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Crisp cabbage is always held in high esteem by Russians in a fresh, salted, pickled form. This vegetable can be used to prepare not only the first and second courses, salads, but also pies, pies. Unfortunately, not all gardeners are engaged in cabbage cultivation. The reason is not in the difficulties of agricultural technology, but in the fact that pests and diseases attack cabbage during growth.
Novice gardeners often wonder why cabbage can turn yellow lower leaves. And not only after planting on the ridges, but also at the seedling stage. There are many reasons leading to the yellowing of the lower leaves, we will try to tell about them and the measures of struggle.
Causes of yellowing of leaves
Problems related to agricultural technology
If you notice yellow leaves on cabbage, you should not immediately resort to pesticides to destroy pests or diseases.
More often the lower leaves turn yellow, and then fall off due to imbalance in nutrition:
- The lower leaves will turn yellow if there is not enough nitrogen in the soil. And it is necessary for cabbage to build up green mass. Timely feeding with urea or other nitrogen-containing fertilizers helps the plant recover and grow heads of cabbage.
- The yellowing of cabbage leaves underneath may be due to a lack of phosphorus. In this case, problems arise not only with the leaf plate, but also the growth of cabbage slows down. The solution to the problem is the use of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers.
- In cauliflower, like all of its relatives, the leaves underneath change color if there is not enough magnesium in the soil. It is possible to determine the lack of this microelement by the pale leaf blades, on which the veins remain green for a long time. If the soil is acidic, then fertilizing with mineral fertilizers will not give the desired result. You need to solve the problem before planting cabbage: lime the soil.
Lack of care
Almost all types of cabbage, especially cauliflower, prefer open, sunny places. If there is not enough light, the lower leaves may turn yellow. This is a kind of signal that cannot be overlooked.
Often, our readers write that cabbage grows in the sun, is well fed, but the leaves still turn yellow and fall off.
What could be the reason:
- Sharp changes in daily temperatures, especially in early spring, do not allow the plant to develop harmoniously.
- Untimely loosening of the soil leads to oxygen starvation, plants absorb microelements and nutrients worse.
- Lack of moisture in the soil or uneven watering.
Even a novice gardener will understand what to do. Strictly follow the agrotechnical rules associated with caring for cabbage: watering, feeding, loosening.
Pests
The activity of pests can lead to yellowing of the leaves. Cabbage leaves are popular with aphids, scoop caterpillars, cabbage butterflies, cabbage fly larvae and other lovers of succulent leaves. If the lower leaves have changed color, look under the leaf blade.
If you see pests, take action immediately. Sprinkle wood ash right over your head. You can also sprinkle red hot peppers around the stem. Spraying with valerian helps a lot from caterpillars.
Infection is harder to fight
The above listed problems, in comparison with infectious wilting and yellowing of the leaves, are flowers, because you can quickly put the cabbage in order. With regards to infections and diseases, in some cases it will even be necessary to part with the plants.
- Fusarium leaf wilt is a fungal disease. The disease develops even at the seedling stage. The leaves lose their firmness, turn yellow, wither and eventually fall off. You can make sure that this is exactly Fusarium by cutting off the stem - brown dots are visible on it. What to do with cabbage, can you save it? Plants on which signs of a fungal disease are found are destroyed, and the soil is treated with copper sulfate (for ten liters of pure water, 5 grams of the substance).
- Peronosporosis also begins on seedlings... If you do not fight powdery mildew in a timely manner, the plant may die, since the lower leaves first turn yellow and fall off. This is an infection, so it is not always possible to protect neighboring plants. The disease can be avoided if the seeds and soil are disinfected with the same solution of copper sulfate. The procedure for processing the plant and soil is repeated after planting the seedlings outside. So that the "medicine" does not immediately drain from the leaves, liquid soap is added to the solution.
- The third infectious disease is also fungal. This is keela... The disease can be recognized by the growths and thickenings that have appeared on the roots. They "steal" nutrients, the leaves and heads of cabbage do not get food. Nothing can be done to save the plant. Moreover, the affected plant must be urgently removed and the ground disinfected. In the beds where cabbage keel was found, serious soil treatment is needed, first with ash, and in the fall after harvesting with copper sulfate.
Diseases of cabbage:
Conclusion
As you can see, cabbage leaves can turn yellow and fall off for a variety of reasons. Such summer "leaf fall" can be prevented, if you do not forget about prevention, starting from the seed stage. Timely treatment with drugs such as Gamair or Alirin will help prevent the development of fungal diseases. It is allowed to use the funds during the period of tying the forks.
