How to grow Chinese cabbage at home?

It would seem that not so long ago Peking cabbage appeared in our supermarkets, we bought it with caution for salads, but it turned out that it can be boiled, stewed, pickled, even salted and fermented. We not only gladly included it in our diet, but also let it into our summer cottages. Chinese cabbage has ceased to be a culinary wonder, we grow it with success, getting two, sometimes three harvests per year.

Short description

Peking cabbage is a biennial cruciferous plant that is commonly grown as an annual. It can be leafy, semi-cabbage and cabbage. This vegetable forms a leaf rosette or, as we are more accustomed to seeing, a loose, elongated head of cabbage. It consists of delicate juicy, slightly corrugated leaves of a yellowish-green color with a wavy edge, in the middle of each there is a wide white vein, juicy to brittleness.

The healthy mineral and vitamin composition and the invariably delicate taste of the leaves, combined with a small amount of calories, immediately made this foreigner the prima of our salads. Peking cabbage consists of dietary fiber, protein and macroelements very necessary for our body: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus. It contains iron, zinc, manganese, iodine, fluorine, copper - trace elements that are easily absorbed and make us healthier. And a large amount of vitamins A, B, C, E, K can replace the multivitamin complex from the pharmacy bottle.

Thanks to this composition, with regular use, Chinese cabbage, with regular use, will relieve vitamin deficiency and anemia, reduce the possibility of ulcerative and oncological diseases, improve the cardiovascular system and liver, put nerves in order and normalize the amount of sugar in the blood. No wonder at home - in China - they believe that it prolongs life.

However, with increased acidity of gastric juice and with exacerbation of any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is better to refrain from using it. Although they are included in different diets for medical nutrition, it is not advisable to eat too much of it, however, like any cabbage.

Video "Growing cabbage"

In this video, experienced gardeners tell you how to properly grow this variety of cabbage.

Growing features

It is clear that with such an abundance of advantages, our summer residents could not remain indifferent to its cultivation.Moreover, it can be grown in open or protected ground quite easily even with a short summer. Short growing season, not capricious in nature - what more could you ask for? Peking cabbage grows best at temperatures from +15 to +20 degrees, if the temperature drops below +13 degrees, it will simply stop growing, and if it rises above +24 degrees, it will stop growing leaves, and immediately start up an arrow, in a hurry to get seeds. With such requirements, it is perfectly grown not only in the Middle Lane, but also in the Urals in the open field, and usually farmers and summer residents collect 2 crops each.

There are early varieties, they ripen 40 - 55 days after sowing, for example, "Orange Mandarin", "Vesnyanka", "Asten", "Sprinkin". They form heads of cabbage at about 1 kg in weight. Medium-ripe varieties ripen a little longer, about 60 days. The most famous among them are "Glass", "Bilko", "Vorozheya". They form larger heads of cabbage - up to 2-plus kilograms, and "Vorozheya" is famous for the fact that it practically does not shoot. Late varieties "Russian size" and "Nika" are famous for very large heads of cabbage, over 3 kg. They mature for up to 80 days, and withstand the fall in temperature. The mid-season "Lyubasha" variety is very popular, it is famous for its pleasant taste and that it is in no hurry to release an arrow.

Peking cabbage loves moisture, but when growing, no stagnant water should be allowed. It is quite capable of surviving a drop in air temperature to +3 degrees, seeds can sprout even at a temperature of +5 degrees, but at home it is better to create a temperature of + 20 or +22 degrees for them, and before the appearance of six real leaves, it is advisable to lengthen daylight hours with the help of lamps daylight up to 12 hours. And it is best to plant in open ground when the air temperature has steadily risen to +16 or even +18 degrees. This is especially true for early varieties.

Sowing

Most often, Chinese cabbage is grown by seedling, but it can be sown directly in the garden due to its short growing season. Before sowing, it is advisable to check the seeds for germination, this is easy to do: you just need to put a few seeds on a damp gauze, cover it with it and maintain moisture in room conditions. Good quality seeds will germinate in 3 or 5 days. If this does not happen, you should find others.

There is no need to process the seeds before sowing, just deepen them 1 or 1.5 cm into the soil, water. Since they do not like picking and replanting, it is best to use peat cups, in which the sprouts are then planted in open ground. The soil is composed like this - they take sod and peat in equal parts or mix humus with a coconut substrate.

2 - 3 seeds are placed in each cup, after 3 - 4 days they sprout, and then, after the appearance of the leaves, one of the strongest sprout is left. Until the emergence of shoots, it is better to keep them in a dark and warm place, water them so that the soil does not dry out. With the emergence of seedlings, they are transferred to the light. Usually sowing is done at the end of March or at the end of June for those varieties whose harvest they want to keep longer. A month after the emergence of sprouts, they are transplanted to the garden bed.

If you want to grow cabbage for salad at home, you can do it on the windowsill in just 1 month, you just need to buy Khibinskaya seeds.

How to care

This cabbage, like any other, grows well after cucumbers, carrots, garlic and onions. It is good if you first grow green manure in the garden prepared for her, and then plant her seedlings. She loves light neutral soils, since autumn the beds are fertilized with humus or compost, ash, which can be added to the holes and during planting. Seedlings are planted in the ground up to the very leaves, at a distance of 40 cm from each other. Early plantings can be closed for a week - another with non-woven fabric.This will save her not only from unwanted cold snaps, but also from the most unpleasant pest - a cruciferous flea.

2 weeks after planting, the seedlings are mulched to retain moisture and protect the planting from weeds. It is usually watered once a week, when the temperature rises - more often, it is important that moisture penetrates 20 cm into the ground. Chinese cabbage does not require special care; when grown, it is watered, fed, the soil around it is loosened, weeds are removed, and pests are protected - everything is the same as with any other type of cabbage.

It is imperative to loosen the ground after watering or rains so that an earthen crust does not form. They usually feed it 2 or 3 times per season, and the one that was planted later is fed less. To do this, use a solution of mullein (tenfold) or bird droppings (twentyfold), herbal infusions. For better formation of heads of cabbage, they are sprayed with a solution of boric acid.

Slugs, snails, and cruciferous fleas can damage crops if left unchecked. For prevention and control, wood ash is used - it is sprinkled (powdered) on the plantings and the earth around it, or it is watered with an ash solution. You can also use tobacco, mustard and hot peppers. The smells of tomatoes, garlic, onions, calendula, petunias scare away pests, they can be planted among cabbage. If necessary, use biopreparations "Fitoferm", "Bitoksibatsilin", if you resort to chemicals like "Aktara", then remember that they can be used no later than a month before harvesting.

Dense heads of cabbage are cut off, spring ones are eaten immediately, and summer ones can be put for long-term storage, they are wrapped with cling film and kept at a temperature not higher than +5 or + 7 degrees.

Video "Growing cabbage seedlings"

This video shows the basics of growing and the secrets of cabbage yield.

Peking cabbage appeared on the Russian market relatively recently, but has ceased to be exotic. Adherents of a healthy diet are happy to include it in their diet. In terms of composition, Beijing cabbage is in no way inferior to white cabbage, it contains a large amount of proteins, a whole set of vitamins and mineral salts. No wonder in the Celestial Empire it is considered a source of longevity. The main advantage of a vegetable is the ability to maintain its beneficial properties throughout the winter. Peking cabbage is delicious in any form: pickled, sauerkraut, salted and, of course, in vegetable salads. Delicate green leaves add spice and sophistication to each dish. It is especially indispensable in winter and early spring, when the human body is so in need of fresh greenery. This annual vegetable crop has a short growing season of no more than 2 months and can be grown all year round.

Is it possible to grow Chinese cabbage on a windowsill

Peking cabbage is easy to grow by yourself, and for this you do not need to have a summer cottage. A vegetable garden with vitamin greens can be arranged directly on a windowsill or a closed balcony. A window on the south side is quite suitable for a culture; it does not need additional lighting - even with a short winter day, it has enough light. She feels great in a room or on a loggia and yields a harvest in 25-30 days.

Peking cabbage can be grown on a windowsill even in winter - it does not need a long day of light

Moreover, green cabbage leaves can be obtained not only when grown from seeds. The used head of cabbage can give a start for a new harvest. For this, the lower part of the head of cabbage is cut off by 5–7 cm and lowered into the water. Very quickly, roots and young leaves appear from the stump. Of course, the harvest will not be so plentiful and cabbage rolls are unlikely to be cooked, but for a salad or a sandwich, fresh herbs will be enough.

Peking cabbage stalks can be re-harvested by placing the used head in the ground or in a container with water.

Very often, purchased Peking cabbage is loaded with chemicals.Growing indoor greens will allow you to eat organic foods and support your weakened immune system during the winter months.

Video: we grow Peking cabbage from a stump

What varieties are suitable for growing at home

To grow Chinese cabbage on a windowsill, it is best to use early ripening leafy varieties with small rosettes, since a large area of ​​nutrition is needed to form full-fledged dense heads of cabbage.

The following varieties are suitable for home cultivation:

• The spring is an early ripening variety, yields a harvest in 28 days. Forms a rosette with a diameter of 20–35 cm, weighing 150–200 g. Light green leaves with a wrinkled surface, sourish in taste. The changes in the environment do not affect the plants - they easily tolerate a lack of light and a drop in temperature;

  Peking cabbage of the Rodnik variety has light green leaves, sourish in taste

• Vesnyanka is a leafy variety that has a short period of time - after the emergence of sprouts, it reaches ripeness in 25–35 days. The weight of the fruit is small - 250 g. The variety is valued for its high content of vitamin C and excellent taste characteristics of juicy delicate greens. Resistant to flowers;
• Khibinskaya is the precocious variety most often grown in the apartment. A cold-resistant lettuce plant is the earliest source of vitamins: in winter, already 20–35 days after sowing the seeds, an elongated cylindrical head of cabbage with a spreading rosette is formed. The tender, succulent leaves are mainly used for making salads;

  Khibinskaya cabbage - cold-resistant salad plant

• Semi-cabbage - a variety with a small rosette 25 cm high, weighing 40–100 g. Ripening periods vary depending on the season: in winter, a longer period of 58–70 days is required for the formation of the crop, in spring - only 30–40 days. Large, rounded leaves, narrow at the base, expanding at the top. They have a very delicate taste;
• TSKHA 2 is a mid-season variety. The plant is up to 45 cm high with large, elongated leaves, wavy at the edges. The leaves are collected in a rosette, forming a loose head of cabbage, white-yellow in section, weighing about 800 g;
• Lenok is an early ripening variety for salads, forms a rather dense rosette of leaves weighing up to 0.3 kg. The ripening period of the crop is only 39 days. The variety is stress-resistant, easily tolerates a lack of light, is practically not susceptible to disease.

Planting Chinese cabbage at home

The result of growing Peking cabbage depends on the quality of the soil, the correct sowing of seeds, compliance with the required temperature regime and further care.

Soil preparation

The culture prefers to grow on loose, fertile soil with neutral acidity. The best substrate for it will be a mixture of fertile soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1. If the land is taken from the garden, it must first be disinfected with a solution of manganese or Fitosporin (1 drop / 1 l). At high acidity it is necessary to add ash (1 tablespoon / 1 l).

Soil mixture for Chinese cabbage seeds can be prepared by yourself from turf, humus and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1

You can mix in equal parts soil, vermicompost and coconut substrate. The soil provides plants with mineral nutrition, biohumus contains additional nutrients, and the coconut substrate loosens the soil and accumulates moisture.

Peking cabbage grows very well in ready-made bio-soil, which is sold in garden stores. It is made on the basis of lowland peat with the addition of vermiculite and vermiculite. Contains all essential trace elements and accelerates plant growth. Such soil does not require additional disinfection.

Bio-soil is saturated with microelements and promotes intensive plant growth

Instead of a soil mixture, peat tablets are often used, which are compressed peat enriched with an antibacterial component, a growth stimulator and mineral fertilizers.The tablet has a shell that prevents it from scattering. Peat tablets, placed on a tray with water, swell and increase in height up to 8 cm. The seeds are laid out in a depression made in the center of the tablet.

Peat tablets contain nutritional supplements and are well suited for growing Chinese cabbage seedlings

When growing seedlings in peat tablets containing nutritional supplements, there is no need for additional fertilization and growth-accelerating preparations.

Choosing a container for growing

One of the best options for sowing cabbage is a 200 ml plastic cups. When grown in separate containers, there is no need to pick plants, during which delicate roots are often injured.

Plastic cups must have drainage holes for water drainage

Only as they grow, the seedlings are transplanted together with a lump of earth into larger pots with a volume of 1 liter and 3 liters. The cups should have drainage holes so that excess water does not accumulate. You can also use improvised material: cut plastic bottles, yogurt jars, milk cartons.

The grown cabbage from the glass is transplanted into a large container

It is also convenient to grow cabbage in cassettes, filling each cell with soil and sowing seeds in it. Such cassettes already have drainage holes and it is easy to remove plants from them for transplanting into a larger container.

As a container, ordinary seedling boxes are also suitable, which are placed on a pallet. More seedlings can be grown in boxes, but they must be dived. For Chinese cabbage, this process is quite painful, as it often leads to damage to the root system. The roots of Peking cabbage are thin and fragile, break easily, which leads to a growth retardation of seedlings.

More seedlings can be grown in seedling boxes, but then they will need to be dived

Sowing seeds

Peking cabbage seeds are not soaked before sowing. They are sown into moist soil in rows to a depth of 5–10 mm with an interval of 4 cm, leaving 10 cm between rows. Sprinkle with soil, water and cover with foil. They are placed in a warm place (20-22 ° C), monitoring the soil moisture and opening the greenhouse every day to ventilate and remove condensation.

On the third day, seedlings appear. The film is removed and the seedlings are placed for 5 days in a cooler room with a temperature of + 10–12 ° C during the day and + 6–8 ° C at night. In the future, the optimal temperature regime for cabbage is provided: + 18–20 ° С in the daytime and + 14–18 ° С at night.

Peking cabbage seeds are not soaked before sowing.

This culture is hard to tolerate picking, so it is preferable to sow seeds not in a common container, but 3 seeds in each cell. The survival rate after picking is no more than 70%.

You can immediately sow seeds in separate pots. One seed is planted in a container with a volume of 1 liter, 3 seeds in the shape of a triangle are placed in a three-liter pot. When the upper layer of the substrate dries up, irrigate with warm, settled water, then carefully loosen the moist soil, providing air access to the roots.

Peking cabbage seeds are buried 1 cm in the soil

When the grown seedlings develop 2-3 true leaves, only one plant is left in the pot. Weak seedlings are not pulled out of the soil, so as not to accidentally touch the roots of the remaining plant, but pinch off.

Video: sowing Chinese cabbage for seedlings

Peking cabbage pick

If the seedlings were grown in a common box, with the appearance of 2 true leaves, they are dived into separate pots. Previously, the soil is well moistened and with the help of a spatula, the plants are removed from the glass along with an earthen lump. At the same time, the plant is held by the stalk. Seedlings are transplanted in larger containers filled with a nutrient mixture. Sprinkle with soil until the cotyledon leaves, compact and watered. At first, the transplanted seedlings are shaded from the sun's rays.

After the growth of two true leaves, the seedlings of Peking cabbage dive, transplanting them into separate cups

You can transplant seedlings into one large box, but between them you must leave at least 30 cm so that, growing, they do not interfere with each other.

Video: We dive seedlings of Chinese cabbage from a snail into glasses

Care features

Like any crop, Chinese cabbage needs good care. The moisture and nutrition regime is responsible for the harvest.

Watering

For active development of plants, it is necessary to create soil moisture of 80–85% and air moisture - 75%. For this, abundant, but infrequent watering is carried out, and then the room must be ventilated.

For all its love of moisture, Peking cabbage does not tolerate stagnant water, so watering should be abundant, but infrequent.

Cabbage loves moisture, but does not tolerate stagnant water, therefore, watering is carried out only after the top layer of the soil has dried. It is very important to constantly regularly monitor the soil moisture, since with a lack of moisture, the crop is poorly formed, and its excess often leads to the development of root rot.

Temperature regime

Peking cabbage is a cold-resistant plant, for seed germination a small plus temperature of +4 ° C is enough, but intensive growth and development occurs only at a temperature of + 15–22 ° C. At higher temperatures, cabbage turns into color, especially in conditions of long daylight hours. It is also undesirable to keep the seedlings in a cool room with a temperature of less than 10–12 ° C for a long time. A decrease in temperature even for 5 days leads to the formation of premature arrows.

At air temperatures above 22 ° C, Chinese cabbage may turn into color

Top dressing

Peking cabbage needs to be fed during the growing season. Fertilizers are applied by watering or spraying. It is advisable not to use minerals - cabbage accumulates nitrates very quickly. To accelerate the regrowth of leaves, it is recommended to use liquid vermicompost every 2 weeks. It is useful to sprinkle Peking cabbage with a solution of boric acid (dissolve 2 g in 1 liter of boiling water and add 9 liters of cold water).

During the growing season, Peking cabbage should be fed with liquid vermicompost every 2 weeks.

If there are no organic fertilizers, when the fifth true leaf appears, top dressing is carried out with a 1% solution of urea and potassium sulfate, after 10 days - again. After fertilization, the soil is well watered from a sprinkler so that the mineral composition does not get on the plants.

Treatment against pests and diseases

The main pests of cabbage are aphids and cruciferous flea beetles. In the fight against them, it is better to use herbal remedies: decoctions of chamomile, wormwood. Spraying with ash infusion (300 g / 10 l) will help get rid of insects. The ash solution will not only help to cope with pests, but also saturate the cabbage with potassium, which is so necessary for it in the formation of the crop. In the event of a massive invasion of pests, chemical agents with a gentle effect on the environment can be used: Fury (1 ml / 10 L), Bankol (0.7 g / 1 L).

To combat the cruciferous flea, you can spray the cabbage with ash infusion (300 g / 10 l of water)

Excessive soil moisture and sudden changes in temperature, thickened planting of plants can cause the appearance of a black leg in seedlings. To get rid of the disease, you can water the cabbage with a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate.

With improper watering and sudden changes in temperature, cabbage sprouts are often affected by a black leg

Excessive watering can provoke the development of a fungal infection - downy mildew. Stagnation of water in the soil and high air temperature contribute to the activation of the fungus - the causative agent of the disease. First, yellow or brown spots appear on the upper side of the leaf, then a grayish coating begins to quickly spread from the lower side. Therefore, at the first manifestations of the disease, cabbage should be treated with the biofungicide Fitosporin (3 g / 5 l).

Growing Chinese cabbage on a windowsill is not so difficult. Of course, you won't be able to get a big harvest in an apartment. But by surrounding the plants with care and creating comfortable conditions for them to grow actively, you can provide yourself and your family with vitamin greens in the winter.

Chinese cabbage (pak-choi, bok-choi, mustard), cultivated in China for more than 5 thousand years, is gradually entering the diets of the inhabitants of the middle lane. The plant attracts with delicate leaves that give a unique taste to salads. It is an early maturing and high-yielding crop. It is not surprising that many summer residents are concerned about the technology of growing and caring for Chinese cabbage.

Advantages and disadvantages of Chinese cabbage

The East Asian plant is a valuable vegetable for a healthy diet, due to the high content of various trace elements, vitamins that persist for a long time, ascorbic, citric, and folic acids. Insoluble fibers of the culture normalize bowel function. The low-calorie product is ideal for dietary nutrition, contains 13 kcal per 100 g.
Possesses excellent advantages for cultivation, among which are:

• Unique, pronounced taste, for which the plant was named mustard or celery.
• Early maturity. From sowing seeds to harvesting, it takes about 2 months, one month for seedling production.
• Unpretentiousness. Despite the fact that the culture is warm and light-loving, it perfectly adapts to any, even difficult conditions.
• Cold resistance, even tolerates temperatures down to -5.
• Resistance to pests and diseases. The plant contains essential oils that help repel pests.
• High productivity. If the technology is followed, 2-3 harvests per season can be removed, since the growing season of Pak-choy lasts 40-75 days.
• Has a long shelf life.

One of the disadvantages of a vegetable culture is that its leaves at the stage of full maturity are rough and it is necessary to use young plants for food, petioles (petiole is another name for a vegetable), which taste like spinach.

Characteristics of the main features of the vegetable

Like cauliflower, broccoli, the Chinese woman is a relative of the turnip, as well as Chinese cabbage, with which it is sometimes confused. The plant differs both in appearance and taste.
Main characteristics:

1. An annual, sometimes biennial plant, smaller in comparison with Chinese cabbage.
2. Leaves are elongated, light and dark green, rough, not pubescent, up to 30-40 cm long, collected in a rosette.
3. Rosette with a diameter of 20-30 cm.
4. The petioles are fleshy, thick, crunchy, surround a small bud and make up most of the head.
5. Heads of cabbage are absent in Chinese cabbage.
6. The root crop is formed in the second year of cultivation.
7. Flowers are yellow, small (1-2 cm in diameter), collected in a raceme.
8. The pods are 3-5 cm long.
9. Head diameter 5-10 cm.
10. Weight 200-250 g.

It is used for making soups, salads, frying, stewing. But it is best to cook salads from a mustard Chinese woman. Thus, the entire complex of vitamins is preserved.

Technology for growing cabbage from seeds

You can grow Chinese cabbage in the country in both seedling and non-seedling methods. It is possible to produce a plant based on a stump.
Sowing seeds directly into open ground is preferred. This is due to the fact that the root system of the plant is very delicate, and it does not tolerate transplantation. Observe the following planting rules:

• It is recommended to choose a place that is sunny, well protected from the wind, since the roots are very weak, the bush can be turned out of the ground.
• The vegetable should be planted in loose fertile soil rich in calcium. Add organic matter to the soil and 200 g per square meter of each additive:
  • ammonium nitrate,
  • calcium,
  • triple superphosphate,
  • potash fertilizers.
• Observe the rule of plant succession. Do not plant pak choy after any kind of cabbage or after a radish.As a cruciferous crop, it can only be planted in the same place after 4 years. After it, you can grow beets, spinach, salads. A Chinese woman will love the soil after onions or garlic.
• Optimal sowing time for harvesting two crops:
  • April - mid-May.
  • July to mid-August.
    Sowing in the past is not recommended as arrows with flowers may form.
  • During sowing, maintain a distance of 40x30 cm between holes, in the row spacing of 30-35 cm. Sow seeds to a depth of 1 cm.
    It is possible to plant in a tape manner, when sowing in 2-3 lines, making a distance of 20-30 cm between the lines, 50-60 cm between the tapes. The tapes are thinned out 2 times. When 1 leaf appears, sprouts are left after 8-10 cm, when the leaves are closed, they are thinned to 20-25 cm between the plants.
    When planting in a wide bed, put 3-4 seeds in the hole, make 25-30 cm between the holes and in the aisle. After the emergence of shoots, the weak will need to be removed, leaving one seedling.
  • Cover the garden bed with plastic wrap to protect the seeds from unpredictable spring weather.

Chinese cabbage shoots will appear in 3-10 days.

The specifics of growing cabbage seedlings

The seedling method is very attractive for gardeners, since the harvest is obtained after planting seedlings in open ground for 20-35 days. In addition, many summer residents have no other choice but to grow Chinese cabbage seedlings at home. Since Pak-choy does not tolerate transplanting, you need to sow seeds in peat pots, so that then, without diving, the seedlings can be placed on the garden bed directly in the pot without transferring.
In greenhouses, it is necessary to sow seeds in early February.
Seedlings for planting in open ground should have 4-5 true leaves.

Growing a Chinese woman from a stump

This, of course, is amazing, but you can really grow Chinese cabbage from a stump at home. To do this, you need to purchase a plant head with a thick stump in the store.
The leaves can be used for salad, and the thick bottom at least 5 cm high can be cut off. Then, when growing, follow the instructions:

1. Place the workpiece in a container of water and place in a cool place (not in the refrigerator). The plant will take several days for the roots to grow.
2. Transplant the Pak-choy carefully, so as not to damage the roots, into a pot with soil. The socket of the apex must be above the ground. After a while, the first leaves will appear, which are edible and edible.
3. Continuing growing seedlings, wait until the seedling gets stronger.
4. Water the plant until it's time to plant it in the ground.
   Watering should be stopped 3-4 days before transplanting.
5. When planting seedlings in the ground, be careful not to disturb the fine structure of the cabbage.

Features of caring for a vegetable crop

Caring for pak choy, as well as for all types of cabbage, consists of observing the temperature regime (if possible), watering, weeding, loosening, and protection from pests. Has some features that should be taken into account during cultivation:

1. When caring for cabbage, you should adhere to the optimal, comfortable temperature regime for it (it is easier to do this in a greenhouse, it is more difficult to do it outdoors). This temperature is not higher than + 22 and not lower than +15.
   Pak-choy easily withstands temperatures of 13-16 degrees at the beginning of development. Does not tolerate frost below -5 degrees.
   In warmer conditions, an arrow may appear with small yellow flowers with a narcissus scent. You can get seeds from such cabbage yourself. But a full-fledged cabbage will not work. Seeds can germinate at a temperature of about +4 degrees.
2. The flowering of the Chinese woman is also observed with late sowing and dry weather during the initial stage of cultivation.
3. Watering a foreigner is required abundantly, since she constantly needs water due to small thin roots, but moderately, after the soil dries out, so as not to cause the process of decay.
   Optimal watering once a day up to 20 liters of water per square meter. The plant loves warm watering, so it should be watered with warm water once a week.
4. Positively, the vegetable refers to feeding with organic fertilizer, humus. It should be fed three times a season with a 0.05% nitrogen solution: immediately after planting, during the formation of 5-7 leaves, during the tying of the head.
5. Weeding should be done carefully, not to damage small, poorly fixed roots. Make sure that the apical kidney is not covered with earth.
6. To avoid overheating of the culture in hot weather, cover with a cloth, erecting a canopy. Planting seedlings between the rows of cucumbers will save the beauty from the heat. Growing up, cucumbers will cover the Chinese woman from the direct rays of the sun.
7. You can treat cruciferous fleas with arsenic calcium in combination with 1:10 lime or sprinkle with ash until sprouts appear.
8. During the formation of the head of cabbage, the ends of the cabbage are tied with a rope.
9. After the first frost (up to -5 degrees), the pak-choy bushes can be dug up, watered well and dug in the basement in the wet sand.

It should be added that some summer residents grow both Chinese and Peking cabbage on the site at the same time. In order to avoid cross-pollination of two different species, plant them at some distance from each other.

Storage rules for Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage, taken for salads, is stored somewhat worse than Peking cabbage. In order to preserve its useful qualities for a longer time, it is necessary to separate the leaves from the stump, rinse them with running water, wrap them in a damp cloth and place them in the refrigerator in this form.
Growing Chinese cabbage in your garden, you will not only expand the list of crops you have mastered, but you will delight yourself and your loved ones with an invaluable dietary and medicinal product.

Cabbage is a vegetable from which you can make a lot of excellent salads. However, it is not only famous for its amazing taste, but also provides the body with useful substances and vitamins. Today there are a huge number of different varieties of vegetables, they are all simply saturated with vitamins and differ from each other in appearance. One of the most beneficial for the body is Peking cabbage, which in recent years has become more and more popular among culinary experts around the world.

What is Chinese cabbage

Peking cabbage is a biennial plant that is grown as annuals. Depending on the variety, it has light yellow or bright green leaves. This plant is a loose head of cabbage with juicy tender leaves that have a white vein. The edges of the leaves are beautifully wavy or jagged.

The peculiarity of the variety is that it does not have a stump. The head of cabbage of the plant is thrown into soup or pickled, and the leaves are used mainly for making salads. Asia is famous for pickled Peking cabbage. They call this dish kimchi and many believe that it prolongs life.

How Chinese cabbage grows

Feature and history of origin of the vegetable

Peking cabbage appeared in China several thousand years ago, then it came to Korea and Japan, and eventually spread to Asian countries. After a while, this vegetable became popular in Europe, as well as in our country.

Beneficial features

Why is Beijing becoming more and more popular? This plant is a source of nutrients and vitamins. The main advantage of the variety is that even in winter it does not lose its vitamins and benefits the body.

The most important useful substances that are included in its composition include:

• protein;
• mineral salts;
• vitamins C, A, K, PP, as well as a group of B vitamins;
• amino acids;
• organic acids.

In addition, "Peking" also has medicinal properties. It helps:

• with cardiovascular diseases;
• stomach ulcer;
• strengthens the immune system;
• prolongs the life of a person.

Very interesting is the fact that this vegetable contains lysine, which helps cleanse the blood and destroys foreign proteins.

Chinese cabbage kimchi

The right way to plant Chinese cabbage at home

What gardener does not dream to please himself and others with new achievements and grow Chinese cabbage at home.To grow this plant from seeds, you can plant them immediately in open ground, or you can grow seedlings first. Planting Chinese cabbage at home both in Belarus and the Moscow region and in the Urals and Siberia follows the same scheme.

The only difference is when to start sowing seeds and when the vegetable begins to bloom. If you decide to use the first method, then you should punch holes in the garden at a distance of 30 cm from each other and pour humus into them. Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 2 cm. They are sprinkled with ash on top and covered with a film. After a week, you will be able to see the first shoots.

Seed planting scheme

What to do and how to plant seeds in the country or in the garden to get a good harvest? It is necessary to choose the right sowing time. The term for planting cabbage in the garden:

• in spring from and to April 20;
• in summer from July 19 to August 9.

Chinese cabbage seeds

Growing and caring for seedlings

If you want to get an early harvest, then "Peking" for seedlings should be sown at the end of March. And if you dream of enjoying the harvest in winter, then the seedlings should be planted in the second half of June.

Loose soil is suitable for this plant, therefore for sowing it is best to use a mixture of humus (1 kg) with coconut substrate (2 kg).

The seeds are immersed in the ground no more than 1 cm and placed in a dark and warm room. When the first shoots appear after 3 days, they should be transferred to a lighted place.

You need to take care of Chinese cabbage no more than ordinary white cabbage or cauliflower.

It is necessary to water the seedlings when the upper earthen lump dries out. However, 4 days before transplanting seedlings, watering is stopped.

In general, the sprouts will be ready for planting in a month, when they have 4 leaves each.

Seedling cabbage

Why is it not necessary to make a dive?

This plant does not like picking and takes root for a long time in a new place. Transplanting or planting seedlings while preserving the roots will not work. Accommodation in a new place will take a long time. Therefore, it is not recommended to dive it - it is better to initially sow it in separate containers or peat tablets.

When to plant outdoors

Before planting seedlings in open ground, it must be hardened. To do this, young sprouts are taken out into fresh air, first for a couple of hours, then the time spent outdoors is gradually increased. When they are able to spend a day on the street, then the seedlings will be ready for planting in a permanent place.

As for the soil for this vegetable, it should be well-drained and loose. Loamy soil is an excellent option. In addition, a plant of this variety should not be planted in the place where tomatoes and beets used to grow.

The soil for planting such a wonderful variety begins to be prepared already in the fall. To do this, dig up the soil and add lime to it. When the soil is dug up in the spring, then humus is added to it.

Growing Chinese cabbage

How to grow and care for a Peking in a greenhouse

"Peking" feels great in the greenhouse. However, for this, you must strictly adhere to 2 rules:

1. Observe the temperature regime from 15 to 20 degrees - therefore, an unheated greenhouse will not work;
2. Air humidity should be within 70-80%.

If these norms are not observed, then a peduncle may form, and the plant will also be subject to various diseases.

The advantage of growing Chinese cabbage in a greenhouse is that you can independently adjust the length of daylight hours and maintain the optimal temperature. A greenhouse will also help keep your crops free of frost. And if you have it heated, then you can grow this plant even in winter.

Chinese cabbage in the greenhouse

Care rules

This plant is very fond of moisture, coolness and light. Young sprouts are especially sensitive to temperature changes and frost.Therefore, in order to protect them and allow them to bloom, it is necessary to cover them with a non-woven fabric.

In addition, the canvas will also protect the vegetable from direct sunlight on especially hot days. It also helps to remove excess moisture and hide sprouts from the cruciferous flea that loves to profit from it. Mulching the soil can also be helpful to retain moisture and prevent weeds.

To get an excellent harvest, the vegetable must be watered once a week with warm water.

Top dressing also has a fruitful effect on it. The first feeding is carried out 14 days after planting in open ground.

Infusions from chicken manure, grass or mullein are especially useful. A liter of such fertilizer is poured under each plant. If cabbage was planted in spring, then feeding must be done 3 times, and if in summer, then 2 times.

If you want to get a good ovary, then it is worth adding 2 g of boric acid to a liter of hot water and 9 liters of cold water and treating it with this solution.

Covering planted seedlings

Harvesting and storage

In order for the vegetable to lie in the cellar for as long as possible, it is better to give preference to the varieties that are harvested in September. And also the more leaves remain with the head, the longer the plant will be stored. In addition, it will lie longer if it is placed in a room with high air humidity. Moreover, each head of cabbage is well wrapped in plastic wrap. You should also inspect each head of cabbage every 14 days, remove dried or rotten leaves.

Never store Peking next to apples. They secrete a substance that causes the leaves of the plant to wilt.

You can also store cabbage in the refrigerator or on the balcony. The main thing is that condensation does not form on it, and the temperature does not drop less than 0 degrees.

In general, when storing cabbage on a balcony or refrigerator, you need to follow the same rules as when storing in a cellar.

You should also know that the vegetable will lie in such conditions from 1 to 4 months. If you want it to last longer, you can use the following storage methods:

• leaven;
• drying;
• freezing.

Sauerkraut

The first way is leaven. It is one of the simplest storage methods. The sourdough recipe is very simple: you need to pour 10 kg of shredded cabbage with 600 ml of water and add 100 mg of vinegar, 2 tsp each. salt and sugar, as well as 2 cloves of garlic squeezed through a press. Further under the press, all this should stand in a room with room temperature for about a day, and then 14 days in the cold.

To dry the "Peking", it is cut into strips and placed in an oven heated to 100 degrees and the door is slightly opened. It will be ready in 4 hours, after which the dried vegetable is placed in cotton bags.

For freezing, chopped cabbage is thrown into salted boiling water for 3 minutes. After that, the vegetable is dried and frozen.

As you can see, Chinese cabbage is a wonderful plant that will look like decoration on any table. Do not be afraid to take up the cultivation of Peking, because it is not picky about care and is very useful. Therefore, each gardener should allocate a place in his summer cottage of Peking cabbage.