Vegetable growing » Cabbage
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Kira Stoletova
Growing any variety of cabbage requires adherence to a certain technology, from the moment of sowing the seeds to harvesting. Feeding cabbage allows you to get a good harvest, which is why it is so important to feed the plantings on time.
Feeding cabbage in the garden
Fertilizing in open ground
The culture is demanding of care, especially when it comes to fertilizing. At the stage of growth and development, seedlings need more mineral nutrition. With intensive growth of leaf rosettes, plants require nitrogen.
Feeding cabbage in open ground is a prerequisite when moving sprouts to poorly cultivated and infertile land.
Containing nitrogen
Cabbage in open ground is fed with several preparations that contain nitrogen.
Nitroammofoska
The white crystalline substance contains more than 30% nitrogen. The fertilizer is highly concentrated, so you need to use ammonium nitrate to feed plants without exceeding the permitted amount, otherwise the plants will accumulate a large amount of nitrates, causing poisoning.
Ammonium sulfate
This drug contains 2 components: nitrogen and sulfur. The nitrogen content in this substance is much less than in ammonium nitrate, so the dose of the drug when feeding plants is increased by 1.5 times the ammonium nitrate application rate.
Sulfur, which is part of the fertilizer, increases the acidity level of the soil.
Urea (urea)
Urea is a highly concentrated substance that contains 45% nitrogen, therefore, when applying, the dose is reduced by 1.5 times the dose of ammonium nitrate taken.
Containing potassium
Potassium ensures intensive growth of plant roots and their above-ground parts. It is recommended to feed cabbage with this preparation to form a head of cabbage.
Potassium chloride
Potassium chloride is a white crystalline substance that resembles coarse table salt crystals in appearance. This drug contains 60% potassium. When applied to the soil, it increases its acidity level.
Potassium sulfate
The sulfate contains 50% potassium. The drug is used for the growth and development of chlorophobic plants.
Phosphorus
This vegetable does not particularly need phosphorus fertilizers, but you should not exclude them from the general nutrition of plants: fertilizing with superphosphate ensures the high-quality development of heads of cabbage and the accumulation of nutrients and useful substances at the end of their ripening period.
Superphosphate saturates plants with beneficial substances
To fertilize cabbage, regular superphosphate is used, containing about 18% phosphorus (double - 45%).
When adding this substance, take into account the acidity level of the soil, since phosphorus is poorly absorbed by plants in acidic soils. Seedlings in such soil also grow and develop poorly.
Organic
Organic fertilizers for cabbage are no less important. They provide a full growing season for plants. In addition, such fertilizing is required for the formation of a hard and juicy head of cabbage.
It is best to feed cabbage with manure in combination with peat: 6 kg of the mixture is consumed per 1 square meter. m beds.
In what cases is it necessary to deoxidize the soil?
Cabbage is a crop that does not tolerate acidic soils. When grown in this type of soil, there is a high risk of fungal diseases. Most often, this is Kila, which inhibits the development of the plant and leads to its death.
To deoxidize, pour a glass of wood ash onto the bottom of the planting hole and mix it with the soil. Analogues - dolomite flour, chalk, lime.
ON A NOTE. It is better to use ash, because if you have any left over, it can be used as a top dressing.
Soil acidity level
The acidity level depends on the composition of the soil:
- for peat it is 5-5.5 pH;
- for podzolic - from 6.5 to 7.5 pH.
You can deoxidize the soil using quicklime (fluff) or dolomite flour.
The composition and amount of fertilizer for cabbage depends on the variety being planted. Early varieties of cabbage are fed 2-3 times during the entire growing period.
To feed late cabbage, a mixed nutrition scheme is used: mineral preparations alternate with organic ones.
What do they put in the hole when they plant cabbage?
When planting seedlings, various mixtures are placed on the bottom. Depending on the tasks at hand, this can be organic, mineral fertilizers or a mixture of them. This composition is needed to help the seedlings take root and make it easier to transplant.
The second option is fungicidal or insecticidal preparations. They are needed when the soil is contaminated with fungal spores, wireworms and other parasites.
The third mixture is limestone material (chalk, dolomite flour). This preparation is needed for liming the soil when it needs to be deoxidized.
IMPORTANT! Whatever preparation you add when planting, remember that there must be a layer of soil between it and the cabbage root so that the roots do not get burned.
Feeding seedlings
To get a good harvest of heads of cabbage in the future, the first step is to feed the seedlings.
Fertilize the plants three times.
First stage
The first feeding of cabbage seedlings is carried out at the stage of picking young sprouts. For these purposes, the following composition of components is used:
- 25 g of ammonia;
- 40 g phosphorus;
- 10 liters of potash fertilizer.
Dry ingredients are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
Second phase
Observe proportions when preparing the mixture
The second feeding is carried out exactly 2 weeks later. At the initial stage, you need to feed cabbage seedlings with ammonium nitrate. 35 g of substance are consumed per 10 liters of water.
Third stage
The last fertilizers for cabbage seedlings are applied when planting in open ground. They consist of the following components:
- nitroammophoska - 35 g;
- phosphorus-containing substance - 85 g;
- potassium—25 g.
The resulting composition is brought to a volume of 10 liters with cold water.
After feeding three times, the plants will become stronger and will be able to develop successfully in new conditions.
How to properly feed cabbage with organic matter
Growing vegetables is not an easy task, but village people or summer residents will say that nowhere in the world is there such a strong connection as in life on a plot of land. Some substances go in addition to others, waste from one household part is perfect for another, unnecessary weeds can turn out to be feed fertilizer or compost. This is the case with the garden plot.
It has long been invented to use bird droppings to feed crops. Poultry farmers supply waste in tanks for sale, and there are always consumers. Demand does not just arise; instead of mineral fertilizers, organic, environmentally friendly fertilizers can be used. If there are birds in your yard, especially chickens, then you will be terribly glad: in your arsenal you already have a whole storehouse of useful nutrients for the growth and development of plants.
Ash. The simplest combustion product, but for some reason it is rarely used for fertilizing. Very in vain. Ash contains boron and molybdenum. These two rare natural compounds are good enough to feed cabbage in open soil during almost all growth periods. How to get ash: burn charcoal (can be combined with something) and take away the rest. You don't need much.
Mullein. A plant that covers meadows, ravines, clearings in large quantities. It looks like an ordinary weed, but in fact, it is a very useful fertilizer. The mullein infusion is mixed with water and watered over the cabbage bushes. 100% beneficial for the plant.
Recently, various natural fertilizers for feeding have become increasingly popular and widely used. They have a priority over chemicals: the soil and plants are nourished with useful elements that are important for them, and no harmful nitrates appear in the leaves. Micro- and macroelements undergo an excellent absorption process and do not tend to be washed out of the soil.
Feeding early varieties
Given the intensive ripening time of the crop, early varieties need to be fertilized with preparations that stimulate the rapid growth of green mass and root system. In a short period of time, the heads of cabbage gain good mass and absorb nutrients.
1 meal
The first feeding of cabbage of early varieties is carried out using the root method 20 days after planting in the garden. At this stage of development, seedlings are fed with urea and ammonium nitrate. If these fertilizers were applied during the autumn digging of the site, you can feed the cabbage after planting in the ground with a complex composition from the manufacturer. The drug "Agricola" is in great demand. It is applied both by root and foliar methods.
2 food
The following feeding of cabbage in open ground is carried out in two ways: with mullein or slurry, previously diluted with water. For 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of manure are consumed. You can fertilize with the working solution 2 days after it has infused. The interval between the first and subsequent feeding is 2 weeks.
3 food
For the final feeding of early cabbage, a solution of boric acid is used, which is applied foliarly: 5 g of the substance is diluted with warm boiled water (200 g), then brought to a volume of 10 liters with cooled water.
Feeding the leaves with boric acid prevents the heads from cracking. If the stalks are deformed, add 5 g of molybdenum ammonium to the nutrient solution.
Food in the greenhouse
You can feed cabbage for the greenhouse according to the above scheme. Plus, the nutrition of early varieties includes another fertilizer, which increases the shelf life of cut heads of cabbage.
Greenhouse plants are fed with ash (400 g) and potassium sulfate (40 g). The resulting mixture is diluted in water (10 l).
The plants are watered with the working solution several days before cutting the stalks.
Phosphorus fertilizers for cabbage
For cabbage to fully develop, it needs phosphorus fertilizers. After all, the lack of this substance leads to disastrous consequences that can directly affect the meager harvest of this vegetable crop. The first signs of phosphorus deficiency are darkened leaves with bright purple edges. Head formation takes longer than usual.
Healthy heads of cabbage
The most popular organic supplement to restore the required level of phosphorus is bone meal. These are processed cattle bones that are rich not only in phosphorus, but also in many dietary supplements. Bone meal is used to feed all types of agricultural crops, including cabbage.
Bone meal is not used for instant feeding. But, it can be added to the beds 2-3 weeks before planting seedlings on them.
Another popular phosphorus fertilizer is ammonium hydrogen phosphate (diammophos). This is a concentrated fertilizer that not only improves the development and formation of large heads of cabbage, but can also affect the taste of this popular vegetable. At the same time, this additive does not contain nitrates and has a relatively low cost.
Ammonium hydrogen phosphate is added to the soil before planting cabbage at the rate of 5 - 10 g per 1 m2.
The most popular phosphorus fertilizer, used by a large number of domestic gardeners, is superphosphate. This fertilizer contains compounds useful for plants such as monocalcium phosphate, sulfur, phosphoric acid, magnesium and other elements. Superphosphate is used to strengthen the immune system of garden crops and increase their productivity.
Most often, superphosphate (50 - 100 g) is diluted in water (10 liters) and watered with it at the roots of the plants.
Granulated superphosphate
Some useful elements of phosphorus fertilizers are quite difficult to absorb by plants. Therefore, most of these fertilizers are applied to the soil in the fall. In winter, they enrich the topsoil and prepare it for planting cultivated plants.
Feeding late-ripening varieties
Mineral fertilizers are suitable for late-ripening varieties
Late-ripening varieties and hybrids are fed in the same way and using the same components as early-ripening varieties. Additionally, for late varieties of cabbage, it is recommended to fertilize with mineral fertilizers and mullein.
The proportion and composition for feeding are the same as for feeding early-ripening species. Late cabbage has weak roots; as it feeds, the dose of potassium and phosphorus is increased.
An integral part of the care and cultivation of late species is irrigating the leaves with ash. Spraying plants with ash not only nourishes the plants, but also repels insects. This treatment has a bad effect on the appearance of the heads of cabbage and reduces their marketability, so the ash solution can be replaced with saline solution: 150 g of the substance is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Irrigation of the leaves is carried out several times between feedings.
Some gardeners use folk remedies for treating plants. Plants can be fed with nettles and iodine tincture in water.
Folk remedies
Many gardeners replace industrial preparations with fertilizers prepared independently. Folk remedies are cheap, do not acidify the soil, and in some cases are not inferior in effectiveness to agrochemicals.
Mullein infusion
The most popular type of root feeding is characterized by a high content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and contains 20 microelements: magnesium, boron, calcium, sulfur, boron, iron.
To prepare the infusion, cow dung is diluted in a container with water in a ratio of 1:5, covered with a lid, and left to ferment. The finished solution brightens, large particles sink to the bottom. To apply under the cabbage root, take 1 liter of infusion per bucket of water.
Chicken droppings
Effective natural organics containing the entire range of useful elements, vitamins, amino acids, biologically active components. 1 kg of litter is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:20, allowed to brew for two days in a dark place, and diluted by half before use. Apply 0.5 liters of fertilizer to the seedling; in case of an overdose, burns of the roots and leaves of cabbage are possible.
Wood ash
The fertilizer contains potassium and phosphorus, microelements - calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc. The cabbage is dusted with sifted ash or pre-moistened leaves are sprayed with an aqueous solution. Preparation of solution: 1 tbsp. sifted ash is diluted in a bucket of water, left for 2-3 hours, filtered. In wet weather, dry fertilizer can be applied between rows.
Infusion of chopped herbs
Young nettle gives the best results, but any crushed herbal mass will do. Fill the container 2/3 full with raw materials, cover the top with a lid, and leave to ferment in a warm place, stirring occasionally to prevent mold from forming.
You cannot feed with freshly prepared infusion - it can cause a burn.
The finished solution acquires a specific odor and air bubbles appear on the surface. For watering, take 1 liter of infusion per bucket of water.
Yeast
Contains fungi, proteins, valuable amino acids. Yeast fungi activate soil microflora, biologically active substances accelerate metabolism and growth of cabbage.
A pack of raw yeast is diluted in a liter of warm water with the addition of 2 tbsp. l. sugar and leave to ferment for a day. For irrigation use a 10% solution. A package of dry yeast (10 g) is dissolved in 10 liters of liquid at a temperature of +40-50˚С, adding 40 g of granulated sugar. Before use, take 1 liter of fermented infusion per 5 liters of water.
Hydrogen peroxide
The compound contains atomic oxygen, destroys pests and pathogenic bacteria, improves soil structure, and activates crop growth. 2 tbsp. l. hydrogen peroxide is diluted in 1 liter of water and watered over the cabbage in the evening.
Ammonia
The substance is a source of nitrogen. For root feeding 6 tbsp. l. alcohol is diluted in 10 liters of water, watered 0.5 liters per plant. It is often used for spraying on foliage: for better adhesion, add 50 grams of laundry or green soap to the solution. The pungent smell of the chemical repels slugs, cabbage moths, and cruciferous flea beetles.
Baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate prevents the heads from cracking during ripening and storage. 10 grams of baking soda are diluted in 5 liters of water, the solution is sprayed on the leaves or watered at the root.
Boric acid
Improves oxygen exchange, activates the process of photosynthesis, and helps increase cabbage yield. 2 grams of the substance are diluted in a liter of warm water, bringing the volume to 10 liters. Foliar fertilizing with boric acid is carried out during the period of head setting.
Potassium permanganate
A solution of potassium permanganate stimulates the formation of a head of cabbage and increases the amount of sugars in the vegetable. 3 grams of crystalline substance are dissolved in 10 liters of water, filtered to avoid burns to the roots. Water 0.5 liters under each seedling during the formation of the head.
Iodine
The product has antiseptic properties: it repels pests and disinfects the soil. The microelement is introduced during the formation of the fork - the heads grow in the correct shape without voids. 3 drops of potassium iodide are dissolved in a bucket of water and watered at the root.
Eggshell
Used in crushed form to enrich the soil with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, microelements sulfur and iron. Fertilizer reduces soil acidity and serves as clubroot prevention. A handful of eggshell powder is added to the hole before planting.
Banana peel
Water extract from banana peels is a valuable source of potassium; it contains phosphorus, a small amount of nitrogen, calcium, manganese, and sulfur. The skins of 3-4 bananas are poured into 3 liters of warm water, left in a dark place for up to 5-6 days. Watering is carried out with the filtered solution.
Brussels
During the development of seedlings, this variety of cabbage does not need fertilizing. To fertilize Brussels sprouts on the site, mineral fertilizers are used, which are applied in spring and summer (in August).
The first feeding is carried out before planting seedlings: 1 tsp. nitroamoffoska for each hole.
The next plant nutrition is carried out at the stage of formation of the first heads of cabbage. Plants are fertilized with superphosphate, potassium sulfate and nitroammophos - 25 g of each substance. The dry mixture is diluted in a bucket of water. 1.5 liters of liquid fertilizer is poured under each seedling.
How to feed cabbage after planting in the ground. Minerals
As an avid gardener, you must remember that cabbage grows in stages, similar to most other crops that we harvest each year.
Stages of cabbage development: early (green); late (dry matter grows). These stages are very different from each other, so you need to feed the cabbage with completely different fertilizers.
A competent selection of ingredients for fertilizer decides what the size, taste and, perhaps, life of the plant will be.
During the period of early development (the bushes are still rather weak and capricious, the head of cabbage has not begun to form), the cabbage urgently needs to be fed with nitrogen. Here is a list of nitrogen fertilizers you can trust:
Ammonium nitrate (coarse sand in the form of crystals, gray in color, contains 34% nitrogen). This strong concentrate is widely distributed among gardeners. Strict adherence to dosage rules is required, since it is easy to overdo it with this fertilizer. And why? The cabbage plant requires nitrates within its normal limits in order to grow fully. But if there is an excess of nitrates, a chemical reaction will occur. The elements accumulate, nitrates turn into nitrites, the cabbage begins to hurt and eventually spoils. If there has already been an excess of nitrogen, then the finished vegetable will harm even people.
Ammonium sulfate (in the form of white sand, has the form of a crystal, it contains 21% nitrogen). The salt of sulfuric acid contains sulfur - remember this. This fertilizer oxidizes the soil, so before using it, remember whether you have oxidized the soil before. After all, the vegetable may not “take away” excess acidity. Ammonium sulfate is safer than ammonium nitrate, only more sulfate will have to be added.
Urea (has a white color, resembles crystals, it contains 46% nitrogen). Ammonium salt of carbonic acid. A strong concentrate, which is why it is not very popular, because few gardeners know how to work with it. The main thing here is to observe moderation.
The most important early stage for a plant is considered completed if the feeding is properly distributed and there is no shortage or excess of nutrients.
Next, we will study what the yield depends on - the period when the head of cabbage is formed. The head is an important component of cabbage that can be eaten, so the plant needs to be provided with everything so that the cabbage is juicy and “crispy”, without bitterness and acidity. The head of cabbage accumulates elements necessary for life. You can help cabbage by adding phosphorus and potassium. Potassium improves metabolic function, and phosphorus correctly accumulates valuable elements.
Potassium chloride . White. Reminds me of coarse salt. It includes 60% of elements easily absorbed by the plant. Potassium chloride slightly oxidizes the soil composition.
Potassium sulfate (50%). It is almost identical in appearance to potassium chloride. Reduce concentration = increase feed input compared to potassium chloride.
Simple superphosphate . The least concentrated - no more than 14-19%. The most common fertilizer.
Double superphosphate – 45% concentration.
Phosphates do not go well with the high acidity of the soil, and the plant does not tolerate it well. The most important thing is to monitor how all fertilizers affect acidity and monitor for excess. Failure is difficult to resolve.
White cabbage
White cabbage should be fed repeatedly:
- There are 2 options for fertilizers for white cabbage. They are introduced 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the garden bed. Young plantings are fertilized with mullein (0.5 liters of substance per 10 liters of water). Also, seedlings of this crop are fed with urea (30 g of substance per 10 liters of water).
- The second feeding of white cabbage is carried out 2 weeks after the first. Plants are fertilized with urea or dissolved mullein.
- After another 2-3 weeks of planting, they are fed with rotted manure (500 g), liquid mullein (0.5 l) and superphosphate (30 g). The resulting mixture is dissolved in 10 liters of water. A liter of fertilizer is used per specimen. Such feeding is required for the formation of heads of plants.
- Cabbage should be fed for shelf life several weeks before cutting the heads. Plants are irrigated with 200 g of ash solution per 10 liters of water.
Hydrogen peroxide for feeding cabbage
Hydrogen peroxide is actively used not only for house plants, but also in the garden. It is actively used for watering and spraying cabbage seedlings at different stages of growth.
Hydrogen peroxide allows you to:
- rid seedlings of harmful bacteria;
- accelerate plant growth;
- protect the root system from rotting;
- saturate the soil with oxygen;
- cure diseases.
The benefit of the drug lies in the similarity of the aqueous solution to melt water. Hydrogen peroxide contains atomic oxygen, which oxidizes the soil, saturates it with oxygen, and fights pathogenic bacteria. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of peroxide. Plants are watered once every 5-6 days. Hydrogen peroxide has a positive effect on soil quality. In addition to feeding grown plants, hydrogen peroxide is used when soaking seeds at the time of planting.
What care does cabbage need besides feeding?
It is enough to follow simple rules:
- Watering. It should be moderate to prevent overflow and drying out. It is best to use distilled water. Watering should be done in the evening. The interval between procedures is usually 5 days, and in hot weather - 2-3 days.
- Loosening the soil. It is necessary that the roots have access to oxygen. It is best to carry out the procedure the next day after watering.
- Mulching. Experts advise making a layer of mulch 5 cm thick. This will prevent rapid evaporation of moisture and the appearance of weeds. Mulch also provides nutrients to young plants. Peat or humus is usually used for covering.
What to fertilize cabbage with: urea, potassium chloride, superphosphate or folk remedies, each gardener decides independently, but a lack of nutrients can significantly reduce the yield. Experienced gardeners in their plots, in addition to white cabbage, often cultivate other varieties. When choosing a specific one, you should determine exactly why it is grown and the required number of heads. 3 weeks before harvesting, watering should be stopped completely. Then more fiber will accumulate, thanks to which the cabbage will be better preserved in the future. It is recommended to harvest when the temperature outside at night reaches +20 degrees. Heads of cabbage should be stored in a cool room, laid horizontally.
Common mistakes
- Due to inexperience, many gardeners add nitrogen fertilizers right before harvesting cabbage. Meanwhile, such fertilizers deposit harmful nitrates in the product and are worse for storage in winter.
- Acidic soils are a big problem for cabbage. Therefore, on such land it is imperative to include chalk or lime in the fertilizing.
- Potassium and nitrogen fertilizers do not combine with each other, so they always need to be applied separately and with a certain break between fertilizing.
Use of mineral fertilizers
Specialized fertilizer for cabbage
Mineral fertilizers for cabbage are also in great demand, because they are always on the shelves of specialized stores and even large supermarkets during the season.
To prepare nutritional mixtures, you don’t need to do anything complicated. Each product has detailed instructions, and the entire preparation process almost always comes down to dissolving a certain dose of the drug in water.
But store-bought fertilizers, even if they are as balanced as possible and beneficial for cabbage at all stages of growth, often contain compounds that are dangerous to humans, which can accumulate in cabbage heads. Therefore, you should rely on purchased products only in the early stages of growing cabbage, and the closer the harvest time, the more correct it is to exclude them from use, sometimes completely.
How to fertilize seedlings if they are not growing well
If seedlings do not develop well in a greenhouse or on a windowsill at home, in addition to poor soil, they may be hampered by poor or excessive watering, lack of light, or dense sowing.
To give it more nutrition, you need to pamper the roots three times: on the 10th day after picking, 10–12 days after and then shortly before transplanting, add potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate in the following proportions:
- 1 g, 2.5 g and 4 g per 1 l;
- only 3–4 g of saltpeter;
- 2, 3 and 8 g per 1 liter, respectively.
