Seedless way to grow cabbage
Most gardeners plant cabbage seedlings on their plot. It is either grown independently, sowing seeds in early spring in containers with their further transplantation to the garden bed, or they acquire already matured and ready for transplanting seedlings on the market.
However, some craftsmen, wanting to save time and reduce the amount of work, use the seedless method of planting cabbage. This means that the seeds are sown directly into the open ground, immediately to a permanent place. The main nuance of this method is that future seedlings must be covered with a cap on top to create a microclimate necessary for seed germination and further development of the seedling. To appreciate all the advantages of the method, you should familiarize yourself with the intricacies of sowing cabbage in the ground under a hood.
Read also the article: cultivation of Chinese cabbage!
How to properly prepare the holes for the seeds to sprout?
Quite often, gardeners using a seedless sowing method cabbageare facing difficulties such as poor seed germination. Of course, poor-quality seed material can also be the cause of such a problem. However, in most cases, cabbage does not emerge due to the fact that the technology is broken during sowing. After all, the seeds are very small, and if they are simply poured into the hole, then during watering they can seep into the soil along with water, from where it is almost impossible for the sprouts to break through.
Therefore, it is better to make seed holes with a small bottle, and not with glanders. To do this, deepen the bottom of the bottle into the soil, scrolling it so that the earth is compacted.
Sow cabbage seeds immediately after rain. If precipitation is not expected, the bed must first be shed well.
Sowing seeds
Put 3-4 cabbage seeds in the obtained tamped holes. In principle, one hole is intended for one plant, but just in case it is better to plant with a margin.
Next, each hole with seeds:
- sprinkle with humus instead of earth and trample it a little;
- cover with a cap on top and press it with the earth so that it does not blow away by the wind.
As a cap, you can use plastic bottles with a cut-off bottom or disposable large glasses. In the latter, a hole must be made at the bottom.
When using glasses with a perforated bottom, the holes should be sprinkled on top with earth for the first time or covered with cotton wool.
Features of seedling care
The cabbage seedlings will remain under the hood until they grow up enough and they become cramped. Until this time, the seedlings must be regularly ventilated by opening the holes in the cups or unscrewing the caps in the bottles.
If all the seeds sprout in the hole, you need to leave the strongest sprout, and cut the rest with scissors. In no case should it be pulled out, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the roots and the remaining plant.
As for watering, it is enough to moisten the soil around the hood. It is not necessary to remove it, as the water will penetrate under the bottle anyway and reach the roots of the plant.