Cabbage (broccoli and cauliflower) - one of the most favorite vegetable crops of gardeners. At any dacha, you can certainly find a bed of good, good cabbage. It is necessary to grow it in the open field only from seedlings, but the seedlings themselves need to be grown - it is quite difficult. Seedlings are very gentle and capricious, sensitive to growing conditions and can greatly outgrow. Just what is wrong - begins to stretch, sprouts become very thin, unsuitable for planting in the ground. What to do to save the sprouted seedlings? And why is this happening?
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The most common reasons why cabbage can outgrow
Growing cabbage in the open field with the help of seedlings is the best option, which allows you to get the harvest as early as possible and at the lowest cost. Moreover, without a seedling, it is practically impossible to grow a vegetable directly sowing seeds into the soil. Even in order to get good, strong seedlings for planting in advance, you need to work hard and follow the basic rules of agricultural technology. If you do not know some of the nuances, the cabbage will quickly become thin, faded, stretch up and not tie the heads.
The most important causes of abnormal growth are:
- non-compliance with the terms of sowing seeds and planting in the ground;
- lack of sunlight and lack of additional lighting;
- non-compliance with the temperature during growing;
- lack of nutrients in the soil.
Planting dates
It is very important not to overdo the seedlings, in time to land in open ground. It depends on the climatic and weather conditions of each individual region, as well as the variety of cabbage (early,mid-season or late), approximate dates vary from the end of April to the end of May.
Having determined the exact date of planting, it is possible to calculate the time of sowing the seeds, taking into account that from this moment to the shoot of the crops 10 days pass (plus or minus a couple of days). For development before planting in the soil should take about another 50-55 days. Thus, it is necessary to sow the seeds 60-65 days before the intended planting of the plants in the ground.
Lighting
Cabbage is not only a very light-loving plant, but even requires a lot of light.. With a short daylight or insufficient light in the room, the shoots begin to reach for the light, becoming thin, pale, frail and weak.
Long daylight promotes rapid growth and the formation of heads (heads). The normal day length is from 12 to 14 hours. It is clear that if the first shoots appeared in early March, natural light will not be enough. Therefore, in the morning and evening hours, additional lighting is recommended for 2-2.5 hours.
Temperature conditions
Unlike light, cabbage does not like heat, but does not tolerate heat at all. Cabbage at high temperatures in the room where it grows, begins to stretch and die.
After sowing seeds, containers are covered with a film and kept at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. As soon as the first shoots appear, the containers with the plant are transferred to a room with a temperature not higher than 8-10 degrees and kept in such conditions until the present first leaf appears. Then they can be returned to warmer conditions, put on the window, keep the temperature regime during the day + 15-18, at night - + 6-8 degrees.
Nutrition and feeding
Cabbage during the entire period of ripening is very demanding and sensitive to dressing. First of all, it is necessary to correctly compose the soil mixture for sowing seeds:
- sod land - 50%, you can buy land in the store or even take it from the garden, but not from under the cruciferous crops (cabbage, radish); Since these plants are susceptible to all kinds of diseases, the soil can also be contaminated; for fidelity it is better to ignite it in the oven and cool it;
- 50% of humus;
- add 100 g of sand (well washed), 1 tablespoon of wood ash (as an antiseptic), superphosphate, dry chicken manure to a bucket of such a mixture.
Already in the period of the appearance of the first 2-3 leaves, the seedlings need to be fed again. One cup of chicken manure and ash is diluted in 10 liters of water and sprouts are watered, but excess moisture cannot be allowed. The next feeding is during the pick, i.e. transplanting in separate pots (cups).
At the same time, the seedlings are pinned. - taproot shortened by 1/3. This slows down the development of plants, all forces are spent on restoring the root system, and the stem thickens, becomes more massive.
Observance of all these rules serves as an excellent preventive measure for pulling out seedlings.
What to do and how to save the stretched and overgrown seedlings?
If, however, you did not follow, and the seedlings stretched noticeably, it needs to be urgently transplanted into separate containers in separate containers or (if periods allow) into open ground, as deep as possible dropping into the ground (up to the first leaves). Reduce the temperature to 4 degrees. In this case, it is possible to make a pinching, by shortening the root by almost half, to limit watering. Sprouts will take shock and slow down for a long time in growth. After about three weeks, the root system will be restored, the sprouts will begin to grow again and you will need to apply fertilizer in small quantities.
Good lighting, low temperatures, limited watering and occasional fertilization will help the cabbage to recover.
According to experts, cabbage seedlings are the most demanding for proper care, and it is rather difficult to grow it. But based on the basic rules, it is quite possible to get a good planting material, and excellent harvest. On your table all year round there will be dishes from tasty and healthy cabbage.