The lower leaves of cabbage, when to pick, and when not to, how to do it

The appearance of insect pests on the lower leaves of cabbage

Many insect pests of cabbage overwinter in the ground. In spring they emerge from the soil and immediately move to the lower leaves. If you find insect larvae or eggs in the lower part of the plant, immediately tear off these leaves. This way you can save your crop from cabbage flies, moths or whites. However, often this measure is not enough, because The pests have already spread throughout the garden bed. In this case, you will have to treat the plantings with suitable insecticides, for example Fitoverm.

• Fitoverm - instructions for use, action of the insecticide. Safety measures for Fitoverm, compatibility.

Effect of flowering on yield

If we break down the life cycle of potatoes into stages, we can distinguish the following:

• the appearance of young tops 2-3 weeks after planting;
• tying buds for the next 3 weeks;
• the beginning of the flowering phase after another 26-28 days;
• tuber growth within 1.5-2 months;
• tops dying 3 months after planting.

The flowering period lasts differently depending on the variety grown and it does not affect the yield in any way. The opinion that if you pick off the flowers you can increase the number of tubers and their quality is mostly erroneous. Root crops begin to form even before flowers appear on the tops, and these 2 phases do not depend on each other.

Find out what to do if potatoes don't bloom.

Currently, breeders around the world are developing potato varieties that simply do not have a flowering phase. Tubers in such varieties form very early, which makes it possible to dig up potatoes 2-2.5 months after planting. In other varieties, flowering lasts so quickly that if you do not regularly visit your summer cottage, this moment can be missed.

Attention! There may be no flowering phase due to lack of proper crop care.

Rotting of the lower leaves

Another reason why you should get rid of the lower leaves on cabbage is their rotting. It can start due to rainy and cold summers or excessive watering. In such conditions, the soil around the plants is constantly moist; in addition, water accumulates on the surface of the lower leaves - all this negatively affects the plant. To prevent the problem from spreading to the entire head of cabbage, it is better to remove the spoiled lower leaves in a timely manner.

You should also not leave dried or yellowed leaves on the plant - they also need to be cut off.

The meaning of cabbage leaf

The leaf plays a huge role in the life of any plant. Photosynthesis takes place in the leaf blades, resulting in the formation of organic substances necessary for nutrition. The plant undergoes gas exchange through the leaf, in other words, the cabbage “breathes” and receives part of its nutrition through the leaves.

Through the leaves, cabbage evaporates excess moisture and absorbs it (during rain or irrigation). The evaporation of water by the plant through the leaf helps ensure a continuous flow of minerals from the roots to the above-ground parts of the plant.

In white cabbage, the leaf has another function - it accumulates and retains nutrients and moisture. The head of cabbage begins to curl only after 12–18 true leaves have grown on the plant. This is a guarantee that the plant has the necessary supply of nutrition and moisture.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

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Important! Breaking off the tops of young cabbage that has not yet set a head of cabbage slows down the development of the plant. The head will begin to curl later or will not form at all.

Cracking of heads of cabbage

Often, early varieties of cabbage that are not removed from the garden in time begin to crack. Some summer residents, trying to artificially delay their ripening, tear off the lower leaves. The plant temporarily stops the formation of heads of cabbage and directs all its efforts to restoring the lost green mass: new leaves begin to grow in place of the cut ones.

However, there is a more effective way to somewhat slow down the ripening of the cabbage crop. Lightly pull the head of cabbage out of the ground and twist it in any direction. After this, the plant’s nutrition, and therefore its growth, will be disrupted, but the cabbage, while in the soil, will retain its qualities for some time. However, during this procedure, be very careful not to accidentally pull the head of cabbage out of the ground completely.

• Why cabbage cracks and how to avoid it

  Cracks in cabbage may appear if the care regime is not correct. We'll tell you what you're doing wrong and how to fix it.

How to do it right

Incorrectly or untimely cut inflorescences can lead to the development of a fungal or viral infection. Follow the rules:

1. Choose to remove flowers in the evening, in dry and windless weather.
2. Prepare sharp garden tools for cutting - a knife or scissors. Do not break off flower stalks with your hands, since a large wound surface takes a long time to heal, which significantly increases the risk of infection of the plant, and the smell of the sap attracts pests.
3. Remove flowers with extreme caution so as not to harm the plants. Cut off the entire cluster of flowers, not individual buds or flowers.
4. Move carefully across the field, being careful not to damage the plants or compact the soil if it is wet.

If the moment of pruning is missed and the plant has already flowered, remove the berries that appear, not giving them the opportunity to take food from the bush.

Lack of space

If you place the seedlings too close when planting cabbage, over time the plants will begin to interfere with each other. Large lower leaves will inhibit the growth of neighbors in the garden bed, and it will not be very convenient to care for them: the leaves will begin to interfere with walking, loosening, and watering the garden bed. In this case, it is better to remove the largest lower leaves of the cabbage.

• When and how to plant cabbage

  Now the time has come when you can plant cabbage in open ground. Have you prepared everything for this?

Errors in agricultural technology

Modern gardeners sin by excessively saving space and planting vegetables without taking into account the recommendations of agronomists. As a result, abundantly overgrown bushes shade each other and suffer from lack of nutrition. Removing some of the leaves will help improve ventilation and reduce the likelihood of disease. But this measure does not justify itself.

It is better to grow a small number of healthy, large and normally developed forks, which will be stored without problems, than many small, underdeveloped specimens.

When not to pick off the bottom leaves of cabbage

If the head of cabbage is developing normally and there are no diseases or pests, the lower leaves on the cabbage should not be torn off. They are of great importance for obtaining a good harvest:

• the lower leaves maintain optimal levels of temperature and humidity; without them, the head of cabbage becomes more vulnerable to the effects of negative external conditions;
• the wax coating on the outside of the sheets is a protective layer that can prevent the appearance of diseases and pests; by removing leaves, you deprive the head of cabbage of natural protection;
• after removing the leaves, they begin to grow again; instead of spending nutrients on the ripening of the head of cabbage, the plant spends them on the growth of green mass;
• the lower leaves protect the head of cabbage from contamination.

Some gardeners believe that removing the lower leaves of cabbage will lead to an increase in the weight of the head of cabbage. In fact, the opposite happens: on a plant where the lower healthy leaves continue to protect and nourish the head, it grows larger.

• How to get a good cabbage harvest even in a cold, rainy summer

  5 secrets of growing cabbage in open ground.

Trimming the bottom leaves of cabbage can help you save your harvest. However, this procedure must be carried out carefully so as not to cause harm to your plantings.

Removing leaves: do's and don'ts

Leaves are removed with a knife or broken off. If the plate is completely affected by disease or decay, it is removed under the spine. In case of partial damage, the healthy part of the leaf is left.

If only part of the leaf is affected, only that part is removed.

Some gardeners practice removing the entire lower layer before harvesting. Even healthy plates are removed. However, this is not recommended, since the growth of heads of cabbage continues even after harvesting, until all the useful elements from the outer leaves are transferred to the fruit. At the same time, the mass of cabbage increases by 15%. If healthy leaves are removed, the fruit will not develop after harvest.

Combating vascular bacteriosis

Vascular bacteriosis
Cabbage can be affected by vascular bacteriosis. A sign of the disease is yellowing of the edges of the leaves and the appearance of black veins on them. To prevent plants from getting sick, sometimes the lower leaves are cut off.

This operation will not save an infected plant. It must be carefully removed completely to avoid infecting neighboring plants. To prevent vascular bacteriosis, it is recommended to harden the seeds before germinating them by alternately immersing them in hot and cold water. It is better not to plant weak and diseased seedlings.

Pruning rules

The external organs of tomatoes located below the inflorescence should be removed in several stages. In most cases, after the inflorescence is laid, the stem continues to grow. It produces shoots that grow from the axils of the leaves. Growing lateral shoots are an additional burden for the plant, so they need to be systematically cut out.

To avoid damaging the fruits, the foliage above the first flower cluster should be removed gradually. On low-growing varieties and hybrids of tomatoes, when the stepson grows, you can leave two or three flower ovaries along with the leaves. However, after 10-12 days, the lower leaves on the regrown side shoots should be cut out. Each pruning of the vegetative mass of a plant violates the integrity of the bush, allowing viruses and pathogenic spores to penetrate through the cuts. In order not to be left without a harvest after removing the foliage, you should adhere to some rules:

• Do not pull or pinch off leaves with your fingers, as this method can seriously injure the plant. In addition, moving from bush to bush, with dirty hands you can spread the infection throughout the entire area;
• Pruning vegetative organs only during the day in dry, hot weather so that by the evening the cut areas have time to dry out and tighten;
• on tall, medium-growing varieties and hybrids, cut off all lateral shoots. On low-growing bushes that need to be formed - from four to eight shoots;
• checking the planted plants every five days, systematically cut out diseased or damaged leaves and lateral shoots;
• treat cutting material to prevent the transmission of infection with chlorhexidine, surfanioz or an antiseptic tonic. After the pruning procedure, re-disinfect the tool;
• In an adult plant, cut off the lower vegetative organs so that the trunk is bare from the soil at a distance of 35-45 cm.

Anyone can grow tomatoes from seedlings or seeds. The main thing is to follow all recommended agricultural practices, one of which is removing excess foliage.