The content of the article:
Cabbage Calais is a full-fledged product of dietary and vegetarian food that can saturate with vitamins and easily digestible protein a daily menu and decorate your garden area with your appearance. Known still under the names of "browncock" and "grunkkol" cabbage Kale is unpretentious in growing, because it is resistant to frost (up to -6C) and pests. After learning about the useful properties of cabbage Kale, you should definitely try to grow it in your garden.
Types of cabbage Calais
The main distinctive feature of Kale cabbage is that its green or purple fimbriated leaves do not form heads, which is why this sort of cabbage is often mistaken for lettuce leaves.
But, nevertheless, the cabbage Kale has many kinds:
- Curly cabbage is the most popular type of cabbage Kale. It has a softer and sweet taste compared to other species. As its name implies, its leaves are very curly and wrinkled.
- Tuscan cabbage - has thin oblong leaves with a wrinkled structure.
- Premier cabbage is a fast-growing frost-resistant species.
- Siberian cabbage - resistant to pests and low temperatures.
- Red Russian - from the Siberian one has expressive red sinuous leaves.
- Cabbage Redbor F1- is red or dark purple, which is why it is often used to color the dishes.
- Cane - can grow to a height of, m. It is characterized by a thick stalk, which can be used as a cane.
Whatever the form of cabbage Kale, it is better to eat its leaves in raw form, adding it to salads with tomatoes, basil and young garlic, because in this case all useful substances will be preserved. If the leaves are a bit harsh, then they are stewed, steamed or added to soups.
Useful properties of cabbage Calais
Because of its decorative appearance, curly cabbage Kale often used as a festive decoration of the dish, rather than eat. And in vain, because, being the closest relative of wild cabbage, Calais retained a large number of vitamins and trace elements. The unique composition of biologically valuable substances and the extremely useful properties of Kale cabbage raise it above all green leafy vegetables, the use of which for the organism is truly invaluable.
Let's consider the most useful properties of cabbage Kale, for which sake it is worth growing:
- Helps to eliminate the calcium deficiency in the body, because in 1 g of Kale cabbage contains up to, 5 mg of calcium, while in 1 g of cow's milk - only 3 mg. At the same time it is proved that calcium from cabbage cabbage is assimilated by 25% better than from milk. And if you consider that some people suffer from intolerance to milk protein, then Kale cabbage can be considered an indispensable source of calcium for the human body.
- Cabbage Kale can successfully replace meat, because in its 200 grams it contains a daily dose protein, which, like meat, contains 18 amino acids, for which it was awarded the title of "new beef ". That's just from the cabbage Kale amino acids are extracted much easier!
- A great tool for the prevention of vision. Kale is considered a queen of carotenoids, since one cup of cabbage contains 200% of the daily dose of vitamin A.
- The high content of vitamin C makes Kale cabbage a good natural antioxidant.
- Due to the high concentration of essential fatty acids Omega-3 and substances such as sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, Kale cabbage is used to prevent the formation of cancerous tumors.
- Helps in the fight against obesity, because the calorie content of cabbage Kale is only 50 kcal / 100 grams, but it also saturates the body with many useful substances. For this, she takes an honorable place in dietary and vegetarian food.
- Saves lives for those who have a problem of the presence of excess elemental calcium in the body, because the regulator of calcium is magnesium, which in the cabbage Kale is a lot.
In addition to the nutrients listed above, Kale in large quantities contains vitamins B, K, PP, and from trace elements - potassium, sodium and phosphorus.
Cultivation of cabbage Calais
Since cabbage Kale does not tolerate the transplant, most often it is grown directly from seeds planted in the open ground. Being a cold-resistant and unpretentious plant, Kale cabbage will be pleased with an excellent taste and yield, if the cultivation is to comply with the optimal conditions for it.
Planting seeds in the open ground:
- Cabbage Calais feels well in the fertile soil in which it was grown well-fertilized legumes, potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes. Since autumn, a well decomposed humus or compost (3-4 kg per 1 m2) and mineral fertilizers (up to 100 g per 1 sq. M.) Need to be introduced into the soil.
- The most favorable soil is with pH from, to,. To raise the pH, use acidic compost, to lower - the soil is mixed with granular sulfur.
- Under the beds choose a sunny part or penumbra.
- Plant Kale cabbage seeds in the open ground in April, when the soil temperature is not less than +4 - + 5C. But no later than 10 weeks before the first autumn frosts.
- Distance between seedlings should not be less than 45 cm.
- Before planting seeds in the hole make humus.
- In each hole to a depth of, cm are sown to 4 seeds, which are sprinkled with earth, watered and covered with glass or film.
- After 4-5 days after sowing seeds, the covering material is removed and the emerged shoots are broken so that one sturdy stem remains.
Transfer of cabbage Kale to the garden:
- To grow seedlings, pots of 40 cm square are used.
- Fertilize the soil with organic fertilizers or compost.
- Plant Kale cabbage seeds in pots 5-7 weeks before the last spring frost.
- Transplant seedlings can be done when it reaches a height of 8-10 cm and on it will form 4 developed leaves. This requires 4-6 weeks after planting indoors.
- Before transplanting in the garden in the area under the planting of seedlings, fertilizers are introduced.
- The seedlings are carefully removed from the pots, so as not to damage the root system.
- The pit in the ground is made so deep that the soil reaches the first leaves of the seedling. The distance between the seedlings is maintained at least 45 cm.
- The seedlings are planted in the holes perpendicularly and sprinkled with soil.
- Thoroughly watered.
Care:
- Fertilize cabbage Calais is recommended every 6-8 weeks.
- Watering should be carried out constantly as the top layer of soil dries up.
- To prevent decay and discoloration of the leaves, mulch the soil. But you need to make sure that the plant has reached a height of 15 cm.
- Discolored or wilted leaves should be removed immediately, so as not to provoke an attack of harmful insects.
Collection:
- Depending on the type of cabbage, Calais are harvested on the 70-95 day after sowing or 55-75 days after transplanting the seedlings.
- Collect the leaves, suitable for food, it is possible when the plant reached 20 cm in height.
- The first to tear off the outer leaves.
- To collect the plant completely, it is cut at a height of 5 cm from the soil surface. Then new leaves will begin to form on the left stem.
- The leaves need to be collected as they mature, otherwise they will become stiff and bitter with time.
If you follow these recommendations, the taste of cabbage Calais grown at home will be tender and sweet, and the leaves on the structure are soft.
In the fridge fresh cabbage Kale can be stored for up to one week, but it is even better to freeze it, because the taste of Kale from this becomes even sweeter. Thus, you can provide your family with a vitaminized and protein-rich diet until the next harvest.
