Cabbage( broccoli and cauliflower) - one of the most favorite vegetable crops gardeners. At any dacha, you can certainly find a bed of good, good cabbage. It is necessary to grow it in an open ground only from seedlings, but the seedlings themselves need to be grown - it is quite difficult. The seedling is 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?
Table of contents
- The most common reasons why cabbage can outgrow
- Sowing time
- Lighting
- Temperature mode
- Food and feeding
- What to do and how to save the stretched and overgrown seedlings?
The most common reasons why cabbage can outgrow
Growing cabbage in the open field with 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.
Sprouted cabbage seedlings The most important causes of abnormal growth are:
- failure to observe the time for sowing seeds and planting in the ground;
- lack of sunlight and the lack of additional lighting;
- non-compliance with the temperature during growth;
- nutrient deficiency in the soil.
Sowing dates
It is very important not to overdo the seedlings, to land in open ground in time. It depends on the climatic and weather conditions of each individual region, as well as the cabbage varieties( early, mid-season or late), the approximate dates vary from late April to late May.
Having determined the exact date of planting, it is possible to calculate the time of sowing of seeds, taking into account that 10 days pass from this point to crop emergence( 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 also requires a lot of light .With a short daylight or low light in the room, the shoots begin to reach for the light, becoming thin, pale, frail and weak.
Stretched cabbage seedlings at home Long daylight hours contribute to the rapid growth and 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 Mode
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 sheet 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.
Food and feed
Cabbage throughout the entire period of ripening is very demanding and sensitive to feeding. First of all, it is necessary to correctly make up 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 cruciferous crops( cabbage, radishes);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;
- on a bucket of this mixture add 100 g of sand( well washed), 1 tablespoon of wood ash( as an antiseptic), superphosphate, dry chicken manure.
Planting a sapling of cabbage Already in the period of the appearance of the first 2-3 leaflets, the seedlings need to be fed again. One cup of chicken droppings and ashes are diluted in 10 liters of water and sprouts are watered, but excess moisture cannot be allowed. The next feeding is during the picking, i.e.transplanting in separate pots( cups).
At the same time, the seedlings are pinned - the taproot is 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.
Care for the seedlings of cabbage What to do and how to save the stretched and overgrown seedlings?
If, however, you did not keep track, and the seedlings stretched noticeably, urgently needs to be transplanted into separate containers or( if time allows) into open ground, dropping as deep as possible into the ground( before 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. 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 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.
