Everything you need to know about growing Chinese cabbage
Rarely can anyone imagine their diet without Chinese cabbage salad. You can grow a tasty and healthy vegetable in your own garden, knowing the intricacies of planting and caring for it. This is not at all difficult to do, especially since Peking cabbage has a short growing season.
Read also the article:Chinese cabbage cultivation in the greenhouse!
When is the best time to plant cabbage?
Peking cabbage is a vegetable of short daylight hours, so it should be planted during the period when daylight hours have the least number of hours. Such requirements are due to the fact that with prolonged exposure to the sun, Peking often fades into color, instead of forming a head of cabbage.
The most optimal time for planting this variety is early spring or late summer.
The method of growing Peking cabbage in two passes has proven itself quite well:
- the first sowing must be carried out between April 15 and May 1;
- second sowing - from July 20 to August 10.
How and where to plant the crop?
Due to the fact that the heads of cabbage cabbage are large enough and require a lot of space, experienced gardeners advise to sow seeds directly into the ground. In addition, Peking does not tolerate picking, so a seedless growing method is the best for her.
The site for planting crops should be well lit, while it is necessary to avoid swampy and acidic soils. Peking cabbage grows well in the beds where garlic, onions, cucumbers, and potatoes were previously grown.
Before sowing seeds, sand should be added to loamy soil and the beds should be dug up. Spill the soil with high acidity 2 weeks before sowing with a solution based on dolomite flour or slaked lime (200 g per 10 l of water).
It is necessary to sow seeds in warm soil. To do this, cover the future beds with black film and leave for 14 days.
After the specified time:
- add ash to the site and make holes with a diameter of 15 cm, leaving a distance of 40 cm between them - with a closer planting, the cabbage will develop poorly and hurt;
- compact the earth and sow 2 seeds each;
- sprinkle with a thin layer of earth;
- cover with a cap from a cut plastic bottle with a capacity of 5 liters (do not open the cap on the bottle yet).
Subtleties of seedling care
When the seeds germinate, leave the strongest sprout, and remove the second. As soon as the remaining plant grows a little, you can begin to air the plantings by unscrewing the caps on the bottles. It is also convenient to water through the same hole. Peking cabbage normally tolerates water from above to the head of cabbage.
The first feeding should be done when 2 real leaves are formed on the bushes. To do this, dilute 1 liter of infusion in 10 liters of water and water the plants under the root.
In phase 4 of these leaves, remove the cap. Then carry out hilling. It is necessary to water the cabbage regularly, but in moderation, not allowing the soil to dry out, otherwise the head of cabbage will not tie well.