Can cabbage be grown in peat tablets?

Picking, or transplanting seedlings from boxes into open ground, is a real stress for any plant. There is a high probability of damage to the root system, or that a fungus has lurked in the black soil. To make a strong and healthy shoot from a grain, which will give a rich harvest, modern summer residents use peat tablets.

Benefits of peat tablets

In specialized stores, you can find brown washers of various diameters with a hole for seeds. Outside there is a fine mesh that holds compressed high-moor peat with antibacterial additives and mineral components that nourish the plant.

There are several advantages of pills:

1. The base is breathable, so the root system is constantly supplied with oxygen.
2. These alternative pots are compact and do not take up much space. Small-diameter tablets can easily fit into a cake box.
3. During transplanting, seedlings are not removed from the peat base, but placed in the ground along with it.
4. The outer shell dissolves gradually, and at the initial stage protects immature plants from fungus.
5. Thanks to mineral additives and growth stimulants, the seeds do not need additional fertilization, and the shoots are strong and give a rich harvest.
6. In peat tablets, capricious and delicate plants take root well. Such devices are often used for growing expensive crops, and seedlings that do not tolerate picking well.

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How to choose the right peat tablets

It is better to buy tablets with a loose structure, because in coarse and densely compressed varieties, the root system does not develop well and becomes weak. Conifers and flowers love acidic soil. Vegetables and strawberries should be grown in a neutral environment. It is worth buying tablets in boxes where the acidity level is indicated.

Size matters
Tablets with a diameter of 24 to 36 mm are suitable for small strawberry or petunia seeds. Variants ranging in size from 41 to 70 mm are used for growing eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage, which need a lot of space for root development.

Saving is bad
Some summer residents choose cheap tablets without a paper shell, but it is better not to spare money and buy copies in cardboard cups. First, they are impregnated with fungicides that will protect plants from fungus. Secondly, it is thanks to the shell that the peat keeps its shape during swelling, otherwise it will crumble and fall apart in the hands.

How to use peat tablets

Before use, tablets must be soaked in water so that they swell and increase in size by a factor of 6, and sometimes to all 8.

1. You can put the peat base on a tray, plastic or iron, in a plastic box from under a cake or a dish from under rolls and other products that do not leak and have a lid.
2. The hole for the seeds should be on top, because it is better not to turn swollen tablets over.
3. A distance must be maintained between the alternative pots, otherwise the seedlings may overlap with roots during growth, and it will be difficult to neatly separate them.
4. It is better to take warm water, then the peat swells faster. Pour liquid onto a tray so that it covers the top of the tablets. After 2-3 minutes, they will begin to absorb moisture and rise upward.
5. If necessary, add a little water until the peat stops sucking it in. Drain off any remaining liquid so that it does not stagnate in the tray.
6. If necessary, you can break the net at the top to expand the cultivated area. Bend the edges inward so that they do not interfere and do not catch on each other.
7. In cases where only one grain is placed in a tablet, it is not necessary to tear the mesh.

Tip: Peat tablets can be placed on a pallet, in a cassette with special cells, or in a box filled with coarse river sand, which will take away excess water, preventing the appearance of rot and fungus.

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Planting seeds in a tablet

The planting material is carefully checked and sorted out, throwing out empty and spoiled specimens. Large seeds, like those of cucumbers or tomatoes, are stuck into the peat and pushed inside with a finger. The grain should be at a depth, which is calculated by the formula: 2 * the length of the workpiece. Sprinkle it on top with a layer of humus, or gently rake peat from the edges to the center of the tablet.

Small seeds, like strawberries or some garden flowers, are pry off with a damp toothpick or match. Put the workpiece in the recess, and lightly sprinkle with soil, or leave it open if the culture loves a lot of light.

How much to plant
To grow ordinary seedlings, for example, cucumbers or cabbage, you need to stick 2-3 seeds. Usually everyone takes root, but only the strongest and strongest sprout needs to be left. Gently pull out the rest.

Expensive specimens are spent more economically: there is only 1 seed for 1 tablet of peat, maximum - 2, to be sure that the culture will germinate.

Optimal conditions for growing seedlings

Containers with future seedlings are covered with a plastic lid or a piece of plastic bag. Glass can be used. Put the drawers on the bedside table or bookcase, the room should be warm, because in cold conditions the seedlings do not germinate, freeze and die.

Do not place tablets near batteries or other heating objects. The soil will dry out, and the plants will become weak, in need of additional feeding.

During the day, you can put containers with seeds on the windowsill so that sunlight falls on them. It is helpful to open the lid for 1–2 hours daily to prevent condensation from forming inside the box.

Tip: Peat tablets with capricious plants can be placed in plastic cups, which are covered with plastic bags.Thanks to the effect of a miniature greenhouse, the seedlings hatch faster.

You cannot keep seeds on the windowsill around the clock, especially at night. They freeze and break out later than specimens that were in warm conditions. When there are pots with plants on the windowsill, you cannot open the window for airing.

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Rules for watering peat tablets

Until the seedlings hatch, you can spray the peat tablets from a spray bottle so that they do not dry out, but also do not get wet. If a white fluff appears on them, you need to reduce the amount of liquid.

Water must be defended for at least a day so that harmful impurities settle to the bottom. A white coating on the tablets indicates an excess of salt and heavy metals. In this case, it is better to pass the water through a filter.

Peat should dry out a little between waterings. If the soil remains wet, it is best not to add liquid to avoid creating conditions for the development of the fungus.

First achievements

After the sprouts appear, it is advised to lift one edge of the lid by placing a matchbox. It is better to ventilate the seedlings 2-3 hours a day, but avoid drafts. When green stems hatch, spraying is stopped. Now water is poured onto a tray so that the peat will absorb it and water the roots of the plants.

2 weeks after germination, growth stimulating components can be added to the irrigation fluid. It is advised to try "Fitosporin", which disinfects the soil with water, preventing the appearance of mold and fungi.

Tip: It is not necessary to remove the outer shell from the tablets, which does not allow the peat to disintegrate. The roots develop well in such conditions, and become strong enough to break through the thin frame. Seedlings are planted in the ground along with a paper cup.

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Secrets of experienced summer residents

1. It is useful to take out grown and strengthened shoots to the balcony when the air outside warms up. Enough 2 hours a day for the plants to quickly adapt to new conditions after planting in open ground.
2. If the seed has not taken root in any of the tablets, a ready-made sprout can be planted in its place, which remained after thinning the seedlings.
3. The sprouts can be moved outdoors after 3-4 weeks. If the culture belongs to the category of heat-loving and whimsical, it is better to wait until 10-12 weeks, when the roots begin to break through the outer shell.
4. Seedlings are placed in the ground without removing them from the tablet. The cardboard or netting dissolves over time in the ground, turning into additional fertilizer for plants.

Peat tablets are a godsend for summer residents and gardeners who want to get strong and stable seedlings every year that can give a rich harvest. They are compact and easy to use, and contain all the necessary components for the rapid growth of garden flowers and vegetables.

Video: how to use peat tablets

Cabbage is a tasty and healthy vegetable loved by many, which is very popular among gardeners. Cabbage occupies an important place in our diet and is successfully used in folk medicine. Everyone dreams of growing powerful green heads of cabbage on their land. Experienced gardeners know how to sow cabbage for seedlings at home in order to get a rich harvest.

How to choose the right variety?

Each variety of cabbage has its own characteristics. Familiarization with the varietal characteristics will help to make the final choice. Before buying seeds, it is important to decide what kind of cabbage you need: for long-term winter storage, pickling, or just for salads.

Among the varieties of white cabbage, early ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening are distinguished. Early varieties (June, Skorospelaya, Podarok, Ditmarskaya, Zolotoy hectare, Kazachok F1) have low productivity, medium density small heads of cabbage weighing up to 1.5 kg.

Already in the middle of summer, you can enjoy fresh tender early cabbage salads. Mid-season cabbage varieties are suitable for summer consumption and salting: Amager, Slava, Belorusskaya, Nadezhda, Menza F1. Late ones (Geneva, Turkis, Kolobok, Amager, Zimovka 1474, Aros F1) are well kept fresh for a long time.

Buying quality seeds

The quality of seedlings and the yield of cabbage primarily depend on the seeds. Therefore, it is worth purchasing only high-quality seed. Experienced gardeners recommend an efficient approach to the process of buying seeds. Having made at least a rough list of what you are going to sow, you can go to the store.

It is worth buying seeds only at proven specialized points of sale. Only in this case there is no doubt about the quality of the seed, which was stored in proper conditions and did not lose its germination.

Preparing the soil mixture

To grow strong cabbage seedlings, proper preparation of the soil mixture is required. Experienced gardeners have been preparing the soil for cabbage seedlings since autumn, but this can be done in early spring.

To prepare a nutritious soil mixture, it is recommended to mix 1 part of humus and turf soil and add 10 tablespoons of ash for every 10 kg of soil. Ash will serve not only as a source of macro- and microelements, but also as an excellent antiseptic, preventing the appearance of black leg on cabbage seedlings.

A nutritious soil mixture can also be prepared based on peat, mixing it in equal parts with humus and turf and adding a small amount of sand.

Before sowing, any substrate must be disinfected. To do this, it is calcined in an oven at a temperature of 200 ° C for 15 minutes or heated for 5 minutes in a microwave on at full power. After cooling, the soil is placed in a container treated with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, and for a couple of days it is allowed to stand in a warm place so that bacteria useful for plants multiply in the substrate.

To prepare the soil mixture for cabbage seedlings, you cannot use the garden soil on which cruciferous crops previously grew: the likelihood of seedlings disease in it increases many times over due to the presence of infections characteristic of cabbage.

How to choose the optimal time for sowing cabbage for seedlings?

Determining a specific date for sowing cabbage seeds for seedlings can be difficult, but the approximate dates are known. Early varieties can be sown from the beginning until March 25-28.

For sowing medium varieties, the period from March 25 to April 25 is suitable. Late varieties of cabbage are sown for seedlings from the beginning to the 20th of April.

Seasoned gardeners give another hint: to determine the time of sowing cabbage for seedlings, it is important to know that about 10 days from the time of sowing passes until the emergence of shoots and another 50-55 days after that - until the time of disembarkation. 60-65 days before the desired planting of seedlings in the ground and it is recommended to sow cabbage for seedlings.

Presowing seed preparation

Before sowing, cabbage seeds are sorted, selecting finer than 1.5 mm. Wrapped with a triple layer of gauze, they are placed in a thermos with water (45-50 ° C) for 15 minutes, and immediately after that they are immersed in cold water for 2 minutes.

The seeds that have undergone water procedures are placed in a damp gauze on a saucer and kept at room temperature for 24 hours. Then the inoculum is stratified at a temperature of 1-2 ° C in a refrigerator. After that, cabbage seeds are dried and sown. Thanks to such simple manipulations, it is possible to increase the resistance of cabbage to fungal and other diseases.

You should carefully study the instructions on the packaging of seeds purchased at the store: they are often completely ready for sowing. Pelleted and inlaid seeds, dyed in different colors, are sown dry without any preparation.

How to sow seeds for seedlings correctly?

Sowing seeds is an important step that must be approached correctly. For cabbage, trays or boxes with a depth of 7-10 cm are suitable.For germination, cabbage seeds require a lot of water, therefore, a couple of days before sowing, the soil must be well watered with a specially prepared solution: dissolve 2 tablets of Apirin-B and Gamair in 10 liters of water.

On the day of sowing, grooves are made in a box or tray at a distance of 3 cm from each other and seeds are laid in them at a distance of 1-1.5 cm, sprinkling the grooves with soil. Then the surface is slightly compacted, the crops are placed on the windowsill and kept at a temperature of 18-20 ° C. Seedlings usually appear in 4-5 days.

The emerging seedlings need to be thinned out, leaving each plant to feed an area of ​​about 2x2 cm. The seedlings dive in 2 weeks, when they grow a little.

Plants are planted in cassettes according to the 3x3 cm scheme. When diving, the stem of the seedlings is deepened to the cotyledons. After 2 weeks, the plants from the cassette are transplanted into 5x5 cm pots (plastic, paper or peat). For the prevention of fungal diseases, the cups are treated with a weak solution of light blue copper sulfate before picking.

Growing cabbage in peat tablets

So that the roots of cabbage seedlings are not injured by a dive, they are grown in peat tablets, which contain all the nutrients and minerals. Until the very planting in the garden, the cabbage in them does not require feeding. The mesh impregnated with fungicide protects the seedlings from fungal diseases.

Cabbage is planted on seedlings in tablets with a diameter of at least 4 cm. They are preliminarily placed in a deep container, poured with warm water and left to swell.

When the tablets increase in size 7-8 times, the excess water is poured, 2 seeds are laid out into the recesses on the surface of the tablets and the holes are covered with peat. A container with tablets placed in a bright place is kept at a temperature of 18-20 ° C until shoots appear.

After seed germination, the weak seedling in each tablet is cut at the root, but not pulled out, so as not to damage the roots of the stronger one. If the roots of the plant begin to sprout through the grid of the tablet, it is recommended to transplant the seedlings together with the tablet into a pot.

How to get seedlings without picking?

To avoid picking, cabbage seeds are planted in cassettes with a depth of at least 7-8 cm, the cells of which should have the following dimensions:

• from 6x6 to 7x8 cm for early varieties;
• 5x6 cm for mid-season varieties;
• 5x5 cm - for late ones.

After filling the cells with a substrate, 2 seeds are sown in each of them. You can first sow seeds into tablets, then arrange them in the cells. If roots begin to sprout through the grid of the tablet in the cell of the cassette, a substrate is simply added to it, filling the space.

It is better to sow cabbage initially in separate pots, if there is no desire to dive. Plants growing in individual pots have a large root system, they are planted in a permanent place in a more gentle way.

Growing cabbage seedlings in a greenhouse

Good cabbage seedlings can be grown in a greenhouse. The sun's rays penetrate the transparent cover and do not harm the seedlings. In a greenhouse, moisture does not evaporate from the soil as quickly as in an apartment with operating heating devices. Another advantage of growing seedlings in a greenhouse is that it creates a microclimate that is optimal for seedlings.

For sowing in a greenhouse, the seeds must be dry. From the end of March to mid-April, the sowing date of early varieties comes, late and mid-season varieties are sown throughout April. Several grooves are made at a distance of 15-20 cm in the garden bed and watered abundantly. Seeds are scattered into the grooves at the rate of no more than 3 pieces per 1 square cm.The depth of seeding is 1-2 cm.

To protect against cruciferous fleas, after the first true leaves appear on the seedlings, it is advisable to treat them with an insecticide. To ensure the formation of an even stem in the seedlings, at the stage of development of 4 leaves, it is recommended to sprinkle a layer of soil 3-4 cm thick on the bed.Seedlings that have sprouted very densely are recommended to thin out by cutting at the root or pulling out weaker seedlings. After that, the garden must be watered.

How to care?

Proper care is a prerequisite for growing cabbage seedlings. This plant cannot be called capricious, but errors in care can cause growth retardation, disease and even death of seedlings.

Lighting

At home, cabbage does not have enough normal daylight. In order for the seedlings to grow stocky and strong, it is necessary to supplement them. A fluorescent or LED lamp or phytolamp is installed at a height of 20-25 cm above the seedlings. They have to work 12-15 hours a day. Incandescent lamps are not suitable for artificial lighting, as they heat the air, and the light emanating from them is not suitable for plants.

Watering

At home, cabbage seedlings are watered when the topsoil dries up. For seedlings, both insufficient and excessive moisture are dangerous. So that the seedlings do not have to be watered too often, do not neglect the loosening of the soil. Moisten the soil with settled water at room temperature. It is recommended to ventilate the room after each watering.

Temperature regime

When growing cabbage seedlings, it is important to control the indoor temperature. Before emergence, the optimum temperature is 18-20 ° C. When shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to 15-17 ° C during the day and 8-10 ° C at night. Such changes in day and night temperatures help to strengthen the seedlings and prevent them from stretching. For cauliflower seedlings, keep the temperature 5-7 ° C higher.

After a week, the temperature is raised to 15-17 ° C. After 3-4 days, the seedlings are dived into separate pots or cups. It is recommended for seedlings that have taken root after a dive to set the following temperature regime: 13-14 ° С during the day and 10-12 ° С at night. Seedlings of cabbage at first grow very slowly, but over time they gain momentum and 3 weeks after the pick they form 3 leaves each.

Top dressing

When growing cabbage seedlings, do not forget that for young plants during the seedling period, a balanced set of nutrients is required, supplied in the most readily available form. Approximately 7-9 days after the pick, the first feeding should be carried out.

To prepare the fertilizer, it is recommended to dissolve 4 g of superphosphate and 2 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium fertilizers in 1 liter of water. For feeding 5-6 dozen plants, 1 liter of nutrient solution will be enough. First, young seedlings need to be watered so as not to burn the roots, and only then feed them.

After 2 weeks after the first feeding, the second is carried out. To prepare the nutrient solution, use the same fertilizers, doubling their amount per liter of water. If the cabbage seedlings have turned a little yellow, they are fed with fermented slurry.

A few days before planting cabbage in the ground, a third (hardening) top dressing is carried out. 5 g of superphosphate, 3 g of ammonium nitrate, 8 g of potassium fertilizers are added to 1 liter of water. An increased dose of potash fertilizers helps seedlings to take root better in the open field. For feeding, you can use ready-made complex liquid fertilizer "Kemira Lux".

Hardening

Hardening of seedlings promotes the development of the root system and ensures high survival rate. They begin to harden cabbage seedlings 10 days before planting in the ground. In the first few days in a room with seedlings, it is enough to open the window for a couple of hours.

In the next few days, the seedlings are taken out for 2-3 hours on a balcony, loggia or veranda in direct sunlight. To prevent young plants from being burned by the bright spring sun, they are slightly shaded with gauze.

On the sixth day of hardening, they begin to reduce watering, preventing the soil from drying out, and take the seedlings out to the balcony, where they will stay until they are planted in the ground. Before planting, the seedlings are well watered.

Planting cabbage seedlings in the garden

By the time of planting in the garden, the seedlings should be strong, stocky, have 4-5 leaves and a well-developed root. Planting of early cabbage is carried out in late April and early May, mid-season varieties are planted in late May or early July, late ones - throughout May.

The soil on the plot allocated for cabbage is prepared in advance: it is cleaned of plant residues and weeds, a mixture of 6-8 kg of rotted manure and 100-200 g of wood ash is dug up and applied to each square meter.

For varieties and hybrids of white and red cabbage, the following planting scheme is recommended:

• early - 30-35 cm (distance between plants in a row) x 40-45 cm (row spacing);
• mid-season - 50-60x60;
• late - 60-70x70.

For the ripening of the main heads, broccoli cabbage is planted according to the scheme 20-30x50-60, and for the development of lateral shoots - 40-45x60. For seedlings of Brussels sprouts, a planting scheme of 60-70x70 is used. Cauliflower can be planted 20-30x50x60 or staggered 30-40 cm apart.

It is recommended to plant cabbage on a cloudy day. Dig holes in the garden bed and pour at least 1 liter of water into each. The seedlings taken out of the container with an earthen lump are laid out on the holes, buried in the first real pair of leaves and watered. For the first few days, the seedlings will need to be protected from direct sunlight and sprayed with water after 17 hours.

For growing seedlings that do not tolerate transplanting, peat seedling tablets are a convenient thing. In addition, the seeds do not always germinate amicably, and in this case it is possible to transfer the "first-borns" to a cool place, and give the belated ones the opportunity to "soak up" in the warmth. This year I will plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants in tablets, I do not plant annuals due to the catastrophic lack of time in the summer. As I grow up, I will transplant into more spacious containers.

True, I was very worried about the question, do they have an expiration date? That is, immediately purchase a large number of 30-100 pieces in order to use it next year. They are so small and compact, I liked them. It turned out to be possible. If stored in a dry place, they absolutely do not lose their properties.

How to plant in peat tablets

First, you need to pour dry tablets with warm water (for efficiency, I added epin), and wait 5 minutes for it to increase in size. It increases in height by about 7 times. Then drain the water, expand the depression in the upper part of the tablet, place the seeds there, 2 - 3 pcs., Depending on the germination of the seeds, not all will sprout. Place the tablets in a greenhouse or mini-greenhouse for better seed germination.

Be sure to monitor the humidity and water the seedlings regularly. The thing is that the tablets dry very quickly and you need to constantly monitor their moisture content. It is very convenient to use peat tablets, planting cucumbers in peat tablets is especially good. Because cucumbers do not tolerate being disturbed by their roots during transplantation, and if you grow cucumbers and other similar plants in peat tablets, then they can be immediately transplanted into the garden on the garden bed, under plastic wrap and the roots are not damaged.

Seedlings of flowers, for example petunias, and seedlings of strawberries grow well in peat briquettes. Making a mini-greenhouse for peat briquettes is very simple. We need 2 cups. In one we put a soaked briquette with seeds or sprout, and close it on top with another glass.

Peat tablets reviews when using

It is very convenient to germinate tomatoes and peppers anyway and then transplant them into large cups. If they are placed on the ground or sawdust, small peat roots will sprout and then easily separate after transportation.

It all depends on the size of the roots and the plant itself, agricultural technology. Lettuce, cabbage, as it grows, can be immediately transplanted into a polycarbonate greenhouse or greenhouse without damaging the roots.It all depends on the number of transplants and the size of the coma required. It is convenient to transplant the tomato into a large container, push it deeper, and not every large container will fit a large tablet if it is lowered and sprinkled. Tomatoes dive in very crumbs. It is easier not to weaken by pulling out the roots with breaks, but simply to germinate in tablets. Cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini and watermelon melons generally do not like transplanting. I germinated and while the little ones were buried in a large container before planting in the garden (or immediately in peat pots). Let's take a closer look at how to use seedling tablets for certain crops.

How to plant cabbage in peat tablets

A peat tablet is prepared for any planting of seeds in the same way - it must be filled with warm water and swell to a ready-to-use state. Cabbage seeds, if they are not purchased in a store, are prepared by hardening in the form of immersion in hot (about 50 C) water for 15 minutes, and then in cold water for a couple of minutes, followed by drying. Two seeds are planted in each tablet in order to remove the weaker sprout in the future. Cabbage is quite demanding on light, i.e. the seed tablets should be conveniently located in the seedling box, which in turn is placed in a well-lit area of ​​the window.

In addition, cabbage is a moisture-loving plant, and the tablets, as we remember, dry out quickly, therefore, timely watering of the tablets is very important when growing cabbage seedlings in this way. At the first stage of growth, the seedlings do not need feeding, but since the tablets themselves do not contain useful elements of feeding, like some soils, in the future it is supposed to fertilize the seedlings. So, what if someone has a question: is it possible to plant cabbage in peat tablets? Of course! The main thing is not to forget about leaving - to air and water, in fact, like any other plant.

Planting tomatoes in a peat tablet

Tomatoes in peat tablets (planted in the same way as described above for cabbage) germinate until the bottom of the tablet of the central root of the plant appears. After that, the root should be trimmed and the tablet itself should be cut from 2 or 4 sides, placed in a larger and more convenient container, for example, in a plastic half-liter glass or a trimmed eggplant, adding nutritious soil into it.

You can plant peppers in peat tablets in the same way as tomatoes. In the case of germinating pepper seeds, it is better to use planting two seeds at once, so that in the future it will be possible to choose the stronger one from two sprouts, removing the weak one.

Planting eggplant in a peat tablet

It is recommended to plant eggplants in a tablet with a diameter larger than tomatoes and peppers, preferably in a tablet with a diameter of 7 cm. Do not put them very close to neighboring eggplants so that the roots do not intertwine during formation. How to transplant eggplants from tablets into open ground? This question is more pressing, in contrast to the transfer of seedlings, for example a tomato, which transfer transplantation much easier than eggplants. Therefore, it is worth carefully cutting the mesh on the tablet, placing the eggplant sprout in the prepared hole, without deepening the plant to a greater depth than it sprouted from the tablet.

How to plant flowers in a peat tablet?

It is convenient to germinate flowers in peat tablets that are considered difficult to grow, for example:

• Eustoma - very small seeds of this flower should be applied to the tablet with a moistened tip of a toothpick, 4-5 pieces per tablet surface. Sufficient hydration without overflow, will sprout in a week and a half. When several pairs of leaves are formed, the seedling can already be transplanted into a separate pot and wait for sufficient warming in the summer cottage to transplant it into open ground.
• Petunia. Practical recommendations for eustoma are also suitable for this capricious and difficult flower to germinate. The seeds are just as small and the toothpick is just as relevant.
• Balsams.They have proven themselves very well in germination in peat tablets. Saplings grow very quickly, and in the very first week they form a strong viable sprout, which after a while pleases with a bush that has formed. It is worth watching the roots growing through the tablet in order to give them more space in time - transplant into a large container before transferring to open ground.

Many house flowers, such as cyclamens and violets, are also convenient to grow in peat tablets.

Tips and reviews for growing seeds in peat tablets

There are peat tablets for seedlings of 2 cm and 4 cm, in height we mean. But I can't even imagine what 2 cm is good for. It's easier to grow everything at 4 cm! I grew ampelous petunia in them, sown in March, before planting in the ground, transplanted together with tablets into cups! And then what to say about 2 cm? Probably just something very small and slow-growing, such as primroses.

Growing in peat tablets reviews of an experienced gardener: scent, such as sweet peas, can be planted in tablets only if each tablet is in its own additional container (glass) so that the tablets cannot come into contact with each other. Sweet peas do not like transplanting and their roots are very tender, but they grow very quickly and all the tablets are intertwined with these roots. It is very difficult to separate them without traumatizing.

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Cabbage is a favorite vegetable on our table. The variety of varieties allows you to include vitamin dishes with cabbage on the menu all year round. However, environmentally friendly products can be obtained only from your own garden, knowing the technology of growing this vegetable crop. Cabbage yield largely depends on the quality of the seedlings.

Choosing a cabbage variety for growing seedlings

Before purchasing seeds, you should decide on the purpose of planting cabbage. Different varieties are used for salting, pickling, making soups, salads, etc. In addition, cabbage varieties are distinguished by their ripening times. Early ripening ones are good for fresh consumption in summer, and mid and late ripening ones are good for harvesting and long-term storage.

White cabbage is the most popular vegetable on our table

Table: cabbage varieties by ripening time

Cabbage Moscow late 15 - a productive late-ripening variety that forms a dense large head of cabbage weighing 4.5 kg

If the area permits, it is advisable to grow cabbage with different ripening periods on the site.

Video: overview of cabbage varieties

Sowing cabbage seeds for seedlings

To obtain strong viable cabbage seedlings, you should carefully prepare the soil and seeds, sow at the optimal time and create comfortable conditions for the seedlings.

Preparation and selection of soil

The sowing soil should be light and loose, and have a slight acidity. You can prepare a mixture of fertile soil with sand and humus (1: 1: 2). The soil taken from the garden must first be shed with a 0.05% solution of manganese or Fitosporin-M (1 drop per 1 liter). For alkalization of strongly acidic soil, an ash solution is introduced (1 tablespoon of ash per 1 liter).

Soil for cabbage seedlings can be prepared by yourself from fertile soil, sand and humus, adding vermiculite to maintain the desired moisture level

Seedlings develop very well on ready-made soil, which is sold in garden stores. It consists of peat, earth, river sand, fermented sawdust, vermicompost and mineral additives. Such a soil is completely ready for use and does not require disinfection. When sown in bio-soil (for example, "Amicable shoots"), the seeds germinate 3-4 days earlier than when using ordinary soil, and the seedlings tolerate picking and replanting better.

Bio-soil "Friendly shoots" for cabbage seedlings contains vermicompost and mineral additives

Instead of a soil mixture for growing seedlings, coconut substrate with the addition of vermiculite (3: 1) is also used.Oblique fiber has high moisture capacity and air permeability, vermiculite contains nutrients.

Porous coconut fiber is better at retaining moisture than peat

Seedlings grow well in peat tablets made of compressed peat, enclosed in a natural shell. Peat is enriched with additional components: mineral, antibacterial substances, growth stimulant. Seedlings grown in such tablets are practically not affected by the black leg.

Instead of soil when sowing cabbage seeds, you can use peat tablets

Choosing a container for growing

The roots of cabbage seedlings are thin, fragile leaves that break easily, which leads to a growth retardation, so it is better to immediately sow the seeds in separate containers. For growing seedlings without picking, small plastic cups or containers with cells are well suited. The containers must have drainage holes so that moisture does not stagnate in the soil.

When growing cabbage in a separate glass, the pick is not carried out

Instead of cups, you can use yogurt jars, cut plastic bottles, and even eggshells. Seedlings are easily removed along with a lump of earth during transplantation, and when grown in eggshells, they are completely planted together with a crushed container. An ideal air-water regime is created when growing seedlings in peat pots, where the container itself is a fertilizer and is planted along with the seedlings.

It is convenient to grow cabbage seedlings in trays with cells, where each seedling grows separately and does not interfere with the others

If you need to plant a large number of cabbage seedlings, it is more convenient to use spacious boxes with a pallet. The grown seedlings must dive into separate containers and then are planted in the ground.

For a large number of cabbage seedlings, it is more convenient to use seedling boxes

Seed preparation

Pelleted seeds do not need to be processed before sowing. They have already undergone pre-sowing preparation and are enclosed in a shell of an organo-mineral mixture, to which fungicides and microelements that increase germination are added. Such seeds are immediately sown in a nutritious soil - they are larger than untreated ones, and they are easier to decompose in containers. However, such seeds retain their germination for only 2 years, while ordinary ones - 4 years.

Seeds must be calibrated, selecting larger ones for sowing.

Untreated seed must be prepared. Before sowing, the seeds are calibrated, selecting medium and large in size - not less than 1.5 mm. To do this, they are placed in a 3% salt solution for 5 minutes. Small light seeds float, heavy ones that have settled to the bottom are used for sowing. They are washed with clean water and dried, then disinfected from pathogens of bacterial and fungal diseases in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes and washed again with water. To accelerate seed germination, you can place them for 12 hours in Epin solutions (1 drop per 0.5 l), Nitrofoski (5 g per 1 l) or for 3 hours in an ash solution (30 g per 1 l).

Untreated cabbage seeds are disinfected in a manganese solution before sowing

The hardening of cabbage seeds also improves germination. For this, the seeds are placed in a container, filled with hot water (50 ° C) and left for 15 minutes. Then the soaked seeds are kept for 24 hours in a refrigerator at a temperature of 1-2 ° C. Then they dry it and start sowing.

When processing cabbage seeds, hot water with a temperature of 50 degrees is used

Seedling planting methods

Seedlings are planted in two ways:

• with further picking:
  • into the nursery,
  • in containers;
• without picking:
  • in cups,
  • in peat pots,
  • in peat tablets,
  • into a snail.

To save space, it is convenient to grow a large number of seedlings in a nursery or containers.

Breeding ground

When sowing in a nursery, about 25 seedlings are located on an area of ​​1 m2.

1. A 4 cm layer of soil is poured into the box and spilled with a solution of Fitosporin-M or Gamair.
2. Grooves are marked with a depth of 1 cm every 3 cm and seeds are laid in them with an interval of 1.5 cm. Sprinkle with soil, compact and moisten the soil.
3. Cover crops with foil and place in a warm place (+20 ºC).
4. The seedlings that appear after 4–5 days are thinned out, leaving the feeding area for each sprout 2 × 2 cm.
5. After 2-3 weeks, seedlings with 2-3 true leaves are planted in peat pots or cups, in which they remain until they are planted on the beds.

A large number of seedlings can be grown in the seedling box

Container with cells

It is more convenient to grow seedlings in plastic cassettes.

1. The cells are filled with nutrient soil, not reaching the upper edge of 3 mm, so that the roots do not grow into the adjacent cell.
2. Place 2-3 seeds in each cell, deepen them by 1 cm and watered with a sprinkler.
3. The cassette is covered with plastic wrap and kept in a warm place until shoots appear, monitoring the soil moisture and removing condensation.
4. After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into larger cups.

Place 2-3 seeds in each cell

You can grow cabbage seedlings without picking, immediately planting them in separate containers or in a snail at a considerable distance from each other.

Plastic cups

Growing seedlings in cups provides a higher percentage of plant survival and their continuous growth.

1. The containers are 2/3 filled with soil, 2-3 seeds are placed at a depth of 10 mm, sprinkled with earth and moistened with a spray bottle.
2. Cover with foil and transfer to a warm place.
3. As soon as sprouts appear, the shelter is removed.
4. After regrowth of 2-3 leaves, weaker seedlings are removed, leaving one strong plant in the cup.

When sowing cabbage seeds in individual cups, the seedlings grow stronger

Peat pots

Gardeners who prefer to grow seedlings in separate molds willingly use peat pots. Growing seedlings in a peat container contributes to an increase in seed germination, an increase in yield by 30%, in addition, the root system is not injured when planted in the ground. Seedlings are planted together with a pot, which, under the influence of moisture, dissolves after a while and enriches the soil with nutrients.

Peat pots can be of very different shapes and sizes.

Peat tablets

Peat tablets are peat washers of various diameters, enclosed in a natural shell, which allows you to maintain their original shape. Above there are depressions for sowing seeds.

1. Before planting, the tablets are placed on a tray or in large cells and moistened with water. Swelling, they increase in height up to 8 cm.
2. The seeds are placed in the recesses and covered with 1–2 mm of peat from a tablet.
3. The pallet is placed in the greenhouse until the shoots loops appear.
4. After the emergence of seedlings, the greenhouse is opened.

Cabbage seeds are sown in the indentations made in the upper part of the peat tablets

Growing seedlings in peat tablets containing nutrients has clear advantages: no additional plant nutrition and growth stimulants are required; when transplanted into the ground, the root system is not damaged.

Snail landing

Growing seedlings in a snail is a way that saves space and soil. The seedlings in the snail are evenly illuminated and well ventilated, without interfering with each other's development. The material for the seedling rolls must be dense.

1. Many summer residents use a laminate underlay. It is cut into strips 20 cm wide and about a meter long.
2. A three-centimeter layer of moistened soil is laid on the substrate, retreating from the edges by 3 cm, and the seeds are laid out in the upper part at a distance of 10 cm from each other.

   After sowing cabbage seeds into a snail, the substrate with earth is rolled up

3. Roll the tape into a roll, fasten it with an elastic band and, covering it with a plastic bag on top to create a greenhouse effect, put it on a pallet in a warm place.
4. Seedlings are regularly moistened and aired. The emerging shoots loops are a signal that the package should be removed.
5. When planting in the ground, they simply unfold the roll and separate the plants along with the earthy clod.

A snail with cabbage seeds is placed on a pallet and covered with a film, which is removed when shoots appear

Video: cabbage seedlings in a snail

Dependence of the time of planting cabbage for seedlings on the ripening time

The time of sowing cabbage for seedlings is determined depending on the early maturity of the variety:

• early ripening varieties (June, Gribovsky 147, Zarya F1, Transfer F1, Kazachok F1) ripen 55–60 days after planting the seedlings. Their seeds are sown early - in late February or early March - and grown on the windowsill before being transplanted to the garden bed;

  Early ripe June cabbage is planted in early spring

• for mid-season varieties (Zolotoy hectare, Rinda, Nadezhda, Slava, Belorusskaya 455, Stakhanovka 1513), the ripening period of which is 70-75 days, sowing is carried out from the third decade of March to the end of April;
• in the first or second decades of April, late-ripening varieties (Krasnodarskaya 1, Moskovskaya late 15, Aros F1, Crumont F1, Geneva F1) are sown on seedlings, ripening in 165-180 days.

Sowing seeds of the mid-season Rinda variety is carried out in April, and in August-September you can harvest

Many summer residents who have experience in growing cabbage do not sow seeds at the same time, but every 3-4 days. This allows the harvesting period to be extended.

In open ground, early cabbage is planted 45-50 days after sowing, seedlings of medium and late varieties - at the age of 35-45 days.

How to care for seedlings

Healthy seedlings can only be grown with proper seedling care.

Temperature regime

For seed germination, it is necessary to create a greenhouse effect: cover the crops with foil and maintain the temperature at least +20 ºC. The soil should be kept moist, but at the same time ventilate daily, remove condensation. When the seedlings appear on the 3-4th day from sowing, the film is removed and the seedlings are transferred for a week to a cooler place with a daytime temperature of 10-12 ° C, a night temperature of 6-8 ° C.

Containers with cabbage seeds are placed under a film until shoots appear

If this is not done, the seedlings will stretch out and disappear. In the future, the plants are provided with an optimal temperature regime: 18–20 ° С in the daytime and 14–18 ° С at night. A lower room temperature can lead to slower growth of seedlings.

Lighting

On the 3-4th day there is a friendly emergence of seedlings, which need to be provided with good lighting. It is better to place seedlings on the windowsill on the south side, creating diffused light for them, shading them with paper or using reflective screens. For the intensive development of seedlings, it is necessary to provide 12-hour daylight hours; in a darkened room, additional lighting with a phytolamp or a fluorescent lamp will be required.

Cabbage seedlings need good lighting

Watering

Cabbage actively develops when the air humidity is 75% and the soil humidity is 85%. To do this, when the top layer of the soil dries up, abundant watering with warm water is carried out. With a lack of moisture, the plants begin to wither, the leaves turn yellow. However, over-watering should be avoided - stagnant water can lead to the development of root rot and the death of seedlings. Wet soil must be loosened, providing air access to the root system.

Cabbage seedlings need to be watered, and on hot days - and sprayed

In case of violation of the light or temperature regime, with improper watering, the seedlings can become thinner and stretch. In this case, the plants must be transplanted into individual cups by pinching the root and deepening the seedling to the cotyledonous leaves.Slowing down the growth of plants will help the introduction of a solution of the Atlet preparation (1 ampoule per 500 ml) into the soil, which also contributes to the formation of strong stems and a developed root system.

With insufficient lighting, cabbage seedlings become thinner and stretched

Pickling cabbage

If the seedlings were grown in a common container, with the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, it must be dived into separate cups. Seedlings growing in small cells are transplanted in larger containers. It is very convenient to dive seedlings into peat pots - when planting in the ground, the plants are planted along with the container.

1. Before picking, the soil is well moistened, with the help of a spatula, the seedling is removed along with a lump of earth, holding it by the stalk, and transplanted into separate cups.

   Densely planted cabbage shoots must be dived into separate cells

2. The nutrient substrate is poured, deepening the plants to the cotyledonous leaves, compacted and watered.
3. In order for the dived seedlings to take root better, at first they create a warmer microclimate for them and shade them from the bright sun, then the air temperature is reduced to comfortable values ​​of + 20-22 ° С.
4. When 4-5 true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into open ground.

Cabbage seedlings with 4-5 true leaves are ready for planting in the ground

Top dressing of seedlings

Top dressing is necessary for cabbage seedlings for better growth and development. Nutrient additives are applied during watering or by spraying. The first top dressing is carried out 2 weeks after sowing the seeds, introducing a solution of complex fertilizer Agricola-1 (25 g / 10 l) into the soil. Good influence on the development of plants and foliar feeding. The prepared solution of Agricola-1 fertilizer is sprayed on the leaves with a sprayer in the morning or evening hours.

The seedlings are re-fed 10 days after the pick.

It is useful to feed cabbage seedlings with a complex fertilizer Agricola, which contains all the necessary trace elements

Before planting seedlings in the ground, the third feeding is carried out.

When using complex fertilizers containing a balanced amount of macro- and microelements, cabbage seedlings develop well and easily adapt to open field conditions.

Hardening

A week before transplanting to the garden, the seedlings begin to harden:

1. On the first day or two, the window is slightly opened for 3-4 hours, while making sure that there is no draft.
2. Then, within 3 days, containers with plants are taken out onto the veranda or glazed balcony, necessarily shading from the sun's rays, gradually increasing the time spent in a cool room.
3. On the sixth day of cold hardening, watering the seedlings is stopped and transferred to the street, covering from the sun. They clean the room at night.
4. On the last day of hardening, the plants are left in the open air until they are planted in the ground.
5. Before transplanting to the garden bed, the seedlings are well moistened.

   Cabbage seedlings will become even stronger if they start hardening a few days before planting on the garden

Disease prevention

If agricultural technology is violated, the seedlings can get sick. Cabbage most often suffers from black leg and peronosporosis.

Density of seedlings, excessive watering and non-observance of the temperature regime often lead to the appearance of a black leg. Symptoms of the disease are darkening and decay of the stem in the root part. It is impossible to save such plants, therefore, to protect the seedlings, it is necessary to focus on prevention.

Before sowing, seeds and soil should be disinfected, then when watering, use only warm water, adding potassium permanganate to it. In the phase of 2-3 leaves, cabbage seedlings are sprayed with a 0.2% solution of Fitosporin-M. The acidic environment is favorable for the development of pathogens of the black leg, therefore, the soil with a high level of acidity is necessarily limed. At the first signs of the disease, the affected plants are removed, the healthy ones are transplanted into new soil, the seedlings are treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Black leg is a fungal disease that quickly spreads when the agricultural technology of growing cabbage seedlings is violated

Excessive watering and too high a temperature in the room contribute to the development of downy mildew. This fungal disease especially often affects young plants with weak immunity. Yellowish-brownish spots appear on the upper part of the leaf, the reverse side is covered with a grayish bloom. At the first symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to powder the plants with ash (25 g / 0.5 m2) or treat with Fitosporin-M solution (3 g / 5 l), after a week, repeat the treatment.

Excess moisture and high air temperature lead to the development of peronosporosis.

Pest control

The main enemies of cabbage seedlings are cruciferous fleas and aphids. The appearance of white spots and holes on cabbage leaves is the result of an attack by a cruciferous flea.

Cruciferous fleas damage cabbage seedlings by punching holes in the leaves

Aphids reveal their presence on cabbage seedlings in white, and then with a brown bloom on the leaves.

In the fight against pests, you can use natural preparations: herbal decoctions (chamomile, celandine, wormwood), ash solution (150 g / 5 l) or milk with iodine. You can wash the plants with soapy water. With a massive invasion of insects, you will have to use chemicals - Bankol (0.7 g / l), Anabazine sulfate (1 g / l).

Even a novice gardener can grow healthy cabbage seedlings. Knowing the features of the vegetable crop and creating comfortable conditions for it, you can harvest the whole season, prepare vitamin salads from cabbage, pickle or store in a cellar until spring.

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