug is another voracious pest that can eat plenty of Chinese cabbage in the garden. It’s hard enough to fight him. One way is mechanical collection of pests. To do this, you need to put boards or burdock leaves on a bed with plantings. The slug will surely crawl under such a shelter, where the “keep eye” of the gardener should find it. You can also use a folk remedy in the fight against slugs: a mixture of ash in a volume of half a liter with two tablespoons of salt. Additionally, dry mustard and ground red pepper must be added to this mixture. Sprinkle the cabbage with this mixture.
Using preventive plant protection products and folk pest control methods, for sure, it will be possible to defeat even the most ferocious enemy in the struggle for the Beijing cabbage crop. The use of chemicals should be approached with extreme caution so that subsequently the cabbage does not harm the health of the consumer.
cabbage on the window
Few people know that Chinese cabbage, so tasty and healthy, can be grown not only in the garden, but also on the window. Such cultivation of Beijing cabbage can be practiced in the winter. The method can also help out green lovers who do not have a garden at all.
You can grow Beijing cabbage on the window from the waste of an already used head of cabbage. So, its upper part, neatly, horizontally cut, can be used for preparing salads or other culinary dishes. The remaining stalk must be placed on a saucer with water. Soon, this stalk will delight you with fresh green leaves that can be safely used in cooking. An example of how to grow Beijing cabbage at home is shown in the video:
Conclusion
Thus, Beijing cabbage can delight with its taste and benefit human health all year round. It grows well in open beds and under the protection of film, geotextiles, and even on a window in an apartment. At the same time, it is not difficult to get a good harvest, for this you need to sow, water, and feed in a timely manner. It is also necessary to fight pests in a timely manner using preventive methods, but in the case of particularly progressive attacks of insects and slugs, you can resort to folk remedies or biological products. Only in this way, using his knowledge and skills, paying enough attention, the gardener will be able to grow wonderful, healthy Beijing cabbage with his own hands.