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Usually, most people associate cabbage with harvesting for the winter, pickling, a variety of pickles and other delicacies. But not everyone realizes that cabbage can be eaten already in June, and not yet bought in a store, but grown by hand on a plot of land. True, this will take some effort, but it's worth it.
Indeed, there are so-called early varieties of white cabbage, in which from the first shoots to the formation of heads of cabbage, it takes about 90 days. As a rule, these varieties do not differ in high yield, but this is not necessary in June. The main thing is the opportunity to enjoy fresh, tender, vitamin-rich cabbage greens at a time when there are practically no vegetables from the garden yet. One of the most popular early varieties is the June white cabbage. When can June cabbage be sown for seedlings to enjoy an early harvest?
What are different planting dates used for?
Of course, it's not for nothing that this cabbage is called June. The name itself suggests that it can be consumed at the very beginning of summer.
This means the number of days that elapse from germination to the moment of head formation. Thus, if you want to try this cabbage already in June, then you need to sow it on seedlings as early as possible in the spring, around the beginning of March.
In general, there is nothing wrong with that, given that it is during these periods that gardeners sow peppers and tomatoes for seedlings. But growing cabbage seedlings has its own characteristics and requires the creation of completely different conditions compared to tomatoes and peppers. In addition, when planting in the ground, it is desirable that the age of the seedlings does not exceed 45-50 days.
When sowing cabbage for seedlings in early March, you will need plant its permanent place already in the second half of April, otherwise the seedlings run the risk of outgrowing, which will negatively affect its fruiting. At least early heads of cabbage can not be expected. But in most regions of Russia in the second half of April, very decent frosts are still possible, which even such a cold-resistant plant as cabbage cannot tolerate. This means that you will need to additionally take care of the solid cover of the cabbage planted in the ground.
If you are willing to go to a lot of extra hassle to get a super early cabbage harvest, then everything is in your hands.
Most gardeners often do not have the opportunity to provide cabbage with such conditions, especially since in addition to it, there are a thousand different things in the garden that require attention during this hot period.
"When to plant cabbage in this case?" - you ask.
In this case, you can plant seedlings in the ground already at the beginning - mid-May. These terms are traditional for planting cabbage seedlings in open ground for most regions of Russia. Moreover, in the old agricultural Russian calendar, there are even two special dates dedicated to the planting of cabbage seedlings. In 2019 it will be May 8-12 and May 19-24. Cabbage seedlings will not require any additional measures to protect against cold weather.And the first heads of cabbage, under favorable conditions of care, you will still be able to taste back in June, but only at the very end.
There is also a category of gardeners who are not at all interested in the timing of sowing and for them the question "when to plant cabbage for seedlings" does not really matter. For them, the main thing is to make as little effort as possible and at the same time get a high-quality harvest. In this case, the easiest way is to sow cabbage seeds in a greenhouse or under film shelters in April or even in early May, where the seedlings will develop in the most optimal way for themselves, even without special care.
At the end of May, it is usually transplanted to a permanent place of residence in the beds and is looked after in the traditional way: watering, feeding, treatment from pests. True, in this case, the harvest is obtained only by August, but without much effort.
Watch the video, which once again explains all the subtleties associated with the timing of planting cabbage for seedlings:
Seedling growing technology
As mentioned above, growing cabbage for seedlings has its own characteristics compared to other vegetable crops, since cabbage is not only cold-resistant, but also cold-loving vegetable.
Sowing preparation
Since June cabbage, like all representatives of its family, is quite easily exposed to all kinds of diseases, it is imperative to decontaminate the seeds before sowing. This can only be avoided if you have purchased seeds already prepared for sowing by the manufacturer.
The simplest way to disinfect seeds is to place them in hot water with a temperature of + 45 ° C- + 50 ° C for 15-20 minutes. After that, the seeds are poured with cold water for a few minutes and dried to a crumbly state. An even more reliable way is to soak the seeds for 8-10 hours in a phytosporin solution.
You also need to prepare containers in which you will plant cabbage seeds. June cabbage, like any white cabbage, is quite easy to transplant, so the easiest way is to sow it directly into boxes. But if you do not need a lot of seedlings, but timing is important, then it is better to plant the seeds immediately in separate cups. In this case, the seedlings will develop faster and be accepted during transplantation.
It is also important that the soil for sowing is loose, breathable, but at the same time fertile. A little vermiculite can be added to any ready-made mixture for these purposes.
Watch a detailed video on how to sow cabbage for seedlings at home.
Features of growing cabbage seedlings
When cabbage crops are kept in warm conditions, seedlings may appear already on the second or third day. The lower the temperature at which the seeds are kept, the greater the delay in germination.
At home, it would be best to put it on the balcony for this time. If it's still too cold, then you can build an impromptu greenhouse for her. But keeping it indoors during this period is quite pointless - the seedlings will stretch out and sooner or later die.
After this period, seedlings of early cabbage can be brought into the house and made a pick in different pots, if it was sown before in boxes.
After transplanting, the seedlings can be kept for several days at a temperature of + 18 ° C + 20 °, but then it must again be placed in as cool conditions as possible.It is desirable that the temperature during the day does not exceed + 16 ° С, and at night it drops to + 10 ° С- + 12 ° С.
Only under these conditions will cabbage seedlings feel good and are capable of a large and full harvest.
Below is a video that shows in detail the planting of cabbage seedlings in open ground.
Seedling cabbage in greenhouses
But still, most experienced gardeners prefer to grow cabbage seedlings, even early ones, right in the beds. Sometimes greenhouses and greenhouses are used for these purposes, but not everyone has them. For this, cabbage seeds, disinfected by traditional methods, are sown in beds prepared in autumn with fertile and loose soil. This operation is usually performed in mid or late April. Before sowing, the soil is spilled with hot water. Seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm in rows with a distance of 2-4 cm between plants. Later, excess seedlings can be carefully removed or even transplanted. Arcs from any available material are installed on top of the bed and a thick non-woven material is thrown over them. From all edges of the bed, the material is pressed to the ground with bricks or stones.
Seedling cabbage with this growing method will require minimal attention. Temperature and humidity are kept at optimum levels. Rain penetrates the material and prevents seedlings from drying out.
When several true leaves form in the seedlings, it can be thinned out. And in the beginning - mid-May, ready-made seedlings without shelter can be planted in a permanent place. Such seedlings will look very stocky, healthy and have a rich green color.
Conclusion
There are many ways to grow early cabbage seedlings - choose according to your capabilities and tastes. Remember that any plant will surely thank you for proper care and attention to its needs with a good harvest.
