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Many gardeners grow at least one variety of cabbage on their plot. Recently, this culture has become even more popular. broccoli, colored, Beijing, kohlrabi, white cabbage – all these varieties have their own unique taste and useful properties. Most varieties can be grown even in cold climate regions.
In warm areas, cabbage can be grown from seed, but even there, the seedling method will be more effective. So, you can get a more generous harvest. Unsuitable conditions and night frosts can easily destroy tender young shoots. Therefore, experienced gardeners prefer to grow cabbage using seedlings, which by the time of planting will already be well strengthened. But in order to grow good seedlings, you need to know some subtleties, such as how to prepare seeds for sowing, when to plant cabbage for seedlings in 2022, and how to grow cabbage seedlings. The answers to these and other questions related to growing seedlings can be found in this article.
Preparing the soil
Before you start sowing seeds, you need to carry out some preparatory work. The first step is to prepare all the necessary fixtures and materials. The next step is soil preparation. It primarily depends on how strong and healthy the seedlings will be. Soil from the garden is not suitable for these purposes. There is a high probability of the presence of infectious microorganisms in it. By planting cabbage in such soil, you can not hope for a good result. The plant will get sick even in the first stages of growth, because of which it will not be able to grow normally.
In specialized stores, you can pick up a ready-made soil mixture. In order for seedlings to grow well, they need light, fertile soil. Peat and sand are also added to it. Gardeners have noticed that the higher the peat content in the soil, the better the seedlings grow. Therefore, some prepare soil mixtures for 75% consisting of peat. But the best option would be this composition:
- Sod land.
- Peat.
- Sand.
All components are mixed in equal amounts, and an excellent loose soil is obtained for growing seedlings. There are other options for soil preparation. For example, humus can be added instead of sand. Wood ash is also very good. In this case, 1 tablespoon of ash is added per 1 kg of soil. It will not only serve as a supplement, but also as a prevention of fungal diseases.
In order to independently prepare woody soil for seedlings, you need to bury wood in the ground in spring so that the roots are at the top. In summer, this soil will need to be dug up 2 or 3 times. By next spring, wood primer will be completely ready for use.
Preparing the seeds for sowing
Sowing cabbage for seedlings is the most important step in growing this vegetable. But for it to be successful, it is necessary to prepare high-quality seed. You need to buy cabbage seeds for seedlings in 2022 only in trusted stores that care about the terms and rules of storage. Pay attention to the seed manufacturer, and also see reviews about it. Be sure to check the shelf life when buying seeds.
The further preparation process involves the calibration and processing of the material. First, all the seeds are sorted out, leaving the largest. Further, disinfection and saturation with microelements are carried out. These procedures will help the seeds sprout faster.
So, to prepare the seeds for planting, you must perform the following steps:
- place the seeds in water preheated to fifty degrees and hold them there for about 20 minutes;
- drain the warm water and soak the seeds in cold water for 60 seconds;
- leave overnight in a solution of mineral fertilizers;
- Keep the seed in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Now it remains only to dry the seeds a little and you can start planting. Seeds collected on their own need such processing most of all. Seed packages usually indicate whether they have been processed or not. Most often, purchased seeds are already completely ready for sowing.
When to sow cabbage for seedlings
The timing of planting cabbage for seedlings directly depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the particular variety. In any case, the time of planting seedlings in the garden should be taken into account. It takes about 10 days for the seeds to germinate. The maturation of sprouts occurs within 43–46 days. It turns out that it is possible to grow full-fledged seedlings in 55-60 days. Therefore, when deciding when to plant cabbage for seedlings in 2022, consider how long it will take to grow it.
It is very important when sowing to pay attention to the varieties of cabbage. Early varieties should be planted first. White and red cabbage of early varieties are sown from the second week of March. But mid-season and late cabbage should be planted in mid-April.
It is customary to plant broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi in several visits. The first sowing for seedlings in 2022 is done in mid-March, and all the following every 20 days. Thus, 3 or 4 landings are carried out. Brussels sprouts begin to be planted from mid-April.
Residents of the southern regions can start sowing much earlier. In such an area, the soil warms up much faster, and accordingly, transplanting into open ground can be carried out earlier than in the northern regions. In heated rooms and greenhouses, planting cabbage seeds for seedlings begins in February. It is possible to sow seeds immediately in open ground no earlier than mid-May.
How to plant cabbage for seedlings
Methods for planting cabbage seeds for seedlings depend on the chosen capacity. Some of them require further picking into separate cups, and some do not. For sowing seeds with a pick, it is necessary to prepare special boxes no more than 6 cm in height. The finished soil mixture is placed there, leveled and watered. Further, furrows about 1 cm deep are made in the soil and seeds are placed there. Not everyone knows at what distance to plant cabbage so that it grows well. Although this method involves further picking, you need to plant the seeds at a distance of about 2 cm. Due to the large number of sprouts, they can be weak and small. In the future, the cabbage will still have to be thinned out, so it is better to immediately plant it at a normal distance. Sprinkle the seeds on top with soil and tamp a little.
About 2 weeks after the sprouts sprout, you can start picking. This must be done very carefully so that the root system is not damaged. You can move the sprout only with an earthen clod surrounding it.
In order for seedlings to take root well in new containers, it is necessary to maintain the correct temperature regime. The first couple of days the temperature should not be lower than +17 °C, then it can be lowered to +13 °C.
Not everyone has enough time to pick, especially if there are a lot of seedlings. In this case, it is better to plant cabbage for seedlings in special cassettes with cells, boxes with compartments or peat tablets. With this planting method, two seeds are planted in each container. The depth of the hole is the same, about 1 cm. After planting, the soil should be watered abundantly. If the seed is of high quality, then both seeds should sprout. In the future, when it is noticeable which of them is stronger, the weak sprout will need to be removed.
Planting cabbage for seedlings in the second way is more popular among gardeners. Carrying out a pick can damage the root system, and the growth of seedlings will be significantly delayed. By planting immediately in separate containers, you can save time and effort. Moreover, this method greatly facilitates the further transplantation of sprouts into open ground.
cabbage seedling care
With the wrong temperature and lack of normal lighting, the sprouts will stretch. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully monitor that the temperature in the room does not fall below +18 ° C. After the first shoots appear, it can be reduced to +8 ° C. The place for seedlings should be well lit, but at the same time, direct sunlight throughout the day can be as detrimental as its lack.
Further care for cabbage seedlings consists of the following procedures:
- Regular watering.
- Top dressing.
- Airing.
- Hardening seedlings before planting.
The soil should always be moist, so watering should be done as the topsoil dries. During the growth of seedlings, two top dressings should be carried out. The first dressing is necessary for plants at the time when the first 2 leaves appear, and the second is done before hardening. Special mineral fertilizers are used as top dressing.
It is necessary to start hardening cabbage sprouts two or three weeks before planting in the ground. This procedure will prepare the plants for temperature changes and winds. Thanks to hardening, cabbage will be able to take root faster in the garden. At first, seedlings should be taken outside for only a couple of hours. A week before landing, the time begins to increase. Now the seedlings are not afraid of either the sun or frost. It will easily resist winds and other weather phenomena.
Prevention and treatment of diseases
Manifestations of the disease can appear for the most harmless reasons. Excessive watering, low air temperature, insufficient ventilation can provoke the appearance of fungi and rot. The most common diseases and pests of cabbage seedlings are:
- blackleg;
- root rot;
- cruciferous flea.
When the first signs of damage appear, you must immediately begin to act. To overcome the black leg, you will need to dry the soil in containers, loosen it, and then sprinkle the seedlings with wood ash.
The second option is suitable for combating both black leg and root rot. Sprouts should be treated with Trichodermatitis or Rizoplan. They do not contain harmful chemicals, they are natural biological agents. The drug contains spores and mycelium of a specially grown fungus, which eliminates pathogens by direct parasitism.
Treating seedlings with these drugs will help develop immunity to diseases. Thanks to the treatment with Rizoplan, the seedlings will become stronger and more resistant to fungi. It promotes better absorption of iron, and helps sprouts fight bacteriosis and various gils.
It is very easy to apply these drugs. For example, “Trichodermin” is introduced into pots with seedlings immediately before picking. For 1 sprout you will need only 1 gram of Trichodermin. A barley grain containing microspores of the fungus should also be added to the pot. Processing seedlings with “Rizoplan” is even easier than with the previous preparation. It is simply diluted in water and sprayed with sprouts. For half a liter of water you will need five grams of the drug.
A common pest of cabbage seedlings is the cruciferous flea. This insect is a small striped beetle. Despite its size, it is the most dangerous pest of cabbage. To protect seedlings from the appearance of this pest, it is necessary to pre-treat the sprouts with Intavir.
Transplanting seedlings in open ground
Before you start planting seedlings, you need to prepare the site. The soil should be carefully dug up and leveled. Further, holes are made in the soil and 1 liter of water is poured into it. After that, a sprout is placed in each well and added dropwise at the level of the first two leaves. The soil around the seedlings is lightly tamped and the sprout is watered again. For cabbage to grow well, the distance between seedlings should be about 40–45 cm, and at least 40 cm between rows.
To determine when to plant cabbage, you should pay attention to the climatic conditions of your region. However, remember that cabbage loves the sun, so you need to plant it in well-lit areas. The soil in the garden should not be too wet or clayey. Such soil can provoke the appearance of fungal diseases and rot.
Conclusion
Applying the advice from the article in practice, planting cabbage for seedlings in 2022 will not be difficult at all. We looked at how to grow cabbage seedlings so that they are strong and healthy. We learned how to use prophylactic drugs to avoid the appearance of fungal and other diseases. We learned when to sow cabbage for seedlings in order to plant it in the ground in time. And also how to plant seedlings in the garden.
