Thanks to its excellent taste and crispy greens, white cabbage is one of the favorite vegetables on our table. Growing it in open ground is quite simple; the technology for growing white cabbage is within the power of even a novice summer resident. To obtain a significant harvest of cabbage, you should feed the soil in the fall.
Optimal soil structure for growing cabbage
One of the most important activities is soil cultivation. Processing methods are the subject of much heated debate. Some consider the old-fashioned system with reservoir turnover to be correct. Others call it, no less, a crime against the land-nurse. They cite the example of the American aborigines, who grew corn and potatoes using only a digging stick and a hoe. To understand what's what, you need to know what properties the land on our site has, and what we would like to make it. Plants, as we know, have different needs, but most vegetables perform best in light, nutritious soils with good structure (plenty of pores that retain water and oxygen, with particles that absorb and retain nutrients), slightly acidic or similar to a neutral reaction (pH from 6 to 7). This is ideal, but in practice it is not so easy to achieve.
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Cabbage grows by yeast - folk methods
Many summer residents prefer to do without chemical fertilizers, considering them extremely harmful to the body, and successfully use the following options for feeding cabbage:
- Boric acid. Pour a teaspoon of powder into a glass of boiling water and stir thoroughly. This mixture is poured into a 10-liter bucket of cool water. The resulting solution is sprayed onto the leaves.
The procedure is carried out in the first ten days of July and is aimed at stimulating leaf growth.
- Brewer's yeast. One pack of raw compressed yeast (100 g) is dissolved in a bucket of lukewarm water and watered over the plants. For watering, you need to choose a warm, sunny day so that the soil warms up well. The procedure itself is carried out in the late afternoon. Feeding is carried out no more than twice during the summer, with an interval of a month (mid-July and mid-August).
Yeast absorbs calcium from the soil, so after 1-2 days, add wood ash to the plants or water them with the appropriate infusion. Yeast can also be fed to seedlings, but then its concentration must be halved.
- Baking soda. Watering the ripening heads of cabbage from a watering can with soda solution is carried out in early September. A bucket of water will require 20 g of powder.
It is believed that soda prevents cabbage heads from cracking in garden beds and during storage.
- Nettle. A completely acceptable alternative to manure in its absence. The younger the plants, the more effective the infusion. The available container (barrel, bucket) is filled halfway with nettles and filled to the brim with warm water. Then close it tightly and wait 3-4 days. The finished infusion is filtered, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and watered over the cabbage.
Nettle infusion can replace all four recommended supplements.
- Ammonia. It contains ammonia, which means nitrogen. The main thing is to avoid burning the leaves of the plants, pour the prepared mixture right to the roots. You need no more than 3 tablespoons per bucket of water.
The solution is suitable for the first feeding in all varieties or for the first and second feeding in mid- and late-ripening varieties.
- Banana peel. Banana fruits contain potassium. There is even more of it in the peel, so it replaces any potash fertilizers. The peel is dried, crushed and left for 3-4 days, filled with water (1 peel per 1 liter of water). The infusion is filtered and watered over the cabbage beds.
Sometimes freshly peeled banana skins are simply placed at the bottom of the hole when planting cabbage.
- Fresh fish . The method is rational, but dubious at best. Of course, everyone knows that fish is a source of phosphorus. But not everyone will decide to dump fish waste on their beds. Firstly, your garden will become the object of increased attention from all the neighbors (and not only) cats, and secondly, imagine the characteristic “aroma”, especially in hot weather. As a last resort, you can try burying small fish such as sprat into the holes when planting.
- Jam and yeast. Pour 9 liters of water into a 10-liter glass bottle, add 0.5 liters of sour or simply unnecessary jam and 300 g of pressed yeast (or 3 bags of dry) and put it in a dark place for 7-10 days. After this period, a glass of the contents of the bottle is stirred in a bucket of water and watered or sprayed on the cabbage. The procedure is carried out every 7–12 days, depending on how intense the rains are.
It is believed that this feeding will help the leaves develop and the formation of large and strong heads of cabbage.
- Eggshell . It is a source of calcium and an alternative to slaked lime, which neutralizes high acidity of the soil. Fresh egg shells are dried for 3–5 days, crushed in a coffee grinder and stored in paper bags or cardboard boxes. When planting, pour about a handful into the hole.
- Potato . Peeled and chopped into small pieces or grated potatoes are placed in the hole when planting (one small potato at a time). Of course, it contains the microelements necessary for cabbage, which nourish the soil during decomposition, but it is worth knowing that such fertilizer can attract pests, primarily wireworms and slugs.
I have been using yeast feeding for over 30 years and watering all my plants.
Lyudmila https://moysadogorod.com/udobreniya/podkormki-drozhzhami-rastenij-opyt-ogorodnikov
A resident of Kamchatka, M. Gileva, does this: on the river bank she collects rotting chum salmon carcasses after extracting the eggs, puts them in a barrel, and after a few days, right in the greenhouse, she smears what happened on the ground in the beds.
Veh07 https://www.liveinternet.ru/users/4431465/post246203013/
I fed it with microelements and boric acid. Ammonia is the same nitrogen, only it is better not to apply it under the plant, but into the ground.
Sergey https://otvet.mail.ru/question/73991260
Is it necessary to dig up the soil for cabbage in the fall?
Autumn digging is not useful for all types of soil. On sandy crumbly soil it does not have a positive effect, but on heavy clay soil it is extremely useful.
Digging improves the structure of clay soil. Pores, air voids, where oxygen penetrates, are formed in it. It is very important for root respiration and nutrient absorption by plants. With a lack of oxygen, nutrients become inaccessible to plants, and plant productivity decreases.
Autumn digging of the soil reduces the infestation of the garden with pests and diseases. It destroys the passages and nests of pests, opening access to cold air. Lumps turned out to the surface freeze better, this contributes to their partial disinfection. Digging reduces the number of annual weeds. Small seedlings of weeds easily die after digging, which will make it easier for you to weed next season.
Snow moisture is used rationally. More snow accumulates on the lumpy surface of the bed after digging. At the same time, when the snow melts, the water does not flow down the sides, but enters the pores and wells formed after digging and is absorbed deep into the soil. Dig the beds to a depth of approximately 15-20 cm, turning the clumps over if possible so that the weed seedlings are at the bottom.
Transplanting
A week before planting in the ground, the seedlings stop being watered, but immediately before planting they are watered very generously so that the soil becomes soft and allows roots to easily pass through. Plant cauliflower in holes according to the pattern 60x35 cm or 70x30 cm.
- 1-2 liters of water are poured into the prepared planting hole.
- Lower the plant and cover it with soil up to the apical bud.
- They compress and compact the soil well.
- Water the top again and sprinkle with dry soil, peat or humus.
On the same day, it is very useful to dust the seedlings with tobacco dust. Before this, the plants need to be sprinkled with a little water.
Sowing green manure in the fall for planting cabbage
If green manure (phacelia, oats, peas) were sown on the site in June - July, and by September they had gained color, then it’s time to mow and dig them up. This procedure will be equivalent to applying nitrogen at a dose of 300 t/ha. The budding phase is the peak accumulation of beneficial nutrients in green manure crops. Also, green manure should not be allowed to be inseminated, otherwise next year they will germinate as weeds.
In September you can sow winter rye, oats, vetch and rapeseed. These green manures are no longer mowed, but left to winter. Plants left for the winter, in addition to the main beneficial properties inherent in specific green manure crops, also have other advantages:
- contribute to the retention of snow cover on the soil surface;
- protect nutrients in the soil from being washed out by melt water;
- form living mulch and protect the soil from freezing.
What types and varieties of cabbage are frost-resistant
It is generally accepted that absolutely all types and varieties of cabbage are adapted to low temperatures and are excellent for planting before winter. However, it is recommended to take into account two points:
- choose mid- and late-ripening varieties;
- double the seed rate.
Early cabbage varieties are more suitable for spring planting.
Seed selection
There are a huge number of cabbage varieties known. They all differ in appearance and taste. The most popular varieties:
- Red-pumped.
- White pumped.
- Beijing.
- Savoy.
- Colored.
- Broccoli.
- Kale.
- Pak-choi.
Choose the type that suits you or plant several at once. Please note that early ripening cabbage can only be planted in spring. It is very tender and will not withstand winter frosts. Late and mid-ripening varieties are suitable for sowing for the winter.
Applying mineral fertilizers to the soil in autumn for cabbage
If fussing with manure is not for you, then you can use ready-made mineral fertilizers, the packaging of which usually provides full information about the required quantity and method of use. The products should be scattered evenly throughout the garden and then dug up. The main nuance when applying autumn fertilizing is that it should contain a minimum of nitrogen. It is very convenient to use special complex fertilizers prepared just for the autumn period. They will be called that way, for example, “Autumn”, etc. They have a balanced content of phosphorus, calcium and potassium and virtually no nitrogen. In addition, you can immediately select fertilizer for a specific type of plant in the store.
Types of fertilizers
Depending on the stage of development, cabbage needs different nutrients. During the first time after emergence, seedlings require nitrogen for active growth . When the leaves begin to form into heads, the role of phosphorus increases, and potassium significantly increases the crop's resistance to diseases. Therefore, each fertilizer application procedure is selected taking into account the solution of specific problems.
Mineral preparations act quickly and harshly, but due to their high concentration they do not require large volumes. Organic matter acts more gently and slowly, is applied in large volumes, but also enriches the soil for a longer period.
Organic
This type of fertilizer is a waste product of plants and living organisms. Since these are natural elements of the ecological system, they are added constantly, without waiting for signs of nutrient deficiency to appear.
Organics include:
- sawdust and tree bark;
- bird droppings and manure;
- composts.
As organic matter decomposes, it releases minerals and elements that plants need for photosynthesis. Organic matter has a positive effect on the air and water nutrition of plants, creating a beneficial environment for the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms and bacteria that form a symbiosis with the root system of cabbage.
Important! In order for organic substances to work most effectively, they are made into fine powder or used only in fermented, rotted form.
Manure and bird droppings are most often used for liquid feeding. Nitrogen compounds evaporate from the fermented infusion, so the working solution is enriched with ammonium sulfate (10–20 g per 10 l).
Compost is a rotted mixture of turf and organic waste (sawdust, weeds, fallen leaves), upon receipt of which the unnecessary is disposed of and a multi-component fertilizer with a rich composition is created.
Mineral
These substances quickly and easily give a positive effect. Mineral salts contain all the elements necessary for plant growth. Depending on the stage of cabbage development, fertilizers with a simple composition or complex ones containing several components are chosen.
Types of mineral fertilizers:
- nitrogen: ammonium nitrate, urea;
- phosphorus: superphosphate, phosphate rock;
- potassium: potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium;
- complex: ammophos, potassium nitrate, nitrophoska.
When choosing a fertilizer, be sure to take into account the condition of the soil and the climatic characteristics of the region.
Important! Unlike organics, when working with chemicals, they protect open areas of the body and respiratory tract from accidental contact with the working solution.
Adding compost to the ground under cabbage in the fall
Humus is most loved by all nightshades, onions, and cabbage. Adding compost is a must to maintain a high level of soil fertility. The compost mixture achieves improved aeration by attracting earthworms and other natural cultivators. In addition, compost contains a large amount of nutrients that are necessary for the growth and development of plants. With the help of digging, it is possible to quickly create a system of vertical passages as the most convenient for root crops. Compost made from undecomposed hard stems of perennial flowers is especially suitable for this.
Rules for fertilizing
The composition of fertilizers and their quantity directly depends on the type of cabbage (early or late), and the type of soil and the phase of plant development also matter. There are some rules that need to be followed.
- We feed so that there is a balance of nutrients, and there should be no shortage or excess.
- Before feeding the roots, be sure to water the cabbage with warm water. This way there will be no burn to the roots.
- Cabbage planted in a garden bed, which was prepared according to all the rules in the fall, does not need to be fed (especially early cabbage).
- On sandy soils, cabbage needs to be fed more often than on heavy soils.
- Be sure to combine root feeding with loosening the soil.
- We spray cabbage exclusively in the morning or evening hours.
- We feed early cabbage 2 - 3 times, and late cabbage 4 - 5 times.
Good luck to you!
Preparing the soil for cabbage
preparation of the soil for cabbage is very important for obtaining a good cabbage harvest .
Cabbage is one of the most cold-resistant vegetable plants. It begins to grow at a temperature of 2-3 degrees Celsius, in the spring it tolerates frosts up to 7-8 degrees, and even higher in the fall. The best temperature for growth is 14-16 degrees. Cabbage plants require moisture and belong to the “long day” group (with the exception of Chinese cabbage).
It is better to place cabbage in areas with low relief (especially in floodplains) and with fertile soils - alluvial (silt), loamy, black earth, peaty (cultivated). The best predecessors for cabbage are potatoes, root vegetables, cucumbers, peas, and tomatoes. You cannot grow cabbage after cruciferous vegetable plants.
Preparing the soil for cabbage . In autumn, the area should be dug up to a depth of 20-25 cm and left unloosened until winter. In spring, the area should be leveled with a rake. Before planting seedlings, the area is dug up to a depth of 3/4 of the main treatment in the fall and immediately leveled.
If the soil has not been tilled since the fall, in early spring the area is dug up to its full depth and immediately leveled with a rake. Moreover, the scientific literature indicates that heavy loamy soils, common in the Non-Black Earth Region, should not be dug up in the fall, as this delays their ripening in the spring. In the spring, after “ripening,” the soil is dug up to a depth of 15–18 cm. The readiness of the soil is determined as follows: from a depth of 15–18 cm, take a handful of soil, compress it into a lump and throw it onto the path from a height of 90–100 cm. If the lump crumbles upon impact , the soil is ready for digging or plowing. For mid-season and late varieties of cabbage, you should not rush to till the soil in spring, allowing weeds to sprout. Then rhizomatous weeds (sow thistle, milkweed, wheatgrass) are dug up and removed, and the area is dug up to destroy annual weeds.
The second time they dig to a depth of 3/4 of the main treatment immediately before planting the seedlings.
Fertilizers for cabbage . High yields of cabbage can be obtained only if fertilizers are applied when preparing the soil for cabbage . Cabbage grows well when organic fertilizers are applied. Per 10 m2 they add 40–60 kg of manure, 20–40 kg of peat and fecal matter, 60–80 kg of aerated peat, and 80–100 kg of garbage. On well-cultivated soils, cabbage can also be grown with the addition of mineral fertilizers: per 10 m2 of soil, 200-250 g of ammonium sulfate, 400-450 g of superphosphate, and 250-300 g of potassium salt are required.
Mineral fertilizers should be combined with organic ones, which increases the effect of using the latter, and also makes it possible to evenly distribute the applied mineral fertilizers in the soil and thus avoid their excessive accumulation in products.
Soil characteristics for cruciferous crops
The soil for cabbage should be slightly acidic or neutral, with a high organic content. If you plan to grow cabbage using seedlings, then you can purchase a ready-made mixture in specialized stores. But, knowing the preference of agriculture, you can prepare the land for cabbage yourself. To do this, take a mixture of turf and humus in a 1:1 ratio. In order to disinfect the soil layer, add wood ash in the amount of 1-1.5 cups per 1 m². In addition to disinfection, this fertilizer will add useful microelements to the soil for cabbage.
To prevent the cabbage head from cracking, the soil in which the crop grows must be moistened. You should water the cabbage so often that the soil does not become lumpy and dry out. The optimal option for watering red and white varieties is considered to be reusable, in small portions.
Drip irrigation of cabbage
But, for those summer residents who do not live all day in the country, this option is not acceptable. In most cases, drip irrigation is carried out for cabbage and the presence of water in the tank is monitored, from which irrigation starts. For proper development of cauliflower, watering should be done about 2 times a week. Otherwise, it will be too fine and watery.
Watering should be done in such a way that water does not stagnate deep in the soil. This can greatly damage the root system, triggering rotting processes. To do this, the crop is watered at the root.
Important! The water should not be too cold. It is best to warm it up in direct sunlight in a tank or use rainwater. Watering should be stopped 3 weeks before the cabbage is ripe.
After each watering, the soil under the crop needs to be loosened and hilled. This is done in order to increase moisture circulation and open air access to the root system.
Cabbage is a frost-resistant crop. But at temperatures not much above zero, it should be covered for some time at night with greenhouse film, and opened during the day. It is recommended to do this until sudden weather changes pass. This will help agriculture spend its energy not on fighting the cold, but on its comfortable development.
How to fertilize the soil for cabbage in the fall
The next gardening season has ended, the last harvest has been harvested, and the cabbage heads have been placed in storage. Cabbage is a tasty and healthy vegetable, which is why both experienced and novice gardeners plant it on their plots. Most people prefer white cabbage, but some also grow more exotic varieties - Savoy, Brussels sprouts, Peking cabbage and others. The choice of location and preparation of the soil for cabbage in the fall is very important for obtaining a good cabbage harvest.
How to choose a place for cabbage
Cabbage is suitable for light, fertile, well-lit areas protected from the wind. Acidic soil must be deoxidized, otherwise the cabbage will get clubroot. For deacidification, use dolomite flour; in addition to deacidification, it will enrich your soil with magnesium, and magnesium allows cabbage to accumulate more sugar, which only makes it tastier.
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Now about its predecessors: it is optimal to plant cabbage after potatoes, onions, garlic and cucumbers. It is permissible after any legumes, but then the soil needs to be enriched with organic fertilizers. Cabbage cannot be grown after cruciferous vegetables - radishes, radishes, arugula. Cabbage cannot be grown after cabbage either, or rather, it is possible, but only after three years.
To dig or not to dig a cabbage garden in the fall
- the need to introduce lime materials and organic fertilizers with a low degree of decomposition, including green manure;
- high infestation of perennial weeds;
- heavy, compacted soils;
- abundance of wintering pests;
- the need for snow retention;
- humid climate with long springs, slow warming and ripening of the soil.
- sloping area;
- area prone to flooding;
- light soils susceptible to erosion.
Autumn tillage for the prevention of diseases and pests of cabbage
The beds must be cleared of large weeds, dry tops, fruits and other debris. It is best to begin autumn tillage at the same time as harvesting or as soon as possible after it. Don’t put it off for long: spores of pathogenic fungi ripen on rotting plant debris, infecting the soil and preparing for a successful wintering. This is facilitated by rain, and in clear weather - fog and night dew.
Popular articles on gardening often write that tomato tops and other plant waste showing signs of infection should not be composted, but burned. But this is not necessary: deep within the compost there are no suitable conditions for the development of pathogens; mature compost is safe for garden plants.
Mineral autumn fertilizers for cabbage
Organic fertilizers work very effectively together with mineral ones. In autumn, it is best to apply phosphorus fertilizers (superphosphates, bone meal). They are insoluble and are not washed away by spring melt waters. Double superphosphate is applied in a dosage of 50-60 g/m2. m. Fertilizer application can be combined with digging. To improve the structure of heavy soil, peat and sand are added.
In the fall, you can apply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers separately, but it is more convenient to use balanced autumn mineral complexes - almost every fertilizer manufacturer has them in stock.
Sowing green manure in autumn under cabbage
Green manure is cheap, simple and environmentally friendly. Many gardeners use green manure plants because this purpose is justified; a cheaper and more environmentally friendly fertilizer simply cannot be found. They are usually planted at the end of summer in the vacated areas after harvesting. With subsequent sealing - digging in the fall.
The best green manure plants:
- grain crops (rye, wheat, oats);
- legumes (peas, beans, soybeans);
- clover;
- mustard;
- marigolds and some other annual flowers.
Winter wheat is often planted in the fall as green manure, and in the spring, before preparing garden beds for planting seedlings or seed, it is simply plowed with one shovel. As a fertilizer, green manure begins to work in the second year, and its peak effectiveness comes in the third year. The mechanism of action is generally the same as that of compost. Of the minuses: pests and pathogenic fungi can settle in such a “cushion”. It is known for sure that if there is a mole cricket pest in your region, then it will definitely spend the winter in such a shelter, and in the spring it will be provided with an excellent food supply. The same goes for small rodents. Therefore, this method should be treated with caution.
