Seedlings of cabbage stretched out: what to do

Cabbage, along with potatoes, is one of the most common vegetables on the table. That is why any person who first received land immediately thinks about growing it in his own garden. And start growing seedlings. Since, the main types and varieties of cabbage in the conditions of the middle zone are almost impossible to grow without seedlings. Plants usually sprout rather quickly and amicably, and then one of three scenarios most likely unfolds: either the plants stretch into a thread and die within the first two weeks, or they grow frail, stretched out, and at best a few bushes remain before planting in the ground that bring no harvest. Finally, in the third variant, some of the elongated plants somehow survive until planting in the ground, but half die after planting, and several frail heads of cabbage grow out of the rest, which cannot be compared with market or at least store ones.

The next year, the situation runs the risk of repeating itself, although the gardener, taught by bitter experience, will ask everyone for help with such a description of the problem: “Cabbage seedlings have stretched out, what to do in such a situation, how to save it?”

Then, probably, he will try to create a variety of special conditions for seedlings, that is, feed, treat with the Athlete growth inhibitor and use other wisdom. But if the cabbage seedlings are stretched out, then doing something is often very difficult or almost impossible. Of course, a lot depends on how much she managed to stretch out and in what particular period of development. All the intricacies of growing cabbage seedlings will be discussed later in this article.

Features of cabbage physiology

Cabbage – especially head varieties – is a very cold-resistant plant. Although she comes from the southern countries of Western Europe and North Africa, but after numerous crossings, cold resistance has steadfastly been deposited in her genes. Therefore, it will suffer more from high than from low temperatures.

• Interestingly, at a normal room temperature of +18°C-+20°C, cabbage seeds germinate quite quickly and amicably, after 3-5 days the first shoots may appear. If the ambient air temperature averages about +10°C, then germination will already slow down sharply and can be from 10 to 15 days.

  

• If the temperature during germination drops to zero or even lower (but not lower than -3 ° C), then the seeds of cabbage will still germinate, but they will do this for a very long time – about two to three weeks, and maybe even a month.
• But then, at the seedling stage, cabbage can already tolerate short-term frosts down to -5 ° C without any problems. Adult cabbage plants (some varieties: white, red, Brussels sprouts, broccoli) are able to withstand frosts down to -8°C. When warming, they are restored and development continues.
• But at temperatures above + 25 ° C, most types of cabbage already feel oppressed. If the weather is hot, more than + 35 ° C, then the white cabbage simply does not form a head.

  

• Everyone is well aware that cabbage needs a lot of water to grow well. But not everyone knows that her need for moisture is not at all the same in different periods of development. Cabbage seeds need more than 50% of their weight of water to germinate. But then, during the formation of the first few leaves, the need for moisture decreases and waterlogging can not only delay the growth and development of seedlings, but also lead to their death. When the cabbage begins to form a head, it again needs the maximum amount of water. And, finally, in the last month before harvesting, watering must be removed, since a large amount of moisture during this period will lead to cracking of the heads and their poor preservation.
• It is also important to remember that cabbage is a very light-loving, and even light-demanding plant. Long daylight hours can accelerate the growth of seedlings or the formation of heads, and with a lack of light, seedlings will stretch and weaken.

  

• Finally, it must be borne in mind that all types of cabbage are very demanding on top dressing. They need a complete set of all nutrients and trace elements, and in an easily accessible form.

Features of growing seedlings of cabbage

What is the secret to growing good cabbage seedlings? Experienced gardeners know that this is far from the easiest thing to do. Perhaps, among all vegetables, it is the cultivation of cabbage seedlings that can be called the most difficult, despite the general unpretentiousness of the culture. And the main problem is precisely the cold resistance of cabbage. After all, cabbage seedlings are usually grown at home, in apartments where the temperature rarely drops below + 18 ° C + 20 ° C, and most often it is much warmer than + 25 ° C and even more. And if the apartment does not have a loggia or a balcony, then the seedlings are necessarily drawn out, and it becomes simply impossible to do anything in such conditions. Is it possible to use the refrigerator, which, by the way, some successfully do. But this is possible with very small amounts of cabbage seedlings and at the first stages of its development. After all, besides cold, cabbage also needs light.

So, what conditions are necessary for the successful cultivation of cabbage seedlings.  

Preparing seeds and soil for sowing

As for cabbage seeds, if they were bought in a store, then, as a rule, there is no need to prepare them specifically for sowing.

It is better to keep your own seeds for several hours before swelling in a solution of Fitosporin or Baikal. This will disinfect them from various fungal infections and strengthen immunity. Many additionally harden the seeds, but in relation to cabbage, this operation makes little sense, since it can withstand low temperatures quite well anyway.

But the preparation of the correct soil mixture for sowing cabbage is a very important and responsible matter. Since this culture not only loves loose and at the same time fertile soil, but is also very susceptible to numerous diseases. It is especially easily affected by them at the seedling stage. It is for this reason that it is categorically unacceptable to use garden soil for growing cabbage seedlings. After all, it can be infected with various infections and could be taken from the garden where cruciferous plants (radish, radish, swede) grew. It is undesirable to grow cabbage in one place for several years in a row precisely because of the accumulation of harmful root secretions in the soil, moreover, you should not grow cabbage seedlings in such land.

The best combination for cabbage is the following: take 50% of sod land or good land from the store and add the same amount of humus. After mixing this mixture well, for looseness, 10 g of vermiculite or perlite and 100 tablespoon of wood ash are added for every 1 kg of soil. If you have even a little doubt about the quality of the soil, it would be better to warm the earth thoroughly in the oven before use. This will get rid of all harmful microbes. And then, in order to populate it with beneficial microorganisms, without which it is difficult to imagine good growth and development, the earth must be shed with a solution of phytosporin or radiance-1.

Sowing seeds and the first weeks of seedling growth

Here only sowing for seedlings with mandatory picking will be considered, since this is the most optimal way to grow cabbage seedlings. The seedlings tolerate the picking procedure itself quite well.

After the land for sowing is prepared, it is poured into special boxes, leveled and small grooves are made 0,5 cm deep. The grooves can be 3 cm apart from each other. The seeds are placed in the grooves every centimeter, then they are carefully poured the same land. The box can be covered with a film to improve germination, or you can leave it like that. A box with sown cabbage seeds is left at a temperature of +18°С+20°С.

Under these conditions, seedlings usually appear 4-5 days after sowing.

If this is not done for one reason or another, then the cabbage seedlings will certainly stretch out, and very quickly and in the future nothing good will be expected from it.

If you have at least some kind of balcony at your disposal, you need to take out the cabbage seedlings there. If it is not glazed, and there is still a negative temperature on the street, then you can cover the box with seedlings with an impromptu greenhouse. The best option for seedlings of cabbage is to move it immediately after germination to a greenhouse or greenhouse, if possible.

At such a low temperature, cabbage seedlings must be kept for about 10-12 days. After that, she needs a pick. Before picking, the seedlings should be shed again with a solution of phytosporin. You can replant in the same land in which the sowing was carried out.

 Containers or cups about 6 by 6 cm in size are prepared for transplantation. When diving, each seedling is buried in the ground at the level of the cotyledon leaves. It is desirable only that the plants by this time begin to form the first true leaf.

After picking, seedlings for better survival can be kept at a temperature of + 17 ° C + 18 ° C, but after 2-3 days it is necessary to lower the temperature again, but already to + 13 ° + 14 ° C in the daytime and to + 10 ° + 12 °C – at night.

These temperature conditions will be ideal for the growth and development of cabbage seedlings before planting them in the ground.

In addition to temperature, light is necessary for the good development of seedlings, and not only the brightness and intensity of lighting are important, but also its duration. Seedlings of white cabbage need from the very beginning of development a light day lasting at least 12 hours. But not all types of cabbage need such a long daylight hours. For example, cauliflower grows better and ties tighter heads if it has a shortened daylight hours at the seedling stage. But broccoli, which is a type of cauliflower, does not need such tricks. She also likes rather long daylight hours.

How to help in a situation where seedlings have stretched out

Of course, if cabbage seedlings have already stretched out, then there is no definite answer to the question of how to save it. As mentioned above, if you live in an apartment without the ability to organize seedlings, at least cool conditions, then it is hardly possible to do anything. You can try to come to the land early and sow cabbage seeds directly into the ground. Under good weather conditions, it is quite possible to do this at the end of April. Medium and late cabbages, as well as all other varieties, will have time to ripen and give a decent harvest. Well, early varieties will have to be abandoned.

If you live in a private house and it is possible to build at least a small greenhouse for cabbage on your own, then this will be the best option. For everyone else with a balcony, you can try to do the following.

If the seedlings stretched out at a very early stage, this is perhaps the most difficult. You can try to carefully dive all the elongated representatives of the cabbage family into separate containers. It is only necessary to take into account what was said earlier.

• If the seedlings have at least one true leaf, it can be deepened to the very cotyledon leaves.
• If cabbage seedlings have only cotyledon leaves, then it needs to be transplanted without deepening, but pouring a little soil into the pot. In this case, with the further growth of cabbage, the earth can simply be added to the pot.

A few days after picking, cabbage seedlings still need to be placed on the balcony in cool conditions. But even under these conditions, most likely only half of the seedlings will survive.

If the seedlings were kept in relatively cool conditions and it was stretched, for example, from a lack of light, then the situation can be corrected by organizing additional lighting for the plants.

So, it is very difficult to save the stretched seedlings of cabbage, therefore, it is better from the very beginning to organize conditions for her in which she will be as comfortable as possible. She will thank for the care with magnificent, juicy and tasty heads of cabbage.