Varieties and hybrids of white cabbage for pickling and fresh consumption

It is not the salt or even the method of pickling that gives sauerkraut the necessary firmness, pleasant sourness and crunchy properties. When pickled, only cabbage of “pickling” varieties of medium and medium-late ripening will have a good taste.

White cabbage is one of the most popular vegetable crops. The value of white cabbage is determined by its absolute unpretentiousness, cold resistance, high yield, as well as outstanding taste and unique nutritional value.

Useful properties of white cabbage

People call white cabbage the “queen” of the garden. It contains a lot of nutrients that have a beneficial effect on the human body. That is why white cabbage is widely used not only in cooking, but also in folk medicine. Cabbage is rich in fiber, polysaccharides, proteins, pectin substances, organic acids and mineral salts.

And cabbage is a real storehouse of vitamins. It contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C, E, K, U. The vitamin C content in white cabbage is approximately the same as in lemons and grapefruits. Just two hundred grams of fresh cabbage can meet the daily need of the human body for this vitamin. Of particular note is that cabbage contains sulforophane, an organic compound that has a pronounced antibacterial and anticancer effect.

White cabbage is an integral element of traditional European and Russian cuisine. Delicious first courses, a variety of salads, appetizers and side dishes are prepared from cabbage. Cabbage is very good as a filling for pies. And besides, white cabbage is one of the best products for vegetable canning and pickling.

Cauliflower varieties

The variety of crops in the modern world has a huge number of varieties. Its varietal feature is the difficulty of growing. But a lot of vitamins and minerals make it simply an irreplaceable product in the menu of adults and children. Crops must be planted in seedlings, just like cabbage. But she requires a lot more attention.

Cauliflower varieties

The main varieties cultivated in Russia and the post-Soviet space are: Pionerka, Opal, Beautiful Vecha and Francoise. Cauliflower Guarantee is popular.

The main condition for success is the correct choice of variety for cultivation in a particular climate zone. For example, the Francoise variety is perfect for agricultural technology in central Russia.

How to choose the right white cabbage for pickling?

Pickling is the most common way to prepare cabbage in winter. In this form, cabbage can be stored in a cool place for several months. Early varieties of white cabbage are not suitable for pickling, since their heads contain insufficient amounts of sugars and fiber. When fermented, such cabbage will become soft and tasteless. The best for pickling will be the so-called “pickling” varieties of medium and medium-late ripening.

White cabbage intended for pickling must meet a number of specific requirements:

• flat-round or round-shaped head of cabbage weighing 3-4 kg;
• small internal stump;
• The outer leaves of the head of cabbage are thin, without coarse venation;
• the inner leaves are white, without pigmentation and spot necrosis;
• the head of cabbage lacks bitterness and pungent aftertaste.

The best varieties for pickling are such well-known varieties of white cabbage as Belorusskaya 455, Nadezhda, Podarok, Slava 1305, as well as modern hybrids bred by the POISK Agroholding: Countess F1, Zastolny F1, Lotsman F1, Symphony F1, etc.

History of cultivation of the Moscow late cabbage variety

There are two similar varieties in the State Register - Moskovskaya late 15 and Moskovskaya late 9. The first has been known since 1937, when it was transferred to state variety testing. Included in the State Register in 1937 and zoned into the Central, Far Eastern, Northwestern and Volga-Vyatka regions, although it is widespread and popular far beyond their borders.

Little is known about the second variety. It has been undergoing state variety testing since 1957, and was included in the State Register in 1968 for the Central and Northwestern regions. The originator of both varieties is the same - the Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing.

Early maturing hybrids of white cabbage

Early cabbage should not be fermented and it will not be stored until winter. But in its fresh form you will not find its equal.

Sympathy F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting Sympathy F1 cabbage is 55-60 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are light green, with a slight waxy coating, bubbly, slightly wavy along the edge. The head is round, dense, weighing 1.5-2.0 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Recommended for fresh consumption.

Sprint F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting Sprint F1 cabbage is 55-60 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are light green, with a slight waxy coating, bubbly, slightly wavy along the edge. The head is round, dense, weighing 0.9-1.6 kg, yellowish when cut. The taste is excellent. Recommended for fresh consumption.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• large fruit;
• significant productivity;
• versatility of use;
• cold resistance;
• tolerance to temperature fluctuations;
• marketability and transportability;
• adaptability to different weather conditions;
• Possibility of cultivation throughout the country.

Minuses:

• poor resistance to keel;
• the immune properties of the hybrid are not fully disclosed;
• large forks are obtained only if agricultural practices are followed.

Mid-season hybrids of white cabbage

Medium-ripening hybrids are the most versatile. This cabbage can be eaten fresh, and in the cabbage soup it will not turn into “porridge”, and the sauerkraut will have a crunch.

Countess F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 80-90 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, smooth, slightly wavy along the edges. The head is round, dense, weighing 1.7-2.2 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Cabbage Countess F1 is recommended for fresh consumption and pickling.

Pilot F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 80-90 days. The rosette of leaves is horizontal. The leaves are green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, smooth, slightly wavy along the edges. The head of cabbage is flat-rounded, dense, weighing 1.5-2.0 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Cabbage Lotsman F1 is recommended for fresh consumption and pickling.

Transplanting

At the time of planting, the seedlings should have about 6 leaves and a developed root system.

Planting cabbage seedlings in open ground

And again, I recommend determining the optimal date yourself: this is not difficult to do, as you will see for yourself by reading the article When to plant vegetable seedlings in the ground and in greenhouses. The approximate dates for planting cabbage seedlings in open ground are as follows:

• early ripening varieties - in late April - early May;
• mid-season - late May - early June;
• late ripening - in mid-May.

Mid-late hybrids of white cabbage

Try pickling this cabbage, and your guests will be pleasantly surprised by your culinary skills. But you know what the real secret of its taste is!

Table F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 115-125 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, bubbly, slightly wavy along the edges. The head of cabbage is round, dense, weighing 3.5-5.5 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Recommended for fresh consumption and short-term storage. Table F1 is one of the best hybrids for pickling.

Princess F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting Knyaginya F1 cabbage is 115-125 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are dark green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, vesicular, slightly wavy along the edge. The head of cabbage is flat-rounded, dense, weighing 3.2-3.7 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Recommended for fresh consumption, pickling and short-term storage.

Symphony F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 115-125 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, bubbly, slightly wavy along the edges. The head of cabbage is round, dense, weighing 3.5-4.0 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Cabbage Symphony F1 is recommended for fresh use, pickling and short-term storage.

Features of planting and growing

To get a good harvest, it is important to comply with the growing conditions.

Soil requirements

To grow cabbage seedlings, purchase a special soil mixture in the store or make it yourself :

• garden soil or peat – 1 part;
• humus – 1 part;
• wood ash – 10 tbsp. l. per 10 kg of soil.

Mix everything well.

Ready seedlings are planted in open ground, which is fertilized in advance with humus or peat - 3-4 buckets per 1 m². Cabbage does not like acidic soil (liming is carried out); it bears fruit well in black soil.

Preparing for landing

Seeds and seedlings are prepared for planting in open ground.

Seed preparation

Made for cabbage seeds:

1. Warming up. Planting material is placed on a saucer with damp gauze and placed on a heating radiator for 1 day. This stimulates the seeds to wake up.
2. Disinfection. After warming up, seed the seed for 30 minutes. placed in a container with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This increases disease resistance and kills bacteria and viruses on the surface of the seeds.
3. Growth stimulation. The seeds are soaked for 12 hours in a biological solution of Zircon, Albit, Energen or Epin.
4. Cold hardening. The seeds are wrapped in a rag and placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preparing seedlings

10-14 days before the planned planting of seedlings in open ground, the plants are hardened:

1. 1-2 days open the window in the room for 3-4 hours.
2. From days 3 to 5, seedlings are placed on a balcony, loggia, veranda or any cool place for no more than 2 hours.
3. From days 6 to 10, increase the hardening time to 10 hours.

After this, the seedlings are left on the balcony until they are planted in open ground.

Important! Hardening is carried out when 4-6 true leaves appear on the plants.

How to plant without seedlings

Planting without seedlings is a more labor-intensive option, since constant care is required in the first half of the growing season :

1. Seeds undergo pre-sowing preparation. Small holes 2-3 cm deep are made on the plot of land and 3-4 seeds are placed. Sprinkle with soil or peat. The distance between the holes is made according to the pattern 60x60 cm or 70x70 cm.
2. The holes are watered with warm water and covered with film or glass - creating a mini-greenhouse.
3. After the appearance of 2 true leaves, thinning is carried out, leaving 2 seedlings in the hole. The torn seedlings are used for replanting in empty or new holes. Repeated thinning is carried out after a week. There should be one seedling left in the hole.
4. After this, the seedlings are spudded, watered well, and fertilized with an organic infusion of cow or chicken droppings. Further care is the same as for ordinary seedlings.

Predecessors

The variety feels great on the ground after onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and legumes. Cruciferous vegetables - radishes, arugula, radishes - have a bad effect on cabbage.

On a note! Cabbage is grown in one place for no more than 2-3 years in a row, then the planting location is changed.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Seeds for seedlings are planted in prepared containers in late March - early April:

1. Make shallow holes (1-2 cm) in the soil, sow the seeds and sprinkle them on top. The distance between crops is 5-7 cm.
2. The container is left on a lighted windowsill in a room with an air temperature of +20...+24°C.
3. After the first shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to +15°C during the day and +10°C at night.

In order for the seedlings to grow strong, with a good root system, they are planted in separate peat pots or cassettes according to a 3x3 cm pattern.

The seedlings are transferred to open ground after 30-40 days (late May - early June):

1. Make holes 7-10 cm deep and water well.
2. Place the seedlings in them so that the roots are in the water.
3. After 10-15 minutes, fill the holes with soil, lightly pressing the seedlings inward.

Planted according to the scheme 60x60 cm or 70x70 cm.

Dobrovodskaya cabbage requires a lot of space on a plot of land , the distance between rows is 60-70 cm.

Interesting things on the site:

The best varieties of cabbage for pickling and storing for the winter

The best Dutch varieties and hybrids of white cabbage

Late-ripening hybrids of white cabbage

Of course, you will have to wait longer for this cabbage to harvest than others, but its heads will be stored until spring.

Guarantor F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 130-140 days. The rosette of leaves is vertical. The leaves are gray-green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, vesicular, slightly wavy along the edge. The head is oval, very dense, weighing 2.5-3.5 kg, yellowish when cut. The taste is excellent. Recommended for fresh consumption. Guarantor F1 is one of the best hybrids for long-term (up to 8-9 months) storage.

Duchess F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 130-140 days. The rosette of leaves is vertical. The leaves are gray-green, with a strong waxy coating, vesicular, slightly wavy along the edge. The head of cabbage is round, very dense, weighing 2.0-3.0 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Recommended for fresh consumption. Duchess F1 is one of the best hybrids for long-term (up to 7-8 months) storage.

Idyll F1

The period from planting seedlings to harvesting is 130-140 days. The rosette of leaves is raised. The leaves are gray-green, with a waxy coating of medium intensity, vesicular, slightly wavy along the edge. The head of cabbage is round, very dense, weighing 2.5-3.5 kg, whitish when cut. The taste is excellent. Idyll F1 is recommended for fresh consumption and long-term storage.

Reviews about culture

The originator provides little information about his hybrid. People also do not yet have widespread practice of growing Pudovaya F1 cabbage. This is evidenced by the almost complete absence of reviews about it on thematic forums and in communities of gardeners. Svetlana Leshchenko from Tver region. showed her harvest in the photo. The woman noted the weight of the largest heads of cabbage - about 12 kg each.

There is no data yet on what cabbage looks like in the garden. There is also no information about the biochemical features of its composition. Judging by the characteristics, breeders allow the planting of this cabbage throughout the entire territory of the country suitable for farming.

Interesting facts about white cabbage

Cabbage is a very ancient vegetable. It began to be grown in the Stone Age, more than 5 thousand years ago. Here are some interesting facts about cabbage that you didn't know.

• Even ancient Egyptian doctors during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II drew attention to white cabbage as a medicinal plant.
• In medieval France, white cabbage was so highly valued for its healing properties that they even created a saying on this topic: “Ship cabbage takes away five sous from the doctor” (i.e., the payment for treatment).
• King Louis XIV of France gave his gardener a noble title and came up with a corresponding coat of arms for him, on which he ordered to depict three heads of cabbage with two intersecting shovels.
• In 1873, at the Vienna Vegetable Exhibition, Russian breeder Efim Grachev showed the audience an incomprehensible head of white cabbage with a diameter of 71 cm at that time.
• The record largest head of cabbage was grown in 2012 by American farmer Scott Robb. The weight of the head of cabbage was more than 62 kg.
• In 2015, in the city of Georgievsk, Stavropol Territory, on National Unity Day, the largest cabbage pie in Russia was baked. The weight of the pie was 665 kg, and its length was almost 59 meters.
• Also in 2015, a world record for making sauerkraut was set in the city of Veliky Novgorod. Ten chefs from one of the city’s restaurants fermented 2 tons of cabbage according to a traditional Russian recipe in 12 hours of work. The record was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

Many people love and eat cabbage with pleasure. Whatever dishes are prepared from it - cabbage soup, pies and casseroles - this vegetable has truly become a national treasure. To ensure that white cabbage is always on your menu, grow only the right varieties and hybrids recommended by professionals.

Plant care

Agrotechnical techniques for caring for Moscow late cabbage are practically no different from similar actions when growing ordinary white cabbage.

Watering and fertilizing

This vegetable, being a moisture-loving crop, requires regular and abundant watering. This is especially true in September, when the active accumulation of fork mass occurs. But at the same time, you should avoid the sprinkling method, in which water entering the plant provokes cracking of the forks. Drip irrigation is most favorable under these conditions.

Large heads of cabbage of this variety require, in addition to sufficient moisture, increased feeding with fertilizers for their development. When planting seedlings in the soil, up to 40 g of urea and the same amount of nitrophoska are added to the hole; in addition, wood ash is added to the soil at the rate of 1 liter per square meter. m. In the summer and at the very beginning of autumn, the plant is fed with potassium sulfate and monophosphate in an amount of up to 20 g per square meter. m. Fertilizing is carried out during watering, dissolving fertilizers in water, in three doses with an interval of ten days. In addition, during the season, at intervals of 2 weeks, fertilizing is carried out using an infusion of mullein or bird droppings at the rate of 1 liter per 1 square meter.

Important! Approximately from the second ten days of September, fertilizing and watering cabbage must be stopped.

Loosening and hilling the soil

To ensure that the crust that forms on the soil after each watering does not interfere with the access of oxygen to the root system, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the plant after watering or rain. The frequency of loosening can be significantly reduced if you mulch the soil with hay, straw and rotted sawdust. However, this technique does not eliminate the need for hilling.

As already mentioned, this cabbage variety has a rather high stalk, which may not support the weight of the head of cabbage, so during the season you have to rake the soil to the forks at least 3 times. For the first time, this operation is carried out a month after planting the seedlings in the soil. Then they monitor the growth rate of the stump, and when the stump rises a few centimeters above the ground, hilling is carried out.

Diseases and pests

Preventative measures taken in a timely manner will prevent the gardener from unpleasant surprises.

Table: main diseases and pests of cabbage

Photo gallery: signs of diseases and pests of cabbage