Content
Growing Chinese cabbage Russians have become interested in recent years. This vegetable is not only tasty, but also healthy. He rarely lingers on store shelves. There are many varieties of Peking cabbage, so their choice should be taken seriously.
The climatic conditions of the Russian regions are varied, so it is not always possible to get full-fledged heads of Peking cabbage. Bilko F1 cabbage is an interesting hybrid. Our readers will be presented with a description and some characteristics of the vegetable, as well as features of agricultural technology.
Description
Bilko Peking cabbage variety belongs to hybrids. You can verify this when buying seeds: there is the letter F1 on the bag. The ripening period of the vegetable is mid-early; you can cut the heads of cabbage 65-70 days after sowing the seeds in the ground or for seedlings.
The shape of the leaves is obovate, the color of the upper leaves is rich green. Blistering is clearly visible on them.
A head of cabbage of the Bilko variety grows up to two kilograms, resembles a barrel. It is of medium density, tapers upwards. The inner stump is not long, so there is practically no waste after cleaning. In technical ripeness, the leaves on the head of cabbage are whitish-yellow in the lower part, and light green on top. If the cabbage is cut in half, then the inside is yellowish, as in the photo below.
Characteristic
- Peking cabbage of the Bilko variety has good taste.
- Gardeners are attracted by early ripening periods and the ability to grow a vegetable in several streams. With late sowing, a small head of cabbage of the Bilko variety has time to form. Heads of cabbage curl well at low temperatures and short daylight hours.
- The Bilko variety is fruitful, as a rule, it is harvested from 5 to 7 kilograms per square meter.
- Bilko's cabbage is transportable, the heads of cabbage are not opened, the flawless presentation is preserved.
- Plants are rarely exposed to diseases from which representatives of the Cruciferous family suffer: keela, powdery mildew, mucous bacteriosis, fusarium.
- The Peking Bilko variety is stored for almost four months in cool conditions.
- Loose heads of cabbage are used for making salads. In addition, Peking cabbage is fermented and used for wrapping stuffed cabbage. Moreover, the leaves of Bilko F1 are much softer than that of a white vegetable.
- Peking Bilko reproduces in a seedling and non-seedling way.
Of the shortcomings, one can be called - non-compliance with agricultural technology leads to the formation of arrows, which reduces all efforts to nothing.
Features of the variety
Why do gardeners prefer to grow white cabbage on their personal subsidiary plots? The fact is that the Peking cabbage vegetable is not always successful. The reason is the mistakes made during the cultivation. Let's take a look at the biological characteristics of the variety.
One of the problems is color, here are some reasons for this phenomenon:
- Temperature mismatch. If at the beginning of the growth the temperatures are low (less than +15 degrees) or, conversely, high, then instead of twisting the head of cabbage, flowering arrows form on the Bilko cabbage.
- Damaged central root. That is why it is best to grow plants one at a time in cassettes or cups so that the cabbage root system is closed.
- Bilko is a plant with short daylight hours. If daylight lasts more than 13 hours, then the vegetable seeks to get "offspring".
- The same problem occurs if Peking cabbage of the Bilko variety is planted too densely. As a rule, you need to maintain a step when sowing seeds from 10 to 20 cm.Then, after sprouting, the cabbage is pulled, leaving at least 30 cm between the bushes, about 60 cm between the rows.
- Depleted soil also tends to cause frog formation as the cabbage lacks nutrition. She seeks to bloom faster and get seeds. After all, the root system of the Bilko F1 Peking cabbage is located close to the surface. That is why a place with fertile and loose soil is chosen for planting.
If you follow these rules, you can grow a good harvest of a healthy vegetable.
Landing dates
As mentioned above, the formation of a head of cabbage on the Bilko variety depends on the air temperature and the length of daylight hours. Therefore, experienced gardeners grow Peking cabbage in early spring or autumn.
The optimum temperature for cabbage variety Bilko is + 15-22 degrees. In spring, as a rule, there is a sharp drop in temperatures by 5 or even 10 degrees. This is a disaster for Chinese cabbage - shooting is inevitable.
In the fall, seedlings of Peking cabbage Bilko are planted in the third decade of July and until August 10. It all depends on when the frost starts. Therefore, it is important to determine the timing so that the heads of cabbage have time to form before the first frost. The Bilko variety withstands temperatures up to -4 degrees without loss of yield.
Soil features
Peking cabbage Bilko F1 likes well fertilized, slightly acidic soils with a high nitrogen content. This microelement is necessary for the vegetable to build up green mass. Therefore, before planting cabbage, they are introduced into the ground for each square meter:
- compost from 4 to 5 kg;
- dolomite flour 100 or 150 grams;
- wood ash up to 4 glasses.
If you buy a vegetable from the store, be sure to soak it in cold water before chopping it up for salad.
For sowing seeds or planting cabbage seedlings of the Bilko variety, beds are chosen that were previously occupied by cucumbers, garlic, potatoes or onions. But after relatives of the Cruciferous family, cabbage is not planted, since they have not only common insect pests, but also diseases.
Agricultural technology and care
Regardless of how you propagate the Peking vegetable, you should know that the seeds of the Dutch Bilko variety are not soaked before sowing. The fact is that they are treated with Thiram fungicide before packing.
Growing seedlings
To obtain an early harvest of heads of cabbage of the Bilko F1 variety, the seedling method is used. The seeds are sown in April. Before planting, the soil is spilled with boiling water, to which potassium permanganate crystals are added. This is necessary to prevent a cabbage disease such as black leg.
From the description and characteristics of the Dutch variety Bilko, it is clear that plants with a closed root system take root without problems and quickly build up green mass. This is why it is best to sow seeds in separate cups or cassettes. If cabbage seeds are sown in a common container, then you will have to dive.
Seeds are buried to a depth of no more than half a centimeter. The containers are installed in a warm room at a temperature of 20-24 degrees. The first sprouts of cabbage appear in 3-4 days. The air temperature is slightly reduced so that the sprouts of Peking cabbage do not stretch out and put the containers on a well-lit window.
Plants at the stage of seedling development are watered, fertilized with urea or an extract of wood ash. Before planting in the ground, Bilko cabbage is taken out into the street or balcony for hardening.
Landing in the ground
When 3 or 4 true leaves appear on the seedlings of Bilko F1 cabbage, it is planted in a permanent place.We have already spoken about the planting scheme, it must be adhered to without fail, because thickened plantings can lead to flowering.
The seedlings are buried in the holes until the cotyledon leaves. During the growing season, it is necessary to remove weeds, because it is on them that pests and disease spores live.
Seed propagation
As indicated in the characteristic, Bilko Peking cabbage can be grown by seedlings and by direct sowing of seeds into the ground.
Sowing is carried out in fertile soil to a depth of half a centimeter. A distance of 5-10 cm is left between the grains in a row. The fact is that seed germination is not always 100%. Better then thin out than be left without cabbage. By the end of thinning, there should be at least 30 cm between the plants.
Illumination correction
Peking cabbage of the Bilko F1 variety forms a head of cabbage if the daylight hours lasts no more than 13 hours. Therefore, gardeners have to "shorten" the summer day. In the afternoon, for planting Bilko cabbage, experienced gardeners recommend throwing a dark covering material. Besides sun protection, it can be used in early spring or late autumn to save plants from frost.
Watering and fertilizing
Beijing Bilko is a big lover of water. Drying of the soil should not be allowed, but a swamp in the garden should not be arranged. Water the plants with warm water under the root. To reduce watering, the soil around future heads of cabbage is mulched.
As a top dressing and protection of cabbage from pests, gardeners are advised to use wood ash. Each leaf and soil is abundantly powdered with it. You can make an ash hood and spray the Bilko F1 variety.
Pest control
Pesticides cannot be used on cabbage during the growing season. You have to do with safe insect control agents. We have already spoken about ash. In addition to it, you can use salt, dry mustard, red ground pepper (scattered over the plants and on the ground). They repel many pests. As for slugs or caterpillars, they will have to be removed by hand.
If the invasion of pests cannot be eliminated, you can use special preparations based on biological components.
Cabbage on the window
Some Russians who do not have a land plot are interested in whether it is possible to grow full-fledged heads of cabbage of the Bilko F1 variety in an apartment. We hasten to please them. The main advantage of growing a vegetable at home is getting fresh produce throughout the year.
Let's take a look at the peculiarities of agricultural technology:
- Preparing fertile soil. You can use a store-bought potting mix. We put it in a container with a volume of at least 500 ml.
- Spill the soil with hot water, cool to room temperature.
- We make a small depression of 0.5 cm and sow 3 seeds in each container.
- Seedlings appear in 4 days. When the plants grow up, choose the strongest seedling, and remove the rest.
Caring for Peking cabbage of the Bilko variety at home is reduced to timely watering, top dressing, temperature and light control.
Peking cabbage growing technology:
Conclusion
As you can see, observing the norms of agricultural technology, you can grow healthy Peking cabbage. But the harvest needs to be saved somehow.
Some of the heads of cabbage can be fermented, and the rest can be put in the refrigerator or cellar. As indicated in the characteristics, the Bilko variety can be stored for up to four months under certain conditions.
We choose cabbage without damage, fold it loosely into boxes in one layer. We put it in the cellar. The vegetable is stored at a humidity of 95-98% and a temperature of 0 to +2 degrees. At higher rates, the vegetable begins to germinate.
If the air in the basement is dry, then it is necessary to put water next to the boxes.
Heads of cabbage can be stored open or wrapped in cling film. It's a good idea to keep the heads of cabbage in the freezer. They can lie there for up to three months.
At the slightest sign of bogging or rotting, the cabbage is put into action.
