How to grow Chinese cabbage outdoors?

Due to the climatic features of the zoned regions, the cultivation of Peking cabbage in our country has its own difficulties. Ignorance of them can cause not only an unsatisfactory harvest, but also a complete absence of it due to damage from diseases or pests.

How to grow Chinese cabbage in the country - planting and care

Biologically characteristics of the species

The plant forms a rosette of upright leaves, the usual hard head of cabbage is completely absent, the height is within 30-50 cm. The leaves are soft, without an unpleasant specific taste, they are used for food both raw and cooked.

Chinese cabbage

1. The plant is early maturing. The earliest varieties yield 40 days after germination. Late varieties ripen on day 60. This early maturity allows in some areas to grow three crops per year in the open field. In greenhouses, year-round cultivation is possible.
2. Lowering the temperature to + 13 ° C can be a trigger for the appearance of arrows and peduncles. The same effect is caused by long daylight hours. Agronomists advise temperatures for maximum yield of + 15–20 ° С. Breeders have created special hybrids that are resistant to temperature drop, which minimizes the likelihood of flower stalks. In areas with a risky climate for agriculture, it is recommended to use these varieties.

How to properly grow Chinese cabbage

Among the advantages, Peking cabbage also has significant drawbacks - it cannot be stored under normal conditions, requires refrigeration chambers, a strictly set temperature, the presence of inert gases in the air, etc. our compatriots dishes.

How to store Chinese cabbage

Peking cabbage is planted for gradual use on greens or on heads of cabbage. In the first case, the leaves are cut as needed, in the second case, they wait until the head is formed. This will take no more than 60 days. The head of cabbage is not stored for a long time, you need to keep this in mind when planning the number of beds for this vegetable.

Think about how you will use the crop

There are a lot of varieties and hybrids, if you wish, you can leave a few inflorescences for the seeds to ripen. Just keep in mind that hybrids do not retain their qualities; for breeding, use only varietal Peking cabbage.

Cabbage leaves contain 3.5% protein, 2.4% sugar, almost a full range of mineral salts and amino acids. During heat treatment, a large amount of nutrients are lost; it is better to cook food raw.

Peking cabbage is better not to be heat-treated.

Growing technologies

The plant can be grown using two technologies: direct sowing into the ground or seedlings. Each method has its own characteristics and preconditions for use. A specific decision on the method of breeding must be made taking into account the climatic zone of residence, the characteristics of the site and your practical farming skills.

Direct seeding

Recommended for use in regions with warm climates.Seeds in the ground can be sown from late April to mid-June. It is advisable to divide the time into several periods, due to this it will be possible to have fresh cabbage for a longer period of time. The last sowing date is August 10. Today the climate is warming a little, the terms can be shifted. But this is at your own peril and risk, no scientist can give a long-term forecast of temperature changes in each separate region. Practitioners advise not to take risks and not go beyond the traditional time frame for sowing Chinese cabbage.

Seeds need to be sown in shallow grooves, the distance between them is at least 25 cm. The fact is that this vegetable needs a lot of space, too thick seedlings not only deafen each other, but also cause the growth of inflorescences.

Sowing seeds in grooves - photo

After the emergence of seedlings, compulsory thinning of plants is required. How is it done?

1. Thinning should be done only after rain, if there has been no precipitation for a long time, then the beds should be watered abundantly, and field work should be performed only the next day.
2. The distance between individual shoots is at least twenty centimeters. Leave only the most developed and healthy ones, at the slightest suspicion of a disease, the plant should be removed, not thrown into the aisles.
3. At the same time as thinning, weeding is recommended. The weeds at this time are still small, pulled out without effort. As soon as the cultivated plant gets stronger and grows, there is no need to do weeding anymore. Large leaves of Chinese cabbage inhibit the development of other plants.

Young Chinese cabbage should be thinned out

There is another option for direct sowing of cabbage - not in the grooves, but in the holes. In each hole, you need to throw 2-4 seeds, during thinning remove the weakest. The distance is 20-25 centimeters, as recommended by the cultivation technology. Experienced vegetable growers advise in the first year to try both methods of sowing seeds, and then to use the one that you like more and will give better results.

You can make holes using a regular egg tray.

The depth of planting seeds in open ground is 1–2 cm; to accelerate the emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to cover the garden bed with plastic wrap or modern agrofibre. The second option is much preferable - agrofiber allows sunlight, air and moisture to pass through and protects the surface of the beds from morning frost. In addition, agrofibre has a very low specific gravity, which allows sprouts to develop under it, the stems are even, not deformed. The first shoots may appear 3-10 days after sowing, depending on the temperature conditions, specific calendar dates are set.

Growing Chinese cabbage in the open field

The main pest of Chinese cabbage is the invisible cruciferous flea. Do not sow after mustard, radish and other cruciferous crops. Wood ash perfectly protects against flea beetles. Not black coals, but gray, almost weightless ash. This is both protection and fertilization. For band sowing, thinning is best done in two stages. For the first time, the sprouts are left at a distance of 10 cm from each other. When the leaves grow and join together, you can do a second weeding. The distance between the plants should already be at least 25 centimeters. As always, the weakest shoots are removed.

Peking cabbage care

Growing seedlings

A laborious method, used in areas with insufficient sum of positive temperatures. Seedlings can be sown much earlier and transferred to the ground after the onset of stable warm days. You need to know that this plant is very capricious for a seedling technologist, it is much more difficult to work with it than, for example, with tomatoes. The roots of Peking cabbage are very thin and fragile, break easily, and broken off necessarily lead to inhibition of plant growth.

Chinese cabbage sprouts

Chinese cabbage - cultivation

In this regard, it is recommended to grow seedlings in peat tablets or pots and transplant the prepared plants into them without pulling them out of the ground. The survival rate after picking is no more than 70%, and this is subject to all the requirements of agricultural technology. For beginners, the survival rate will be even lower, sometimes the results will be an unpleasant surprise. The absence of the operation of picking seedlings has a beneficial effect on the final results.

Seedling of Chinese cabbage

How the seedlings are prepared

If in the future, Beijing cabbage will grow in greenhouses, then the seeds can be sown from the end of January, if the plants are planned for open ground, then the dates are shifted to the end of March.

1. Priming... We need loose in structure, in quality - very fertile. It is good to take coconut extract, but you can replace it with more familiar garden mixtures.
2. Sowing seeds... The seeds are very small, for even sowing it is recommended to mix them with coarse washed river sand without clay.

   Sowing seeds for growing seedlings

3. Watering. Medium, too much soil moisture can slow down the growth of seedlings, delicate thin roots rot, the plant is sick. But it is also impossible to overdry. Watering can only be done with a shallow watering can by sprinkling or a sprinkler.
4. Temperature conditions. Favorable temperature + 20-22 ° С. The containers with the sown seeds are immediately covered with foil. As soon as the first shoots appear, the film is removed. If possible, it is recommended to use mini-greenhouses, but it is not always possible to find boxes with such dimensions, because the height of the peat cups is quite large.

   Growing Chinese cabbage by seedling method

5. Light... Chinese cabbage during the growing season is considered a photophilous plant. If the seedlings are sown in the winter months, then artificial light is indispensable. It is better to use modern economical lamps. In addition to saving energy costs, such lamps have another advantage - they do not heat the seedlings. Incandescent lamps emit powerful infrared waves, which makes it very difficult to regulate the temperature of the seedlings. To increase the illumination, you need to bring the lamps closer to the sprouts. But this cannot be done, because overheating may occur. It turns out a vicious circle and you have to sacrifice one indicator: either reduce the illumination, or increase the temperature.

   Seedling illumination

6. Top dressing... You can feed it once before the start of hardening. If the soil is poor, feed it twice. It is not necessary to prepare a mixture of mineral fertilizers on your own. It is much more effective, safer and easier to purchase ready-made formulations and use them according to the attached instructions.

Transplanting

When transplanting plants grown in peat pots, the root system is minimally injured

Cabbage loves light neutral soils rich in organic matter in acidity. Soils must pass water well, not allow it to stagnate. Excess water is the cause of plant disease. Choose legumes and root crops as predecessors. It is not recommended to plant Peking cabbage after cruciferous plants (radishes, radishes, turnips, etc.).

Planting seedlings in the ground

Before planting, the seedlings must be hardened. To do this, two to three weeks before the transfer, the plants are taken out into the fresh air. At first, you need to keep them for only a few hours and completely protect them from direct sunlight. Gradually, the holding time increases, the plants begin to adapt to the sun's rays. The last few days before planting seedlings, you can already try to leave it outside overnight.

Mulching will be very useful for Chinese cabbage.

In the open field, the distance between individual plants is 30 × 25 cm, in order to save space in greenhouses, the distance is reduced to 20 × 20 cm. Peking cabbage is not afraid of frosts down to -4 ° С, the optimal growing temperature is + 15-22 ° С.A large amount of sunlight and temperatures above + 25 ° C will cause sunburn, and this negatively affects the final yield.

Watering Peking cabbage seedlings

If the summer is rainy, then the plants need to be protected from waterlogging, otherwise the root system may rot. If you correctly adhere to the recommended agricultural technology, then even in the middle zone of our country, you can easily collect two crops per season.

Protecting plants from pests and diseases

We will not write about modern drugs, they are very effective, but they have one drawback - harm is caused not only to pests, but also to consumers. Let us dwell on the traditional agrotechnical methods of protecting Peking cabbage.

1. Compliance with crop rotation. A very simple but very important way. The vast majority of diseases tend to accumulate in the soil. The greater the concentration of pests and diseases, the more you need to use various chemicals, the more they get into plants and further along the food chain. In addition to this factor, crop rotation plays another very important role. Each plant for vegetation requires a different amount of minerals by weight and chemical composition. For some, nitrogen is important, for others potassium, and so on. This means that different beds in the same area have different indicators for the presence of nutrients in the soil. Only through the correct preparation of the crop rotation can an optimal combination of minerals be created for the plant without additional feeding.
2. Compliance with sowing dates. Seeds begin to grow only when the temperature at a given soil depth reaches optimal values.

Versatile Cabbage Pest Control Methods

Strong plants are much less likely to be damaged by pests and various diseases, and the right technology increases the resistance of cabbage to adverse conditions.

Video - How to grow Chinese cabbage

Video - Growing Chinese cabbage: the basics and secrets of the harvest

For the first time, Chinese cabbage was grown in China, from where it came to the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Indochina, and then spread to other regions. In Russia, this culture is not yet so popular, but it is already loved by many who acquired it for the first time. The plant's white fleshy petioles and green foliage are often used in various dishes or eaten raw as a snack.

Chinese cabbage has undergone a long selection development and today has the ability to take root in any country. A plant culture does not require complex care, but in order to obtain a plentiful and high-quality harvest, it is necessary to know the rules for its cultivation.

Description and characteristics

Asian cabbage appeared on the territory of Russia only in the 19th century. Over the centuries, the plant went through many stages of selection, as a result of which several varieties of this type of culture were formed. Hybrid varieties have gained great popularity, as they are able to take root even in the harsh conditions of temperate latitudes.

Cabbage belongs to the herbaceous plants of the Cruciferous family, which also includes broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, turnip, radish, daikon, etc. The Chinese culture is a biennial plant that is cultivated as an annual. Cabbage leaves are represented by tender and juicy plates with a triangular or flat central vein. They are characterized by wavy or jagged edges and a knobby inner side. The leaves form loose heads of cabbage or rosettes, ranging in color from light yellow to rich green.

The leafy plates of the plant are added to salads, soups, side dishes, marinades. East Asia is known for its traditional kimchi dish, which features pickled Chinese cabbage.

Today, there are two main types of Asian cabbage:

• Chinese cabbage... This species is very popular outside of Asia. In our country, it is often sold under the name "Chinese salad". White stems with wide pale green leaves roll up into loose, elongated heads of cabbage. Peking cabbage is used for pickling and preparing salads.
• Bok choy... This species is smaller in size than its Peking counterpart. Smooth dark green leaf plates do not form a head of cabbage, but are located on thick stems around a central point. It is this variety that is most often grown by Asians. Recently, bok-choy have been actively cultivated and sold in the United States and some European countries.

Despite the external differences, both types of crops contain a large amount of vitamins and other nutrients, which makes them suitable products for a healthy diet.

Landing features

In our latitudes, both varieties of Chinese cabbage are cultivated. Growing and caring for them practically do not differ, but planting different varieties that differ in ripening time should be farther from each other so that they do not conflict.

Cabbage prefers open, unshaded areas. It will do well on the east or west side. Although the plant has a high degree of frost resistance, germination of seeds or seedlings occurs at a temperature not lower than +16 degrees. Soil for cabbage should be light, loose, neutral, but fertile. The crop grows well in drained and moderately moist soil, so a loamy substrate is ideal for it. Sour soils should be limed in the fall. In the spring, they dig up the site and add a mixture of humus with compost to the soil.

The best precursors for Chinese cabbage are legumes, grains, potatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, and garlic. Experts do not recommend growing an Asian plant after tomatoes or beets due to common diseases and parasitic insects.

The culture is grown in a seedless way and using seedlings.

Growing from seeds

Before planting, the seed material needs preliminary preparation, after which the seeds have a better chance of germinating in the shortest possible time:

• The material is wrapped in cheesecloth and placed in a bowl of warm water for 15-20 minutes.
• Then the seeds are cooled in cold water for 1-2 minutes.
• Then the planting material should be treated in a special garden solution for half a day.
• If you plan to plant the seeds the next day, then they should be left in the refrigerator at a temperature of -9 degrees.

Processed seeds are planted in prepared soil, well warmed up by the sun. The soil is well watered and subsequently monitored for the required level of moisture and heat.

Usually disembarkation is made in April, when the temperature will be around + 14-20 degrees. At higher rates, cabbage can release flower stalks. If the growing conditions are favorable, then the first harvest after germination can be expected in a month.

Seedling method

Longer, but a fruitful way is to grow cabbage for seedlings.

The seeds are prepared in the same way as described above. If you grow seedlings in advance, then the risk of losing the planned harvest will decrease. The first fruits appear earlier than when planting seeds immediately in open ground. It is necessary to sow material for seedlings a month before planting on the site. The best planting time for a summer harvest is late March - early April. If you plan to stock up on vegetables for the winter, then the seedlings are planted in late June - early July.

• For seedlings, a substrate is prepared, consisting of a mixture of coconut soil and humus.
• Since cabbage does not tolerate picking well, experienced gardeners and gardeners advise placing no more than two or three seeds in one peat pot.Plants should be planted in open ground directly in these containers, so there is no need to worry about possible damage to the seedlings.
• The material is planted in moist soil at a depth of 1.5-2 cm.
• The pots are placed on a pallet or in a common container in a dark and warm room until sprouts appear.
• With the emergence of seedlings, containers are transferred to a balcony or loggia so that the plants can receive the required amount of light.
• Subsequently, the material is moderately watered as the topsoil dries out. Watering is carried out with light loosening.
• When 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, one strong sprout is left in the peat containers, pinching off the weak ones.
• 8-10 days before planting in open ground, seedlings begin to be taken out into the street, so that they gradually get used to the new conditions.
• When there are about 6-7 leaves on the seedlings, they stop watering them in the next few days, preparing for planting.
• On the site, holes are dug for each seedling, which are filled with drainage from the sand.
• Moistened peat pots with seedlings before planting are moved into prepared holes and covered with earth.

Depending on the variety, seedlings should be located at a distance of 20-40 cm from each other; there should be 0.5 m of free space between the rows.

Outdoor cabbage care

In order to get a high-quality harvest in the planned time frame, it is necessary to adhere to some rules in caring for the cultivated crop.

After planting seedlings in the ground, plants should be covered with cloths for the first time. The material will protect young bushes from spring frosts, direct rays of the sultry sun, possible rains and pests. This shelter promotes better rooting and cabbage formation.

10-15 days after planting, the soil around the bushes is mulched with straw or peat. From time to time, loosening and weeding of the earth should be done, removing weeds and excess grasses.

Like any other plant, Chinese cabbage needs watering. Once every 7 days, each bush should be watered abundantly under the root with warm, settled water. It is necessary to ensure that moisture does not get on the foliage. Watering the Asian culture should be done in the morning or evening so that the leaves do not get sunburned.

The first dressings are made 15 days after planting the seedlings in the soil. For this, organic fertilizers are used, of which mullein infusion or chicken droppings are suitable. But you should be careful with organic matter, since a high nitrogen content in the soil can lead to plant diseases. In the spring, top dressing is applied 3 times, in the summer - 2 times. The formation of heads of cabbage is positively influenced by foliar dressing in the form of a boric acid solution. Leaf treatment with this substance should be done in the evenings.

Collection and storage

For winter storage, Chinese cabbage is grown in June and harvested in October. Heads of cabbage are wrapped in foil and placed in wooden boxes. Containers with vegetables are stored in a basement or other dry room at a temperature of + 1-3 degrees. Twice a month it is necessary to inspect the heads of cabbages for deformations. The spoiled parts are removed and the vegetables are wrapped in new material.

The harvested crop can be stored on the glassed-in balcony. If the temperature in the room falls below 0 degrees, then the boxes will need to be covered with a blanket or other warm material. Healthy and dense specimens can be refrigerated. Shredded cabbage can be fermented or stored in the freezer.

Diseases and insect pests

Caring for Chinese cabbage also includes regular inspection of its leaves. The plant can be occupied by the following insects:

• Harmful centipedes
• Cabbage flies,
• Bedbugs,
• Cruciferous fleas,
• Medvedki,
• Fireflies,
• Wireworms,
• Turnip whites,
• Lurkers,
• Slugs,
• Dark clickers
• Aphids,
• Flower beetles,
• Petiolate mosquitoes.

A lutrasil or spunbond shelter is a good defense against parasites. A mixture of wood ash and snuff helps repel cruciferous flea beetles. With such a tool, it is necessary to treat the seedlings immediately after planting in open ground. Chlorophos or entobacterin are often used to get rid of cabbage pests. Insecticides should be handled carefully following the instructions for use. To prevent insects from appearing, you should regularly weed the soil around the bushes.

Unfavorable conditions can provoke the appearance of diseases in cabbage:

• Alternaria... The fungus appears as dark spots with light edges on the leaves.
• Keela... With a bacterial disease, thickenings appear on the roots of the plant due to deformed cells. The cabbage begins to weaken and turn yellow. If the culture is heavily infected, then it withers and soon dies. This usually happens with high acidity or moisture in the soil.
• Downy mildew... The presence of the disease is characterized by white spots with a powdery coating that form on the leaves. Later, the leaves begin to fall off. A weakened plant can be affected by other diseases.
• Gray rot... The aerial part is covered with brown spots with a gray bloom when the plant is affected by a fungus.
• Mucous bacteriosis... The bacterial disease manifests itself as watery spots on the leaves of growing or stored leaves. The appearance of bacteriosis is caused by mechanical damage on the leaf plates of cabbage.
• Blackleg... The fungus appears on germinating seeds or seedlings with excessive moisture in the substrate, low temperature, little light or sowing density. The disease weakens young plants, causing them to fall and often die.

In the early stages of fungal diseases, the affected parts are removed, and the remaining leaves are treated with fungicides. For preventive purposes, seeds and seedlings should be treated with the necessary preparations in order to increase the plant's immunity to various diseases and pests. Do not forget about the conditions for keeping and leaving the culture.

Caring for an Asian culture does not require much effort and time, but only if you follow the rules of planting and growing, you can achieve a high-quality and tasty harvest of juicy vegetables.

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Table of contents:

• Chinese cabbage growing technology
• Seedling method
• Cabbage care

The cultivation of Chinese cabbage has its own characteristics compared to conventional white cabbage. Consider how to grow Chinese cabbage in your garden.

Peking cabbage has delicate and thin petals and therefore requires special care.

These ancient cultures of China are actively conquering the expanses of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and other CIS countries. And this is not surprising, since the technology of growing Chinese and Peking cabbage is quite simple. Even when grown without seedlings in the northern regions, you can get a good harvest. What can we say about warmer regions? So how to grow Chinese cabbage?

To begin with, let us recall the difference between these two types. Quite often they are united by a common name - Chinese cabbage, but from the point of view of botany, this is completely wrong. Peking cabbage (salad, or petsai) and Chinese cabbage (mustard, or pak choy) are close relatives. The homeland of both species is China, but they differ in appearance and certain features.

Peking cabbage has very tender, sessile, whole leaves with a swollen wrinkled leaf blade, height - 15-35 cm. There are varieties in which the leaves form a head of cabbage or a rosette of different densities and shapes. Chinese cabbage forms a rosette of erect leaves with juicy petioles, the height of which reaches 30 cm.

2 subspecies are grown, which differ in the color of the petioles and leaves.

Features of growing Chinese cabbage:

The most optimal temperature for sprouting cabbage is 15-22 ° C

1. Chinese cabbage is an early ripening crop.The ripening time of early varieties (from germination to ripeness) is 40-55 days, late - 60-80, medium - 55-60. This makes it possible to get 2 or even 3 crops in one season.
2. They are grown all year round under certain conditions.
3. Moderate temperatures (below 13 ° C) and long daylight hours cause flowering and shooting.
4. The best temperature for germination is 15-22 ° C.

To prevent flowering and shooting, you must:

• do not thicken crops;
• choose varieties that are resistant to flowering;
• grow with a short daylight hours (sow in April, close late crops from light in the evening and open in the morning).

Chinese cabbage growing technology

Chinese cabbage can be grown both in a seedless way and using seedlings.

Seedless growing method

Chinese cabbage seeds are sown outdoors:

• from the first decade of May (or the end of April) to June 15, intervals between crops are made in 10-15 days;
• from July 20 to August 10.

Peking cabbage planting scheme.

The distance between plants should be 15-25 cm.You can achieve this by sowing seeds in a narrow bed in the following ways:

1. Linear tape method with plant thinning. To do this, sowing seeds is carried out with ribbons (three or two lines). Distance between ribbons - 50-60 cm, between lines - 20-30 cm.
2. When planting seeds in the holes in groups of 3-4, the distance between the holes is about 30-35 cm. Thinning will be necessary.

Try both seeding methods and choose the one that seems more efficient and convenient.

The sowing depth of seeds when grown in the open field is 1-2 cm. The sowing bed is covered with plastic wrap, especially if it is still cool outside. Seedlings do not like frost, unlike adult plants.

The first shoots appear in about 3-10 days, depending on the temperature.

To protect plants from cruciferous fleas, the soil is sprinkled with ash until shoots appear. This pest is one of the reasons why Chinese cabbage cannot be grown after mustard, radish and other cruciferous crops. By the way, keep this in mind when choosing green manure for the garden on which you intend to plant any species.

With the strip-line sowing method, 2 thinning is carried out during the cultivation. With the emergence of one true leaf, they thin out the first time, leaving the plants after 8-10 cm. When the leaves of neighboring plants close, perform the second thinning, leaving the plants after 20-25 cm.

Back to the table of contents

Seedling method

Seedling cultivation should be carried out, taking into account their "capriciousness" to root damage and transplantation. They cannot be grown using a pick. Chinese cabbage is more capricious, so its seedlings must be grown in peat pots with planting together with pots in a greenhouse or open ground.

The advantage of growing through seedlings is the reduction in ripening times. Using seedlings, you can get the first crop already 20-35 days after planting seedlings on the bed.

The time of sowing seeds for seedlings is related to the type of soil. When grown in:

• open ground - end of March-April;
• protected ground - late January-early February.

Seedling containers and cassettes.

The soil for growing Chinese cabbage seedlings should be loose. It is good to use coconut substrate, it suits all the requirements for seedling soil and makes it possible to get healthy and strong seedlings.

For uniform sowing, seeds are mixed with sand and sown to a depth of approximately 0.5-1 cm. The seedlings are ready for planting at the age of 25-30 days. Seedlings by this time should have 4-5 true leaves.

Planting seedlings on a bed.

For these types of cabbage, the most preferred are light, organic-rich, well-drained soils with a neutral environment.

The predecessors may be crops that are acceptable for other cabbage.

The area designated for Chinese cabbage should be lit.

Peking cabbage must be grown separately from Chinese cabbage, since cross-pollination can be performed between these species.

Seedlings are planted according to the scheme:

• in open ground 30 × 25 cm;
• in protected ground - 10 × 10 cm (leaf forms) and 20 × 20 cm (head forms).

Back to the table of contents

Cabbage care

Both species are cold-resistant, moisture- and light-loving crops.

Chinese cabbage can withstand frosts down to -6 ° C. A temperature in the range of 15-22 ° C is optimal for plants. Temperatures above 25 ° C can cause burns on plant leaves (Chinese cabbage suffers from this in particular).

Peking cabbage can withstand frosts down to -6 ° C.

Care in abundant watering, shallow soil loosening and pest and weed control (Chinese cabbage is more resistant to pests, since it has essential oils that drive them away). Mulching the soil will save you from weeds, which will give you more time for rest.

Cabbage also loves refreshing watering, it is recommended to use the sprinkling method. Plants grow poorly with a lack of moisture. But excessive soil moisture reduces its yield. Chinese cabbage loves watering more than Chinese cabbage. If it rains frequently in your area, you will have to protect the cabbage from them, otherwise it will rot. You can protect it by covering it with a transparent ordinary film or agrofiber.

It is good for the growing season to carry out 2 additional feeding with mullein solution (1: 8).

Be careful when weeding so as not to cover the top bud of the cabbage with soil.

Peking cabbage is better stored than Chinese cabbage. Make friends with these Asian representatives and you will be happy with the result, since the cultivation of Chinese cabbage is quite a feasible activity for a beginner. In its useful properties, it surpasses the Russian culture - white cabbage.

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 cabbage head 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 the 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.