What sub-zero temperatures can cauliflower withstand?

Growing conditions

To get a decent cabbage harvest, it needs to create favorable conditions. This culture is very responsive to fertilizing and watering. Not only the number of kilograms removed from 1 square meter depends on the growing conditions. m, but also the taste of the heads of cabbage, their structure and density.

Temperature

Cabbage is a cold-resistant crop - it can tolerate short-term temperature drops down to minus 5°C. In autumn, cabbage can withstand even more severe frosts without damaging the crop.

The optimal temperature for cabbage development is from +15 to +18 degrees. This crop does not like heat; it grows well in cool weather. Temperatures above +25°C have a negative impact on the formation of heads of cabbage. Heat promotes increased accumulation of nitrates.

Humidity

Cabbage loves moisture - the size and taste of the heads of cabbage depends on the regularity of watering. But you should not allow excess moisture - it provokes various diseases. If the soil is damp all the time, the roots of the cabbage gradually die, the leaves turn purple and die - bacteriosis begins.

Illumination

Cabbage does not grow well in shaded areas. In order for large and dense heads of cabbage to form, juicy and with a rich taste, the crop requires a lot of sun. This culture belongs to long-day plants - the longer the daylight hours, the faster the development.

Consequences of light deficiency:

• the normal development of the plant is disrupted;
• nitrates actively accumulate in heads of cabbage;
• the lower leaves stop growing and, turning yellow, die prematurely;
• the apical bud, continuing to grow, throws out more and more leaves, but the heads of cabbage do not set.

Predecessors

It is not recommended to plant cabbage in areas where cabbage of any kind, onions, carrots, peas, turnips, radishes and all cruciferous vegetables previously grew. White cabbage grows best after:

• legumes;
• green manure and annual forage crops;
• cucumbers;
• potatoes;
• beets;
• tomatoes.

To maintain a healthy phytosanitary condition of the soil, cabbage is replanted on the site no earlier than after 5 years.

Saving the crop after the effects of frost

At subzero thermodynamic parameters, water in plant cells freezes, turning into ice. When frozen areas are exposed to sunlight, the ice does not have time to thaw and breaks the cells, causing the cabbage leaves to die. Heads of cabbage and seedlings exposed to frost can be brought back to life using several methods.

Saving seedlings

If seedlings are damaged by frost, in the early morning before strong exposure to sunlight, you need to treat the plants with cold water using a hose or sprayer. After spraying, shade with large boxes or newspapers. In the evening, remove the covering material from the plants. Using this method, the cabbage foliage will slowly thaw and the seedlings will recover.

Saving culture in autumn

Fertilizers and growth activators will help frozen plants to revive, which will save the crop even when the temperature drops to minus seven degrees. To do this, the following measures are taken:

1. Spraying with growth stimulants. Treatment of plants with any of the activators will help restore the health of the crop after a slight freeze. The drugs mobilize all internal organs of plants after damage and stimulate their physiological processes to recover. The chitosan substance contained in the basic formula of the growth stimulants Epin and Zircon helps plants develop immunity to an aggressive environment and withstand recurrent frosts.
2. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. You can help vegetables that have suffered from freezing by adding nitrate and superphosphate to the soil per square meter: 10 g of superphosphate, 15 g of nitrate. The application of fertilizers will additionally stimulate the growth of the vegetable and help preserve the harvest without loss.

Important! The most frost-resistant cabbage varieties and hybrids are: Yaroslavna, Amager 611, Garden Head F1, withstanding frosts down to -11 degrees.

What sub-zero temperatures can cabbage withstand? Is the vegetable afraid of frost?

When is it better to chop cabbage for the winter: before or after frost? Many varieties of cabbage are frost-resistant, which means they are not afraid of frost. But in order for cabbage to retain its ability to be stored for a long time without losing its freshness, its exposure to low temperatures during its stay in the garden should be short-lived.

Harvesting cabbage from under the snow at temperatures below -6 degrees has a negative effect on all varieties of cabbage, as does repeated frosts after thawing. When thawed, the outer cabbage leaves become home to microscopic organisms that cause rotting of the crop.

Cut heads of cabbage cannot be left outside at sub-zero temperatures; their long-term storage will then be impossible.

What frosts can cabbage withstand in the fall? Cabbage, as a rule, tolerates the first temperature fluctuations below zero without problems.

Light frost even has a positive effect on the taste of this vegetable: a sweetish taste appears.

The maximum sub-zero temperature that cabbage can withstand is minus 6 degrees Celsius, provided that the thermometer does not stay at this mark for a long time.

What frosts can late varieties of cabbage withstand? Late-ripening varieties are also called mature varieties. In order not to deprive them of their “keeping quality” (long shelf life), they should not be exposed to temperatures below 6 degrees Celsius.

And for cut late-ripening heads of cabbage, even -1 will be a great tragedy: on the sections, the tissue of the stalks is exposed and freezes very quickly, which subsequently starts the processes of rotting.

Sauerkraut is usually made from heads of cabbage that have been exposed to temperatures as low as -4 degrees Celsius during their growth.

Is Chinese cabbage afraid of frost? Chinese (Peking) cabbage is frost-resistant, but after freezing below -4 degrees Celsius it begins to rot. It is not recommended to expose Chinese cabbage to temperatures below -2 degrees Celsius. It is collected around October 15, when there are no permanent frosts. You can learn about ways to store Chinese cabbage from our article.

Which cabbage tolerates frost well? Frost-resistant cabbage varieties labeled F1: “Katyusha”, Russian Winter”, “Ulyana”. “Lika”, “Yaroslavna”, “Sugarloaf”, “Ukrainian Autumn”, “Zimovka”, “Amager 611”, “Snow White”, “Violanta” and “Kharkovskaya Zimnyaya” also tolerate frost well.

What to do if cabbage is frozen? The heads of cabbage should thaw without being cut. This usually takes 4 - 5 days, after which the cabbage can be cut and sent for the winter.

Is it possible to harvest cabbage after freezing? Immediately after freezing, cabbage cannot be stored for storage. If you do not wait a few days until the cabbage thaws on the root, it will begin to rot in the first month after harvesting: black leaves will appear.

Cabbage can withstand how many degrees of frost. Biological features of cauliflower

Light . Cauliflower is a light-loving, long-day plant. Particularly demanding of light in the initial phase of development. With a long day of light, cabbage forms heads faster; with a short day, the period of head formation increases, but the head turns out to be denser. In sunlight, the heads begin to crumble and lose their whiteness. To prevent this from happening, you need to break the inner leaves of the rosette, covering the head with them.

Temperature . Cauliflower is a cold-resistant plant. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of +5+6 degrees. The optimal temperature for growing is +20 degrees, seedlings will appear in 3-4 days. When the temperature drops to +12 degrees, seedlings will appear later, after 10-12 days.

Cauliflower grows and develops well at +15+18 degrees. Does not tolerate high temperatures well. At temperatures above +25 degrees, cabbage growth slows down, the heads grow small and loose. Hardened seedlings can withstand short-term temperature drops down to -5 degrees, while unhardened seedlings are afraid of sub-zero temperatures. Adult cauliflower plants tolerate a short-term decrease in temperature to -1-2 degrees, and late varieties even -4-5 degrees.

Moisture. Cauliflower, like any other, is very demanding of moisture, since the cabbage root system is located close to the soil surface. It is especially demanding of moisture during the period of growth of the leaf rosette and during the formation and growth of the head. Optimal soil moisture is 70%, air humidity is 80%. Sharp fluctuations in humidity have a bad effect on the development of plants, so watering should be regular. With insufficient watering, plant growth stops; even short-term drought leads to a decrease in yield and deterioration in the quality of the heads. It is especially bad for the development and growth of cabbage when low soil and air humidity is combined with high temperature. At temperatures above +22 degrees, the soil should always be moist. Overwatering also has a negative impact on plants - they can get sick and die.

The soil . Cauliflower places high demands on soil fertility and nutrition. Due to the close location of the roots to the soil surface, cabbage does not grow well in cold, wet and quickly drying soils. Grows well in light loam and sandy loam soils with a high nutrient content.

If the cabbage is caught in the frost. Time to pick cabbage

The exact date depends on many factors, which we will consider later in the article, but the optimal date determined for mid-ripening varieties is September 15, and for late-ripening varieties - September 25. Most of all, this time depends on the temperature. They are guided by the indicator in the morning. If the thermometer shows less than +2 degrees, you can go to the garden and harvest. During the day, the temperature should no longer exceed +10 degrees.

Unlike beets, which can be left to sit for a while, the heads of cabbage must be immediately transported to a place of permanent storage, and the last 3 covering leaves must not be removed from them - this avoids damage. The stump (leg) should also be left, but not much - somewhere around 2-3 cm, so that fungus and other pathogens cannot get inside during storage.

All affected fruits must be destroyed. It is better to take it out and burn it, since the fungus can be infectious to the next plant that will grow here. You will also have cracked heads. You just need to put them aside somewhere separately and put them on borscht or salads first, since they won’t last long. There is no need to throw them away - they are still completely usable.

Early varieties of cabbage with a ripening period of up to 100 days are harvested at the end of June (25-30th), sometimes in July (8-12). This is a good way to enjoy a tasty vegetable in the middle of summer, but such a product will not be stored until spring - it has no shelf life. It is also impossible to keep them on the root either - they will immediately crack and rot; cabbage is harvested as soon as the head is normally formed and becomes dense.

Harvesting of cabbage of late and mid-season varieties begins just before frost, as we mentioned earlier, but they cannot be harvested before this time - they begin to wither, and keeping quality deteriorates significantly. It's better to be a little late than to succeed - the basic rule of harvesting cabbage.

If you decide to harvest in wet weather or there is simply no other choice, then you must definitely dry all the fruits, otherwise fungal diseases will develop and keeping quality will deteriorate significantly.

Lowest temperature for cabbage. "Lend your shoulder"

The main growth of heads of cabbage occurs not in the summer, but in September-October. They begin to set when there are eight or nine covering leaves. Sometimes inexperienced gardeners remove the top leaves in the fall and... ruin the “pantry”. The “naked” cabbage begins to build up its “clothes” again, that is, it spends its energy on things other than what is required for the season. As a result, for the winter it will be laid down “frail”, loose, without a hard head of cabbage, as it should be.

Instead of “undressing” the cabbage, today is the time to help it get stronger. For example, it is very important now to loosen the soil around the vegetable. Moreover, this must be done right up to harvesting, since then it is easier for the leaf to fill with carbohydrates and salts. Attention: the more leaves, the more nutrition the plant will receive. In addition, you need to pollinate the cabbage weekly with ash on wet leaves (so that it does not fall off), not forgetting about the soil. This is done both for feeding and against pests, which are also not dormant, despite the cool weather.

By the way, about the weather. There is no need to rush into harvesting cabbage. This is the vegetable that sits in the beds the longest and gets filled up, even if it’s not the month of May. Cabbage is not afraid of even light frosts. But if a noticeable “minus” hits at night, then, of course, she will suffer. In this case, there is no need to rush to cut it off early in the morning - let it gradually thaw on the vine. However, being late with harvesting is also fraught - the heads of cabbage will begin to burst and shoot.

Planting cabbage seedlings

Early cabbage is a pioneer among seedlings; it is the first to be planted in open ground. It is not demanding on elevated air and soil temperatures. She is comfortable with low temperatures at night and hot during the day. The main thing is that the soil warms up to +8 – +10 °C.

In a bed intended for planting cabbage, it is necessary to loosen the soil to a depth of 8 cm. No other treatment is required.

The distance between cabbage plants, i.e. The planting scheme depends on the variety of cabbage.

On average, a distance of 50–60 cm is sufficient, but there are varieties, such as “Stone Head,” that spread their leaves over a long distance; even 80 cm will not be enough for them.

We dig holes with a garden spatula according to a 60x60 cm pattern. You can arrange the plants in a checkerboard pattern - it’s more convenient.

We take the seedling out of the cup: we turn the cup upside down, while holding the soil with our left hand, passing the stem of the cabbage plant between our fingers, with our right hand we press on the bottom of the cup - the soil falls out in a solid lump into the left hand.

We insert the seedling into the hole. Water it with water - about 1 liter. When the water is absorbed into the soil, fill the cabbage seedling with soil and lightly trample the soil around the stem.

Important! Cabbage plants can be buried down to the neck where the leaves grow. Deepening is necessary if the stem is too elongated

Water the compacted soil with more water. In the future, cabbage will require daily watering if the days are sunny and hot. After rain, the soil should be loosened.

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Landing on the ridge

It is prepared by adding a mixture of peat and humus to the ground a week before the planned replanting at the rate of 10 kg per 1 m2. You can also use burnt manure, adding it in the same proportion. For landing, choose a warm but cloudy day. Seedlings should be planted in a sunny place. The best predecessors for this crop are cucumbers, onions or legumes. Planting is carried out according to the 50 x 25 cm pattern. A handful of ash is added to the holes. Seedlings are buried to the level of the first full leaf and moistened abundantly. At first, it is advisable to shade the planted plants with film or non-woven covering material. This will also save young plants from attack by the cruciferous flea beetle. Half a month after planting, young plants need to be carefully hilled up.

Cover material Luck 60 size 3.2x10m color white

Caring for cabbage seedlings after germination

White cabbage is considered an unpretentious crop, but it also has its own preferences. In order for the seedlings to grow strong, healthy and tolerate transplantation into open ground well, they need proper care after germination. And it consists in timely watering, fertilizing and maintaining the temperature regime.

Lighting and temperature conditions

Immediately after emergence, cabbage seedlings are placed on the brightest windowsill.
If the windows in the apartment face north and there is not enough natural light, it is necessary to hang a fluorescent lamp or a special phyto lamp (at a height of 40-50 cm) above the seedlings. The comfortable air temperature for seedlings is +20 +22 degrees during the day and +16 +17 at night. It is difficult to achieve such conditions in an ordinary apartment. Dry air is added to actively working heating, and the seedlings are stretched.

Gardeners solve the problem in different ways:

• Separate boxes with seedlings from batteries with film or foil;
• at night, open the window, separating the cabbage from the rest of the room with a film curtain;
• They build small greenhouses using seedling boxes and keep the cabbage on a glassed-in balcony or loggia.

Placing bowls of water near the bowls with crops will help increase the air humidity to a level that is comfortable for seedlings.

Still, the strongest and most hardened seedlings are obtained if you sow cabbage in a greenhouse or greenhouse. The abundance of light and coolness prevent the plants from stretching, and nighttime temperature drops to +5 degrees only harden the cabbage.

Picking seedlings

Densely sown cabbage is picked when the second true leaf opens on the plants. For transplanting, prepare separate plastic glasses with a capacity of 200 ml or a spacious seedling box, 8 cm deep. In the box, seedlings are placed at a distance of 6-8 cm from each other.

Before planting, seedlings are watered abundantly. It is convenient to pull seedlings out of the soil using a regular fork. When transplanting cabbage into new soil, the plant is buried in the soil to the level where the real leaf begins to grow.

Some gardeners pinch the central root of the seedling, shortening it by a quarter. It is believed that this procedure stimulates the growth of lateral suction roots and the plant receives more nutrition.

The first few days after transplanting, it is necessary to maintain constant soil moisture. To reduce stress, you can spray the plants with Epin solution.

Watering and fertilizing

Cabbage is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil. It is watered 2-3 times a week, making sure that water does not accumulate in the pan after watering.

If the seedling soil has been thoroughly filled with humus and superphosphate, the cabbage does not require additional fertilizing. If plants have pale leaves and are stunted in growth, they are likely not getting enough nutrition. A week after picking, the seedlings are watered with a solution of any complex mineral fertilizer (Kemira, Raduga, Agricola).

Hardening

If cabbage is grown in the conditions of a standard city apartment, at high temperatures, it will be pampered and elongated. Planted in the ground, such cabbage can die even from slight frosts.

Starting from the age of 5 weeks, the plants are accustomed to coolness - they are taken out to the balcony, the window is opened at night (at an air temperature at night not lower than +7 +9 degrees). Plants are gradually accustomed to coolness, starting with a couple of hours of being outside.

It is easier to harden seedlings in a private house. They put it outside, constructing a simple greenhouse from wire arcs and film or white lutrasil.

Cleaning

Harvesting cauliflower is carried out in 3-4 steps. However, new hybrids on the market with equal high quality can be harvested 2-3 times. This makes planning easier and reduces harvesting costs. Cauliflower, depending on market requirements, is harvested in the form of “naked” inflorescences or with a small rosette of leaves around the inflorescence. The optimal weight of inflorescences is about 1.5–2 kg, that is, 6–8 pieces in a box. Due to extended harvesting, cauliflower loses quality, becomes loose and loses the snow-white color of the head. Cleaning is best done in the morning, when the leaves are elastic and juicy. It is best to do the cleaning manually. For large crops, a conveyor belt connected to a trailer is used to speed up harvesting.

A good way to maintain excellent flower quality after harvest is to quickly cool the heads to approximately 4°C (eg by forcing cool, damp air through the air). This improves the shelf life of harvested cauliflower and keeps it fresh longer. If there is such a need, cauliflower can be stored for a short period of time. For storage, it is necessary to select healthy, dense inflorescences. Optimal storage conditions are a temperature of 0–1° C and a relative humidity of 95–98%. If during storage the covering leaves begin to turn yellow, this means that the storage period has expired, which usually occurs after 3–4 weeks.

Ways to protect cabbage from frost

There are several proven methods to protect cabbage from frost:

1. Thermal insulation. The following are used as a heat-retaining agent:
   non-woven covering material – has different degrees of density, designed to protect against cold down to -10°C;
2. a transparent glass or cut plastic bottle - retains heat down to -6...-8°C, but requires regular ventilation;
3. cardboard, paper, fabric - used when the temperature drops to no more than -2...-4°C.
4. Sprinkling. This is done by pouring soil around the plants and evenly spraying the leaves. When cold weather sets in, the water begins to freeze, releasing thermal energy that protects the plantings. The method is effective at temperatures down to -2...-4°C, but its use in the presence of winds of more than 10-15 m/s leads to the opposite result - the leaves freeze and die.
5. Smoke. It involves fumigating plants with smoke from fires built around the perimeter of the site. Protects against freezing at 0...-2°C, but is a fire hazard. Ineffective in windy weather.

The frost resistance of cabbage before autumn frosts increases naturally with the timely application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, such as AVA Universal, potassium monophosphate or agrophosphate, 15-30 days after planting seedlings.

What are the benefits of cabbage?

Cabbage seedlings have stretched out, what to do?

The leaves of this vegetable contain carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, polysaccharides, phytoncides, carotene, enzymes, vitamins A, B1, C, P, K, B6, etc. The vegetable is also rich in mineral salts: potassium, phosphorus, calcium and sulfur.

In folk medicine it is used in the treatment of purulent wounds and ulcers, gastritis, high blood sugar, constipation, etc. Using cabbage juice, excess fluid is removed from the body.

Cabbage juice

In cosmetology, cosmetic masks and rinses for facial skin are made based on cabbage juice.

Caring for seedlings

Caring for cabbage seedlings in open ground is no different from caring for other crops. Includes watering, weeding, fertilizing, protection from pests and diseases:

Cabbage loves a lot of moisture. You will have to water it often:

• 1 time every 2 days - in hot weather;
• Once every 5 days - during cool weather.

For a seedling bush - at least 1–1.5 liters of water.

An adult plant will drink - 3 liters.

Water procedures are best done in the evening after sunset. To prevent a crust from forming, after watering you need to loosen the entire hole.

Moisture will evaporate less if the soil is mulched with dry grass

Rule 2. Feeding

After about 14 days, the cabbage seedlings will take root. During this period, you can apply mineral fertilizers for the first time.

Nitrogen-containing

For active formation of the root system, use liquid root fertilizers:

• ammonium nitrate - 5 g - per 10 liters of water;
• Apply the resulting solution under the root (1 liter for 5 bushes).

Organic fertilizers

• infusion of chicken manure - at the rate of 1 part organic matter and 10 parts water;
• mullein infusion - 1:20 (pour 1 liter of infusion over 1 bush of seedlings).

Phosphorus and potash fertilizers

After about three weeks, add phosphorus and potassium supplements to form heads:

• double superphosphate - 5 g;
• potassium sulfate - 8 g;
• water - 10 l.

Use at the rate of 1 liter for 5 bushes

Rule 3. Protection from pests

The main pests of cabbage are slugs, aphids and cabbage moths.

To prevent butterfly laying eggs and slug attacks, cabbage bushes are pollinated with dust, wood ash or dry mustard.

To repel caterpillars and aphids, you can prepare an infusion of onion peels:

• pour onion peels into a liter jar;
• pour boiling water (2 l);
• leave for 2 days;
• strain;
• add another 2 liters of warm water and 1 tbsp. l. dishwashing detergents;
• spray the cabbage with the solution in the evening in dry weather

Prevention and treatment of diseases

They are left without a harvest due to Alternaria blight, blackleg, mucous bacteriosis, and viral mosaic. In order to prevent diseases, crop rotation is observed, the soil is cleared of weeds and plant residues in the fall, and sowed with green manure.

In summer, fungicides are used for prevention and treatment:

• "Alirin-B";
• "Gapsin";
• "Gamair";
• "Trichopolus";
• "Fitosporin".

Cauliflower is treated with fungicides every 10-12 days.

Insect protection

Cauliflower is loved by butterfly caterpillars, cabbage moths, and white moths. They are nibbled by snails and slugs. Plantings suffer from aphids and cabbage fly larvae. To prevent garden pests, cauliflower is treated with bioinsecticides:

• "Verticillin";
• "Bikol";
• "Bitoxibacillin";
• "Boverin".

These drugs are used in tank mixtures. Treatments are carried out during the flight of insects and the appearance of larvae. To prevent slugs and snails, cabbage beds are sprinkled with ash. Place baits of watermelon rinds and wet rags soaked in kvass.

Are cabbage seedlings afraid of frost: instructions on planting dates, 4 rules for planting and care

My mother always plants a wide variety of cabbage in her garden plot. She knows everything about it: when to plant, how to care for it, at what temperature the seedlings can freeze. She always has a good harvest. I will share the secrets she told me about.

Cabbage is calm about cold weather. How many degrees of frost can seedlings withstand? Already established seedlings tolerate temperatures down to -5 °C, some varieties - up to -7 °C.

But newly planted plants, no matter late or early varieties, must be protected from spring frosts. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, the seedlings will quickly grow stronger and take root. “Large seedlings are already overgrown, they will not produce a large harvest and are more susceptible to disease”

“Large seedlings are already overgrown, they will not produce a large harvest and are more susceptible to disease”

Planting times will vary for different areas.

Approximate disembarkation times:

• southern regions - end of March;
• middle latitudes - early May (late cabbage and red cabbage, Brussels cabbage - at the end of May);
• Ural, Siberia, Transbaikalia - late May, early June.

You need to focus on warming up the air during the day.

The average daily temperature should stabilize to + 10 °C

Choosing a place for cabbage

Do not plant cabbage in lowlands. The place should be level or elevated.

Cabbage will grow well if the following grew before it last year:

• nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants);
• legumes (peas, beans);
• umbelliferous (carrots, parsley, dill).

The beds should be in an open space so that there is no lack of sunlight

Soil preparation

How to prepare the soil:

• treat for weeds;
• dig with fertilizer (10 liters of organic fertilizer per 1 m²)

What additives can be added to the soil:

Option 1:

• Place compost or humus (half a garden scoop) on the bottom;
• sprinkle wood ash on top (1/3 of a scoop);
• sprinkle everything with earth;
• water generously;
• wait a couple of hours and plant the seedlings.

Option 2:

• 1 tbsp. l. — urea, superphosphate, wood ash, humus (compost);
• mix the ingredients in the hole with the soil;
• pour over a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of soda ash (a glass of 10 liters of water);
• plant seedlings.

Fertilizers can be placed directly into the hole. The holes should be deep - 20 cm, diameter - 40 cm

Disembarkation

Plant cabbage when 3 to 5 true leaves have already formed.

Choose a cloudy, cool day - in the evening.

Landing:

• make a hole in the hole;
• shake the seedling out of the seedling container into your hand, preferably with soil;
• carefully place in the hole;
• if the root is without soil, straighten it in the hole;
• cover with soil up to the lower leaves, without covering the bud tip;
• press the ground tightly;
• Sprinkle the seedlings well with settled water.

To prevent the bud tip from being covered with soil during watering, you can put a ring made from a cut plastic bottle on the bush

Preparing the bed

To obtain a high-quality harvest of cauliflower, planting and caring for it must begin with the correct choice of site and proper preparation of the future bed. The landing site should be:

• very bright, illuminated by the sun throughout the day without the slightest shading;
• maximally protected from cold winds and dry winds, but well ventilated;
• not used in the previous year for growing any cruciferous crops;
• not too dry, but also without stagnation of water;
• with loamy soil and a large layer of humus.

Related article:

What types of cabbage are there?

They begin to prepare the bed in the fall - they dig it up and always add organic fertilizers (humus, manure, compost, etc.). Such feeding is very important for this crop, since the decomposition of biological residues is accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide, which is necessary for the proper formation of the cabbage head. Without this, neither the inflorescences nor the rosette will develop.

Apply any of the specified fertilizers for digging, using 1 bucket of fresh manure or 3 buckets of compost or humus per 1 square meter. m, fixing it on the bayonet of a shovel. Additionally, it is recommended to add 2 tbsp. superphosphate. For acidic soil, you will also need lime, but it is not combined with the specified organic matter, but is added 60 days earlier or in the spring when planting directly into the hole.

How much frost can cabbage withstand? Cabbage and frost

In various regions, the period of possible cooling may last until mid-June.

Whether cabbage seedlings are afraid of frost, what kind of frost cabbage can withstand in the spring, and how low temperatures can affect the quality of the crop depends on what type and variety was chosen for cultivation.

Temperature limits for use

Plant seedlings with the seedless growing method die at -3°C. If the seedlings were grown in cold greenhouses or were pre-hardened before planting in the garden, then they can withstand a short-term decrease in temperature to -5°C, but in this case the total weight and quality of the finished heads of cabbage decreases. If the temperature outside drops below -5°C, the seedlings die.

Reasons for freezing cabbage

Let's consider the reasons for the death of cabbage during frosts. Both frost and heat are harmful to the development and life of cabbage seedlings in spring.

If the air temperature drops below 0°C, the water in the plant cells freezes and turns into ice. From the physics course we know that if water is frozen, then when it freezes it increases in volume. The same thing happens in plants. When frozen, the liquid ruptures the seedling cells from the inside, and the cabbage dies. Sudden thawing after sunrise is especially dangerous for plants.

You can't let it thaw

The influence of low temperature can aggravate the wrong choice of planting site, as well as the condition of the seedlings.

Risk areas for cabbage

Do not plant plants on heavy soils or in lowlands. Light loamy areas well protected from the wind are suitable for it. In addition to the fact that there is constant stagnation of moisture in the lowlands, the air during frosts is also 2-3°C lower than in the flat areas.

For optimal plant development, the soil should not be acidic. On such soils, cabbage will not be able to develop normally, it will get sick, and the fertilizers that you apply will not be able to be completely absorbed by the seedlings. Therefore, if the soil on the site is acidic, then it needs to be limed. Dolomite flour is perfect for these purposes, as it will additionally enrich the earth with potassium. If flour is not available, you can use chalk, ash or lime. Only lime can be used exclusively during autumn digging, so as not to damage the seedlings.

If the acidity level is increased, then the soil is treated with lime

Whether cabbage is afraid of spring frosts, and how affected the seedlings will be, also depends on the general condition of the plants. If they are healthy, have managed to strengthen and grow well, then the seedlings will recover from stress much faster and the damage to the crop will be minimal.

To grow healthy seedlings, you need to maintain temperature conditions. The optimal range is 12-20°C. Higher temperatures lead to seedlings beginning to lag behind in development, becoming weak and not as viable.

It is also necessary to monitor the water regime. Cabbage is a moisture-loving plant, but watering should be such that there is no stagnation of water in the holes. Excess water, as well as its lack, can lead to disease or death of plants.

Note! The tolerance of low temperatures by seedlings also depends on the type of cabbage.

Comparison of frost tolerance

Currently, gardeners, in addition to cabbage, grow a number of frost-resistant vegetables. For example, onion seedlings do not die when frozen to -3°C, onion seedlings - at -7°C, celery - -4°C, parsley - -8°C, etc.

Parsley

For zucchini seedlings, the temperature is +0.5°C, cucumbers - -1°C, peppers die at 0°C, and tomatoes - at 1.5°C. Taking into account the fact that cabbage seedlings do not die at -5°C, and adult plants tolerate temperature drops down to -7°C, we can say that in terms of frost resistance it is among the vegetable leaders.

Thus, to obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to properly grow seedlings and protect plants from exposure to low temperatures in spring. Then the table will have tasty and healthy cabbage that you grew on your own plot.

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What kind of frost can Chinese cabbage withstand? How to freeze Chinese cabbage

Only ripe and healthy vegetables are suitable for freezing for the winter, without signs of disease development or pest activity. If in the future you plan to use the fruits for stewing or preparing first courses, then the separated and washed leaves need to be dried and cut into strips, after which all that remains is to fold them tightly into an airtight bag and, having distributed them throughout the space, place them in a quick-freezing chamber.

Important! The faster the vegetable freezes, the more attractive it will be after defrosting. For this reason, many housewives do not advise filling the entire space of the packaging bag, using less cabbage

The second option for freezing vegetables is to prepare whole leaves or cut into two parts, which in some cases are subject to preliminary heat treatment. So, before putting it in the freezer, disassemble the head of cabbage into individual leaves, lower them into boiling water and cover with a lid, leave for 10 minutes, immediately removing the container from the heat. From the leaves prepared in this way, you need to cut off the thickening of the petiole (along its entire length), then dry them with a paper napkin and place them in prepared containers for further freezing.

Try to align the leaf blades as much as possible, since when frozen, their structure can easily collapse, and you will end up with small parts of one leaf. This preparation option is suitable for those who want to use cabbage for preparing vegetable dishes and even cabbage rolls, although the Beijing variety is not often used for these purposes.

As for further defrosting of the leaves, it should be carried out in several stages: first, you should move the trays with the workpiece to the upper shelves of the refrigerator, and only after the cabbage has thawed a little, it will be possible to move the vegetable to room conditions for complete defrosting. True, this option is more suitable for whole leaf plates, so if you have frozen the chopped vegetable, you can immediately throw it into the pan and cook.

Storage Features

Cut heads of cabbage are not left in the light. The harvest can be stored for up to 60 days if there is a cellar (room) where the air temperature is not higher than 2 °C and the humidity is about 90-95%. Store the inflorescences in plastic containers covered with cling film or hanging by the stalks.

The heads remain in the refrigerator for a month or a little less without losing their consumer qualities. So that they do not wither, ahead of their time:

• wrapped in several layers of paper (newspaper);
• put in a food bag;
• wrapped in cling film.

For city dwellers, the best place to store cauliflower is the freezer. The harvest is safely stored in it all winter. The time spent preparing cabbage for storage is compensated for in the future. Any dish made from frozen cauliflower florets is prepared very quickly.

On a note! According to reviews from gardeners, Baldo F1 is ideal for storage - an excellent hybrid with white marketable heads weighing up to 2 kg, with a diameter of about 20 cm.

The process of preparing inflorescences for freezing is simple:

1. After cutting, the head of cabbage is soaked in a large volume of water for 30-60 minutes. If there were insects on it, they will float up.
2. The head is disassembled into inflorescences, washed with a colander in running, cold water.
3. Boil water in a large saucepan, add some salt, and blanch the inflorescences.
4. Pour cold water over the cabbage, dry it, place it on trays for freezing, and send it to the freezer.
5. Frozen inflorescences are poured into bags, packaged, the packaging date is set, and sent to the freezer.

Types and varieties of cabbage

There are the following types of cabbage:

• - cabbage;
• - colored;
• - kohlrabi;
• - Savoy;
• - leafy;
• - Beijing;
• - Chinese.

Cabbage

There are the following types:

• - white cabbage;
• - red cabbage;
• - Brussels.

The most popular type is white cabbage, which produces a head of light green color. In order to increase the period of use of fresh vegetables, varieties with different ripening periods have been bred. The most common early varieties (ripening - from 70 to 120 days): Iyunskaya, Kazachok, Parel, Golden Hectare, etc. Of the mid-season varieties (ripening up to 140 days), the most popular are: Slava, Sugar Queen, Kupchikha, Atria, etc.

For long-term storage, late-ripening cabbage is used. Most often, gardeners grow the following varieties: Aggressor, Amager, Kolobok, Mara, Moskovskaya late, Belosnezhka, Megaton F1.

Red cabbage leaves have a burgundy-purple color. Early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties are grown. The most popular are Kalibos, Stone Head. Mars, Langedijker, etc.

Brussels sprouts have small heads around the stem that can be eaten fresh, stewed, canned, or frozen. Common varieties: Franklin F1, Long Island, Merry Company, etc.

Late varieties of cabbage are harvested in late October - early November (depending on the region). In this regard, the relevant question is how the plant tolerates low temperatures, and whether cabbage is afraid of spring frosts.

Attention! An adult plant can easily tolerate cold and is not afraid to freeze even if the temperature drops to -7°C

Cauliflower

It is an annual plant. In cooking, they use the head, which consists of fleshy flower shoots located tightly to each other.

The following types are distinguished:

To preserve nutrients in winter, canning or deep freezing is used.

The most popular varieties of cauliflower are Snow Globe, Regent, Express, White Beauty, etc.; broccoli – Lord, Fiesta, Gnome, Agassi, Marathon, etc.

Kohlrabi is a biennial plant with a stem at the bottom that looks like a turnip. The most popular varieties are early ripening Piquant, Smak, Violetta, etc.

Savoy cabbage has a loose head, with loosely fitting leaves. Vienna early, Golden early, Vertu, Melissa, and Alaska are popular in gardens.

Kale is a biennial plant. In the first year, a short stem is formed. In the second year, a peduncle appears. Grown for decorative purposes and for culinary use. It may not freeze even if it is frosty outside, reaching -15°C.

Chinese cabbage is grown for one year. Forms a head or leaf rosette. Favorite varieties of gardeners are Russian size, Marfa, Victoria, Cha-cha, etc.

Chinese cabbage is an early-ripening annual plant. A bit reminiscent of the Beijing look. Cultivated for its heads or leaves. It can be planted in August and used as a vegetable in the preparation of various dishes in the fall. Popular domestic varieties are Lastochka and Vesnyanka.

Conveyor and growing time

Planning cauliflower production is often a difficult process for growers. To supply cauliflower to the market throughout the season, it is necessary to plant hybrids in 6-7 steps, observing optimal time intervals. It should be remembered that cauliflower tends to shorten and lengthen the growing season. In summer it grows much faster than in spring or autumn. Only some hybrids maintain a stable growing season (for example, Lekanyu F1 ). In spring, it is recommended to plant cauliflower, which has a shorter growing season, in order to get the earliest harvest ( Bruce F1 ). But in the summer, cauliflower hybrids that are resistant to stressful conditions, high temperatures and drought are in demand ( Space Star F1 , Korlanyu F1 ). Selecting an autumn hybrid does not cause any big problems, since this period is optimal for cauliflower based on climatic conditions. For this period, hybrids resistant to fungal diseases are needed, as well as self-covering hybrids, such as Amerigo F1 .

Protecting seedlings from frost

There are various ways to protect cabbage from short-term frosts. The most effective are the following:

• Smoking is the oldest method, the principle of which is to light fires at various points in the area. A thermal curtain of smoke protects seedlings well from low temperatures. But it must be taken into account that this method is not effective in the presence of wind, and is also not environmentally friendly.
• Sprinkling - spraying cabbage with warm water using a fine sprayer. As water freezes, it releases heat that the plant needs. Before frost sets in, in sunny weather the soil is also watered. During the day the sun will heat it up, and at night it will give off heat to the seedlings and provide a favorable microclimate. Keep in mind that sprinkling can only be done if the temperature does not drop below -3 degrees and there is no wind.
• Thermal insulation - to create an insulating layer, seedlings can be covered with film, newspapers or cardboard. It is advisable to use several layers to achieve the best effect. The only thing is that the thermal insulation layer should not be allowed to touch the plants. There must be an air gap between it and the cabbage.

Fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus can also protect cabbage from frost. The only thing is that they need to be applied a day before the cold weather.

If you're very cold

Staged resuscitation

You can try to bring completely frozen cabbage back to life.

To do this, it is placed for two or three days in a room with a temperature of about +4 degrees, after which it is transferred to a warmer room (up to +15 degrees), covered and kept there until complete recovery. Although it is not guaranteed even after performing the procedure.

What is frozen cabbage good for?

If there is no need to store frozen cabbage, then it should be brought into a cool room (from +5 to +10 degrees) and allowed to thaw, after which, in most cases, it is suitable for pickling, pickling (see recipe here), pickling or direct use in cooking.

Cabbage fermented from frozen heads of cabbage is best used not as an independent dish, but for preparing first courses, and also subjected to heat treatment.

Video - cabbage leaves after freezing

If the core of completely frozen cabbage may not find useful food use, then part of the frozen leaves can be selected immediately after thawing and used to make cabbage rolls.

In this case, they do not require boiling, as they become quite soft during the thawing process. Some housewives specially freeze cabbage leaves for this dish.

Reasons for crop freezing

Freezing of cabbage most often occurs for the following reasons:

• Climatic conditions – an abnormal decrease in temperature or sudden changes in temperature.
• Poor condition of seedlings - the stronger they are, the easier they tolerate frost. Weakened plants can die even when the temperature drops very slightly below zero degrees.
• Incorrect placement of beds on the site - seedlings may die if planted in lowlands, especially when there are bodies of water nearby or the soil is simply waterlogged. Also, seedlings do not tolerate areas with high winds.

Note! Cabbage planted in an unshaded area, well protected from the wind, has the best chance.

When to harvest cabbage in Siberia?

Early varieties of cabbage in Siberia are harvested as they ripen - when the head of cabbage has reached a weight of about 500 grams, it can be cut. Medium and late varieties are ready for harvest, usually in early October or late September. And if frost comes unexpectedly, you need to let the cabbage thaw on the root, and then just cut it down.

The lunar calendar for gardeners in Siberia recommends the following days for harvesting cabbage in September 2022:

• from September 15 to September 21 inclusive,
• September 24 (from 17:00),
• September 25 and 26 (until 18:00),
• September 29 and 30 (until 17:00).

• from October 14 to October 17 inclusive,
• October 23,
• October 26 and 27.

Hardening technology

Seedlings are hardened in several stages ten days before planting:

1. On the first day, the room or greenhouse in which the seedlings are located is ventilated for 4 hours.
2. For the next three days, the seedlings are taken outside for several hours. It is necessary to ensure that the plants are not exposed to direct sunlight.
3. Then, until planting, the seedlings are not brought into the room (provided there is no frost). In this case, it is necessary to limit watering, but at the same time the soil should not be allowed to dry out.

Advice! To prevent the condition of frozen seedlings from deteriorating, during the day they must be protected from exposure to direct sunlight.

Freezing Prevention

Seedlings must be hardened off

The importance of hardening for sprouts is difficult to overestimate; it helps to increase frost resistance and strengthen the plant. Differences between seedlings after hardening and without:

1. Hardened seedlings - withstand spring and autumn frosts well. If hardening is carried out correctly, seedlings can withstand temperatures down to -3-5° without loss.
2. Unhardened seedlings are very demanding of the weather conditions they find themselves in and do not tolerate even a slight drop in temperature. It usually grows in greenhouses where there are no conditions for complete hardening.

In difficult climatic conditions, weak and unhardened plants will die, and strong seedlings will grow stronger and produce productive ovaries. In greenhouse growing conditions, most of the sprouts have no chance of survival when weather conditions worsen. Therefore, in a region with regular spring frosts, it is best to cultivate varieties with late planting in the ground, when temperature conditions become more favorable.

Difficulties of growing cabbage using the seedless method

One of the problems of growing cabbage without seedlings is the need to ventilate the crops in hot weather.
For those summer residents who come only for the weekend, this is difficult to do. And on a hot day, tender young plants can suffer greatly from the scorching spring sun. The solution may be to use a covering material rather than a film, but in this case it will be possible to sow later. Under a film cover, unlike covering material, the soil warms up much earlier.

Perhaps our personal experience will be useful to someone. We also can’t come to our garden often, so we use double shelter. First we stretch the covering material onto the arcs, and the second layer is the film. Such a shelter retains heat and moisture very well, and the plants are protected from the bright spring sun.

As the plants grow and steadily warm weather sets in, we remove the film and leave the covering material. In this way we protect many cultures. Heat-loving plants - peppers, eggplants - can be covered again with a double layer closer to autumn, then the harvest period is significantly extended.

Another important point is that cabbage is heavily attacked by pests. The tender leaves of seedlings are damaged by the cruciferous flea beetle. This small pest can destroy the entire cabbage crop. It is easier to protect seedlings than to fight this pest later. The flea is repelled by the smell of garlic, coriander, caraway seeds, and marigolds - they can be planted not far from the cabbage bed. This pest really doesn’t like the smell of tobacco, so dusting the rows with tobacco dust is effective.

You can also not remove the covering material and continue to grow cabbage under it, then the pest that overwintered on the cruciferous weeds will not be able to reach the cabbage bed. At the initial stage of cultivation, the covering material will protect the plants from the cruciferous flea beetle, and later from the cabbage white flea beetle.

Plant roots can be damaged by mole crickets. This is a very dangerous pest; it chews through and destroys many plants. And in the spring, while there is still nothing, the mole cricket will definitely get to the young cabbage plants. You can protect seedlings by digging 500 ml jars with the bottom cut off into the ground. It is in these jars that you need to sow the seeds.

Another small technical point, but perhaps ignorance of it can cost you seedlings. If you choose to cover yourself with cut bottles, in bad weather or strong winds, they may be blown away. And then young plants may die, finding themselves without shelter. It is better to stick a small peg into the ground before covering the crops so that it prevents the bottle from falling over from the wind.

Dear readers! Knowing about possible difficulties, it is easy to think through the stages of solving problems and prepare for them. In general, growing cabbage without seedlings can be classified as “lazy methods” of growing garden crops. Such methods are gaining increasing popularity because they allow gardeners to significantly facilitate their work.

Basic collection rules

When to cut cabbage for the winter at what temperature?
How to properly cut cabbage for storage? Harvesting takes place on a sunny, warm day by autumn standards. Using a shovel, carefully dig up the cabbage without cutting off the heads, and clear its roots and stalks from the soil. All substandard heads of cabbage (poorly formed, small, with rotten stalks) are sorted and removed. Damaged leaves should also be removed.

Thrifty housewives usually immediately use “substandard” food for cooking, freezing, drying or for pickling. Pickled cabbage can be stored for a very long time. Each head of cabbage should have a pair or three of outer leaves left. Before storing cabbage, it needs to be dried. To do this, you need a canopy that will protect the crop from precipitation and direct sunlight. When exposed to the open sky on a sunny day, cabbage loses a lot of moisture and wilts. Further actions (whether we cut off the roots or not) depend on the chosen storage method.

If the soil on which the cabbage grew was highly saturated with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, there is no point in storing the crop: it will spoil very quickly.

The fact is that nitrogen loosens the leaves, reducing the percentage of dry matter in them. Such heads of cabbage immediately begin to rot after harvesting. Fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium, on the contrary, promote long-term storage of cabbage.

The right conditions for seeds and seedlings

Before sowing, the seeds are kept in cold water (+2° C) for a day. This procedure increases germination and gives frost resistance to the crop. There are already fully prepared cabbage seeds on sale that are colored with bright colors. However, they will also need soaking if they have been stored for a long time.

Planting time is determined taking into account varietal characteristics and climate conditions. The time required for growing seedlings is subtracted from the planned time of relocation to open ground.

Advice! It is recommended to disinfect seeds for planting. To do this, they are kept in hot water for 20 minutes, then immersed in cold water for 2 minutes and dried.

These periods are different for different varieties:

• for red and white cabbage - 50-60 days;
• broccoli - 45 days;
• color - 50 days;
• Savoy - 30-50 days;
• kohlrabi - 35 days.

Based on this, early white and red-headed varieties in the middle zone are planted on March 5-10, late varieties on March 15-30, and mid-season varieties on approximately April 15-20. Cauliflower and broccoli are planted in two stages: first on March 15, and then in the second half of May. By the end of April, Brussels sprouts are sown, and kohlrabi is sown on March 15. Seedlings are grown in an open, illuminated place.