Planting Chinese cabbage and caring for it: when to plant seedlings, sowing seeds in open ground and in greenhouses + video

Chinese cabbage was common in Asian countries until the 70s of the last century. Now, after the breeding of early ripening and productive hybrids, its cultivation is experiencing an unprecedented rise. Beijing is actively grown, both on an industrial scale and in personal gardens. This unpretentious plant grows well and quickly. Considering the characteristics of the crop, you can get two harvests per season. It is important to know the small secrets and problems of the vegetable, and keep them in mind when planting and growing.

2 What kind of soil does Chinese cabbage like?
3 Planting dates
3.1 Video: about the timing of planting Chinese cabbage

4 Preparation of seed material

5 Sowing seedlings

6 Sowing seeds in the ground

7 Planting seedlings in open ground

7.1 Video: planting Chinese cabbage seedlings in open ground

8 Features of planting cabbage in protected soil

8.1 Video: autumn sowing of Chinese cabbage in a greenhouse

9 How to plant Chinese cabbage from a stalk

9.1 Video: growing Chinese cabbage from a stalk on a windowsill

10 Compatibility of Chinese cabbage with other garden crops

Features of Chinese cabbage and the main methods of sowing it

Chinese cabbage, like other members of the cabbage family, is a long-day plant. This means that for fruiting (seed ripening) the crop needs daylight hours longer than 13 hours. If its duration is 12 hours or less, then the plant will not concentrate on reproduction, but the growth of leaves and ovaries will be active.

If, when growing Chinese cabbage, all work is carried out according to the rules, then the harvest will be early and rich.

Since Chinese cabbage is primarily grown for its leaves and heads, this feature of the crop should be taken into account when choosing a method of growing and sowing. There are two main ways to grow Pekinka:

seeds;
seedlings.

Note! Not everyone knows that if you buy a head of Chinese cabbage in a store, you can not only eat it, but also grow a new plant from it.

Seeds, seedlings and cabbage stalks can be planted both in open ground and in protected ground. Let's look at all the methods and rules for sowing crops, talk about their features and advantages.

Landing procedure and preparation for it

Chinese cabbage can be grown either by seedlings or from seeds. Almost any garden crops are suitable as predecessors for it, except for other varieties of cabbage, radish, daikon, radish, and rutabaga. If there is a goal to collect the seeds yourself, Chinese cabbage is planted away from Chinese cabbage. It does not cross-pollinate with other “relatives”.

The planting bed is prepared in the fall. The culture is not particularly picky about the quality of the soil, but it is advisable to increase the fertility of the substrate by adding humus or rotted compost during the digging process (10–12 liters per 1 l/m). The acid-base balance of the soil is neutral or slightly acidic. The only thing that is absolutely not suitable for her is a heavy peat substrate. The ideal option is sandy loam or loam.

Chinese cabbage does not tolerate direct sunlight well; the best option for it is light partial shade.

The plant tolerates partial shade and shade well; this has practically no effect on the yield. But open areas are not suitable for culture. If the summer is hot, sunburn is almost inevitable.

To save space on the plot, Chinese cabbage can be planted between rows of cucumbers and tomatoes. As these plants grow, they will create a kind of “canopy” that protects it from direct sunlight.

Wood ash is a natural source of potassium and phosphorus

Chinese cabbage, like other garden crops native to Asia, has a negative attitude towards fresh manure. Among the fertilizers, it benefits from superphosphate and potassium nitrate (a tablespoon per 1 m²). You can replace them with wood ash. Dolomite flour or eggshells crushed to a powder are additionally added to the acidic soil. They also saturate the soil with calcium, which any cabbage loves very much.

Dolomite flour is a soil deoxidizer that has no side effects if the dosage is observed and saturates the substrate with calcium.

Seeds for seedlings are planted in the second ten days of March. The crop tolerates picking and replanting extremely poorly, so they are sown several at a time in peat pots with a diameter of 8–10 cm, and then transferred to the garden bed along with the container. Seedlings develop quickly; transplantation is carried out within 20–25 days after emergence. By this time, the seedlings should have 4–5 true leaves. About 40 cm are left between the rows, the interval between plants is 35–50 cm.

Seedlings planted in peat pots can be transferred to the ground without removing them from the container

Before planting, the seeds are heated for a quarter of an hour in a thermos with hot (50°C) water, then literally immersed in cold water for a minute. To increase germination, they are soaked for 10–12 hours in a biostimulant solution (Epin, potassium humate, succinic acid, aloe juice). To prevent the development of fungal diseases, pickle for 15–20 minutes in a biofungicide solution (Topaz, Baikal-EM, Alirin-B, Fitosporin-M).

Chinese cabbage seeds must undergo pre-planting preparation; treatment with fungicides is especially important to prevent fungal diseases.

The containers are filled with any purchased substrate for seedlings, adding a little crushed chalk or wood ash. The seeds are planted, buried by 2–3 cm. The pots are turned into “greenhouses”, covered with glass or film, and kept in a dark place until germination. Then they are transferred to the windowsill of the eastern or southern window. The optimal temperature is 18–22°C during the day and 14–18°C at night. Water Chinese cabbage frequently, but moderately, constantly keeping the substrate slightly moist, but without turning it into a swamp.

Before and after planting in the ground, Chinese cabbage is watered abundantly.

To make it easier for plants to adapt to a new place, they begin to harden off about a week before planting. At first, the seedlings are left in the open air for a short time, then the time spent outside is gradually extended to 12–14 hours. Experienced gardeners also recommend stopping watering 4 days before planting, and half an hour before planting to thoroughly moisten the soil.

Video: how to grow cabbage seedlings

The holes are also well shed with water. A handful of humus, a couple of pinches of wood ash and a little onion peel are placed at the bottom (it repels pests well). Until the planted seedlings begin to grow, arcs are installed over the bed, covering it with any air-permeable white covering material.

When planting seeds directly into the ground, about a week before the procedure, the bed is spilled with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate and covered with film. The soil must be well moistened before and after planting Chinese cabbage seeds.

What kind of soil does Chinese cabbage like?

When preparing the soil for growing vegetables, you need to take into account the following preferences:

neutral soil acidity. Therefore, when digging up a plot in the autumn, you need to lime the soil and add dolomite flour or fluff lime to it;
good breathability and looseness;
fertility. When preparing the soil for each square. meter you need to add a bucket of humus. It is recommended to add wood ash immediately before planting.

Important! Fertilizers to feed the plant must be applied before planting. Chinese cabbage has the ability to accumulate nitrates, so the use of mineral fertilizers for its cultivation is not recommended.

The introduction of humus significantly improves the quality of the soil cover on the site

If we talk about the type of soil, the most suitable for growing Pekinka is loam. When choosing a site, be sure to take into account the height of the groundwater. If there is too much moisture, the roots of the plant may rot. In addition, the soil under the influence of moisture will become intensely supercooled or overheated, which is very undesirable for the crop.

Loose soil is used to grow seedlings. Preference can be given to coconut substrate, in which selected and healthy Chinese cabbage seedlings grow. It is advisable to mix the substrate with humus in a 2:1 ratio. To improve the nutritional value of the mixture and its liming, add a glass of ash to the bucket of soil mixture.

The composition of the coconut substrate includes dried and crushed remains of the surface of the coconut, which give the mixture looseness, breathability, and have a drainage effect

Note! Comfortable soil can be obtained by mixing turf soil with peat (1:1). The mixture will be loose and nutritious.

Landing dates

To obtain high-quality greens and heads of Chinese cabbage, you need a short daylight hours, so the best time to plant the crop is early spring (second decade of April) and the last months of summer. Sowing the crop at the specified time will help to avoid the main problem - bolting of the plant.

Chinese cabbage is a fast-ripening vegetable, but it also has varieties with early (40–55 days), medium (55–60 days) and late (60–80 days) ripening periods. When determining the time of planting a crop, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the selected variety: early varieties are preferable for spring sowing, and late varieties are preferable for autumn sowing.

Helpful information! New varieties of Chinese cabbage of Dutch selection are resistant to bolting.

To get an early harvest, you need to opt for the seedling growing method. Seeds for seedlings are planted 25–30 days before the possible date of planting the plant in open ground or a greenhouse, that is, in mid-March for early heads of cabbage or after June 15 for autumn harvest in open ground. For subsequent planting of seedlings in a greenhouse, sowing seeds for seedlings can be organized even earlier - in mid-February, so that the seedlings can be planted in the ground in the second half of March.

With the seedless growing method, the first sowing of seeds can be carried out in well-warmed soil. For the middle zone, this is the end of April or the beginning of May, and the second sowing is organized from the 20th of July to the 10th of August.

Video: about the timing of planting Chinese cabbage

Possible errors in care and how to correct them

Picking seedlings (the root system is damaged). The solution is to plant seedlings in peat pots.
Growing with more than 12 hours of daylight (shooting cabbage without forming heads). The solution is covering in the evening.
Changing growing conditions leads to flowering to the detriment of the harvest.

You can learn more about mistakes when growing and caring for Chinese cabbage from this video:

Of course, harvesting is the main reward for caring for a vegetable crop. In the case of Chinese cabbage, the importance of timely sowing and creating optimal growing conditions cannot be underestimated. By following simple rules, you can get a rich harvest and satisfaction from productive work.

Preparation of seed material

Chinese cabbage seeds do not require special pre-sowing treatment. They can be planted directly into the ground. If you are unsure of the quality of the seeds, you can check them for germination. To do this, the seeds are placed between layers of moistened cloth and gauze and placed in a warm place. If the seed is of high quality, then within 3–4 days sprouts will begin to appear. Such seeds can be immediately planted in prepared containers.

Note! If necessary, antifungal preventive treatment of seeds can be carried out. To do this, they are kept in hot water for 15 minutes (+48–50 degrees), and then placed in cold water for 2 minutes. Seeds treated in this way should be dried before planting.

When using self-collected seeds, they should be carefully sorted and sorted.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Beijing cabbage Cha-Cha is perfect for mid-latitudes. Even under such conditions, it is resistant to stemming during early spring sowing, which cannot be said about most other varieties.

When storing Chinese cabbage, it is better to place the heads of cabbage vertically and in one layer - this is important to reduce the risk of mechanical damage

Pros:

early maturation;
high productivity;
compactness;
ease of care;
resistance to wet rot;
excellent taste;
high marketability.

Minuses:

sensitivity to temperature conditions;
the need for regular watering.

Sowing seeds in the ground

Spring sowing of seeds directly into the ground can be done in the southern regions. In the average climatic zone, favorable weather for sowing will not arrive until May, and with this period the growing season will fall into long daylight hours, and it will be difficult to avoid bolting of the plant. If a seedless cultivation method is possible, preferably narrow ridges are prepared and seeds are planted in them in the following ways:

Tape-line, in which wide distances are provided between the tapes (about 50 cm) and narrower ones between the lines (about 30 cm). Sowing of seeds is carried out densely, as thinning will be carried out in the future.
Group planting in holes, which are made at a distance of 25–30 cm from each other. Place 2-3 seeds in each hole.

Before sowing, it is recommended to mix Chinese cabbage seeds with sand and moisten the soil in the furrows.

It is recommended to bury peking seeds no more than 2 cm. After filling the seeds with soil, the ridges should be pollinated with wood ash. This is an effective way to protect future seedlings from the cruciferous flea beetle. Shoots will appear 4–7 days after sowing.

Diseases and pests

The most serious diseases that pose a constant threat to the quality of cabbage:

wet bacterial rot,
black leg of cabbage,
gray mold,
Alternaria blight,
marginal apical burn,
peronosporosis,
powdery mildew.

The pathogens that cause them can develop on cabbage even after harvest. Providing proper plant growth conditions during cultivation allows you to obtain the proper quality of the head. Plant health at the final stage of the growing season and the physiological maturity of vegetables at harvest are of particular importance for the shelf life of cabbage.

The most dangerous diseases of Chinese cabbage are bacterioses, because there are no effective means to combat these pathogens. Prevention is the main measure.

Wet bacterial rot

A disease caused by the bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. Carotovorum (Erwinia carotovora ssp. Carotovora) appears during the growing season. The pathogen attacks damaged outer leaves of cabbage, quickly causing rotting of the infected tissue. Heads left in the field turn into a shapeless mass. Unfortunately, the disease is transferred to storage areas with asymptomatically infected heads or soil in which bacteria are present.

At low temperatures, the development of the pest slows down, but after placing the cabbage in a warm room, rotting from the outer leaves moves to the head and accelerates.

The absence of etiological signs in the form of contamination with mycelium and mycelial spores at high humidity in the field, as well as in the storage room, allows us to conclude that the culprits of the disease are bacteria, not fungi.

The following measures will help reduce the risk of bacteriosis:

careful selection of cabbage heads intended for storage;
avoiding damage to vegetables during harvesting and transportation;
thorough cleaning of soil residues;
decontamination of storage chambers and boxes with a 3% sodium hypochlorite solution or other disinfectant.

Vascular bacteriosis of cabbage

Black cabbage rot is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. Rainfall is of great importance in the spread of the disease, especially in the past growing season. An additional factor contributing to infection is high temperature (above 25 ºC).

During the growing season, the first symptoms of the disease can be observed on the edges of the leaves in the form of yellow spots. The leaf veins within the spots gradually darken and become moist. The edges of the leaves dry out. The disease is noticeable after cutting the head, the blackening takes the form of a black ring. Weeds from the cabbage family play an important role in the spread of this disease - bacteria can overwinter on them.

Crop rotation is of great importance for prevention. Pests also become carriers of the disease. Infected crop residues should be collected and buried as quickly as possible.

Gray mold

At the end of the growing season and during storage of cabbage, symptoms of gray mold may develop. The pathogen develops in a wide range of temperatures, primarily when stored for a long time. The pathogen causes rapid aging of cabbage because it stimulates the secretion of ethylene.

Fungal spore infections contribute to mechanical damage to leaves. Typically, the first signs on the outer leaves appear as watery spots. Rapidly progressive rot of the infected tissues may then develop, with a gray coating appearing in high humidity conditions. This etiological sign of the pathogen determines the name of the disease - gray mold.

The source of infection may be plant debris in the soil or storage and contaminated seeds. The development of Botrytis cinerea at low temperatures in the storage room is slow, but high humidity stimulates the spread of the disease to neighboring plants. Prevention measures:

careful selection of cabbage before storage;
disinfected containers and chambers.

To protect cabbage heads, you can spray them 2-3 times, every 7-10 days, with one of the deep or systemic fungicides:

Amistar 250 SK (strobilurin) at a dose of 0.8 l/ha (8 ml per hundred square meters);
Rovral Flo 255 SC (dicarboximide) 1.5 l/ha (15 ml per hundred square meters) – waiting period 14 days;
Teldor 500 SC (hydroxyanilide) 1.5 l/ha – waiting period 3 days.

The last treatment should be carried out immediately before harvesting cabbage for storage, taking into account the waiting period for each preparation.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Chinese cabbage seedlings can be planted in open ground at the age of 3 weeks, provided that by this time the seedlings have at least 5 true leaves. It is recommended to harden off the seedlings before planting. About a week before planting, they begin to take it out into the fresh air: first for several hours, gradually increasing the stay time. 2–3 days before planting, stop watering the seedlings and water the plants only at the time of transplanting into the ground.

For seedlings, prepare holes at a distance of 25–30 cm from each other, fertilize them with humus and ash, and moisten them. If necessary, the seedlings are carefully removed from the planting container and placed in the hole so that all the leaves are above the surface of the ground.

Chinese cabbage seedlings are very tender and fragile, so they should be planted carefully

After planting, it is advisable to cover the seedlings with film or spunbond in order to:

protect seedlings from lower night temperatures;
shade from the sun;
protect the roots from excess moisture during the rainy season;
protect seedlings from pests.

Covering the bed with film or agrofibre will provide additional protection for seedlings from pests and weather disasters

Video: planting Chinese cabbage seedlings in open ground

Caring for cabbage in the garden

Growing Chinese cabbage requires the gardener to follow certain rules. Newly planted seedlings must be covered with agrofibre or any other non-woven material. This allows:

protect crops from possible frosts or sudden temperature changes;
shades plants from the scorching rays of the sun;
protects the root system of cabbage from rotting during periods of prolonged rain;
allows you to hide seedlings from pests, cruciferous flea beetles.

Two weeks after planting the seedlings in the garden bed, the area is covered with mulch made from broken straw and peat. There is no need to hill up the crop; a thick layer of organic matter will retain soil moisture and prevent the growth of weeds.

Further measures for caring for cabbage include periodic watering and fertilizing, identifying and protecting vegetables from diseases and pests.

Watering and fertilizing

Chinese cabbage needs regular, abundant watering. It is recommended to moisten the soil once a week using warm water. The liquid should be poured under the root of the plant.

Water contact with leaves causes sunburn.

For better plant development, watering should be done in the morning or in the evening after sunset. In the latter case, it is recommended to use warm water infused throughout the day.

The first fertilizing is applied to the soil two weeks after planting the seedlings. The following solutions can be used for this purpose:

10% mullein infusion (1 kilogram per 10 liters of water);
5% infusion of bird droppings (500 grams of organic matter per 10 liters of liquid);
infusion of herbs or nettles.

When fertilizing cabbage with fertilizers, 1 liter of solution is used for each bush. For spring crops, three such feedings are necessary. Plants planted in summer are fed twice during the growing season.

Foliar fertilizing also helps improve the yield of Chinese cabbage. To prepare such a substance, dilute 2 grams of boric acid in a liter of boiled hot water, then bring the volume to 10 liters with cold water. Treatment of crops is carried out in the evening on the leaves.

Harvesting and storing Chinese cabbage

To improve preservation and prevent the development of rot, it is recommended to cut the heads of cabbage in dry weather. The collected fruits are stored in a cool and dry room with a temperature range of 0…+2 degrees. Vegetables are laid out on racks or packed in boxes.

Carry out periodic inspection of the heads of cabbage for dried leaves and rotten areas.

Features of planting cabbage in protected soil

A vegetable will feel great in a greenhouse if you can create a comfortable temperature for it (no higher than +20 degrees) and humidity (around 70–80%). The process of planting seeds or seedlings of Pekinka in a greenhouse does not differ from the process of planting in open ground. The only difference is the landing time, which we discussed above.

Note! Planting Chinese cabbage in protected ground will allow you to harvest the vegetable several weeks earlier than in open ground.

Video: autumn sowing of Chinese cabbage in a greenhouse

What can be planted nearby?

Proper compatibility of crops in the garden improves the quality characteristics of the crop and also allows for more efficient use of the site. "Good neighbors" for Beijing:

celery – protection against flea beetles;
leeks repel cutworms;
dill - getting rid of aphids and caterpillars;
borage - from slugs;
thyme, rosemary, sage, mint - the pungent smell repels cabbage butterflies;
marigolds, marigolds - repel pests and improve soil condition.

It is not recommended to plant the crop next to:

parsley;
grapes;
tansy.

Advice

You cannot plant Chinese cabbage in the same bed as spinach, as it requires frequent watering, which is detrimental to cabbage. The plant should not be placed in the shade of bushes and fruit trees - this will slow down the growth and formation of heads of cabbage.

How to plant Chinese cabbage from a stalk

Beijing cabbage is so life-loving that it can please you with a harvest even from its stalk. Moreover, the technology for obtaining such a harvest is very simple. To plant the stalk you need to prepare:

a deep container that will fit the bottom of a head of Chinese cabbage;
nutritious, loose soil. This can be a mixture of turf soil with peat or sand in equal proportions;
a pot for planting, which will be slightly larger in size than the bottom of the head of cabbage;
dark package;
sharp knife;
the head of Chinese cabbage itself.

The bottom of almost any dense head of Chinese cabbage is suitable for growing green leaf mass.

Note! The selected head of cabbage should not show signs of disease: spots, specks and other symptoms of future decay.

The planting process consists of the following steps:

Separate the bottom of the head of cabbage. The cut piece must be at least 6 cm. This is the starting material for growing greenery and the future head of cabbage.
Fill the container with water and place the lower part of the stalk in it.
Only the bottom of the stalk should be immersed in water
Place the vessel in a cool room. High temperatures will inhibit the growth of the stalk. The best place for it is a north-facing window sill or a closed balcony, if it maintains above-zero temperatures.

Literally in a day or two, roots will appear at the bottom of the bottom, followed by green leaves. They can be picked almost immediately and eaten.

Important! A planted stalk quickly produces a flower arrow. It must be removed. If you allow it to develop, the greens will become coarse and tasteless.

To grow greens, the stalk can be left in a container with water. If you want to grow a head of cabbage, then the bottom with the emerging roots is transplanted into a container with soil. This is done carefully, since the roots of Chinese cabbage are tender and brittle. Therefore, the stalk with roots is first placed in a container, and then sprinkled with earth so that only the roots are covered with the soil mixture, and the entire upper part of the stalk is above the ground.

About a week later, after a sufficient number of roots have appeared, the stalk can be planted in the prepared soil mixture

Note! When growing in a pot, it is not always possible to achieve good results. A greater percentage of guarantee of obtaining a head of cabbage is provided by transplanting the stalk into open ground.

The planted plant is not watered for some time and watering is resumed after it begins to produce new green leaves. A growing stalk can have its daylight hours artificially shortened. To do this, it is recommended to cover the plant with a dark bag for 12–13 hours a day.

Important! Provided there is a short daylight hours and the temperature regime is observed (no higher than +18 degrees), after 40–45 days you can get a head of Chinese cabbage. Most likely it will not be very dense, but its weight can reach 1 kg.

You can also plant Chinese cabbage from the stalk to obtain seeds. To do this, the flower shoot that the plant produces is not broken off, but allowed to ripen. After some time, you will be able to collect the seeds and use them for planting in your garden.

The seeds can be allowed to ripen and then sown in open ground or a greenhouse

Video: growing Chinese cabbage from a stalk on a windowsill

Variety selection

When planning to plant Chinese cabbage (petsai) on your plot, you should focus on:

ripening time;
resistance to weather factors;
susceptibility to disease.

Early varieties:

Vesnyanka - yield is 2-2.7 kg/sq.m, head weight is from 250 g and above, technical maturity occurs 35 days after emergence, the variety is resistant to stemming;
Sprinkin F1 - the hybrid is highly resistant to bolting, the weight of the head can reach 2 kg, maturation takes up to 60 days;
Marfa - technical maturity occurs 40-45 days after planting, the weight of the head is on average 1 kg, the variety is relatively resistant to diseases.

All early varieties are not suitable for long-term storage; within a couple of weeks after cutting they are used for food. The following varieties have average ripening times:

Pomegranate - the harvest can be obtained 65-70 days after the seeds hatch, dense heads of cabbage are formed, the weight is 1.5-2 kg;
Beijing Express is a variety adapted to unfavorable factors, resistant to many cabbage diseases, head weight reaches 2 kg, ripening takes 70-75 days.

Late harvest is provided by:

Russian size - the plant has high frost resistance, the weight of the head reaches 3-4 kg, ripening takes 90 days;
Nozaki - the variety produces a harvest 85-90 days after the seeds hatch; the average weight of the head is 1 kg.