Cabbage Wintering: description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation with photo

Breeders are constantly developing new varieties and hybrids of cabbage. Those involved in culture have to take into account many aspects when growing: the duration of ripening, storage conditions, taste characteristics. One of the varieties of white vegetables in demand among gardeners is Zimovka cabbage.

Variety description

Semi-spreading head of cabbage has a medium or large size with a diameter of over 70 centimeters. The rounded sheets are grey-green in color with a pronounced waxy coating, not hard veins and wavy edges.

These characteristics of the vegetable allow it to be stored for a long time. The average length of the leaf plate is 40-50 cm, width - 32-45 cm. The leaves fit very tightly to each other and there are minimal gaps between them, despite the thin internal structure. A mature head of wintering weighs between 2 and 3.5 kilograms, but with proper care it can reach a larger mass without loss of taste.

Growing

Vegetable seedlings can grow and retain useful properties only when they are in greenhouse conditions. The final quality of the heads will depend on the seed stock, so when choosing seeds, it is important to consider the goals of growing the crop. In most cases, wintering is sown in early April, after which it takes up to 50 days to form seedlings.

It is best to leave the seedlings in a ventilated room with a temperature regime of about 10 degrees.In the dark, an additional source of lighting should be arranged. The soil should be moderately moist, the drying of the earth is not allowed. The first sprouts begin to appear 5 days after planting. A week after germination, it is recommended to treat the soil with a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.

It is important to choose the right place for the beds where Wintering will be planted, the description of which assumes warm climatic conditions.

Culture needs a lot of natural light, and in the shade, the sprouts begin to quickly stretch and bloom without forming a head. Even if the head of cabbage ripens in a dark place, it may turn out to be rotten and loose.

Features of care

Zimovka variety is quite unpretentious in care and even with poor soil fertility, gardeners can achieve a good harvest. To do this, you need to follow several rules of care:

When the seedlings of the culture sprout and get stronger, they can dive, which will increase the space for food.
When extracting seedlings, it is necessary to water the ground well so that a soil lump remains on them.
When transplanting plants into another container or into a garden bed, the root is shortened by a third.
Water the plant should be no more than 1-2 times a week, taking into account atmospheric conditions. With excess moisture, cracks and rot can occur on the surface of heads of cabbage. Damaged fruit cannot be stored.

For the correct and stable growth of the crop, a suitable top dressing is needed throughout the ripening period. The first portion of the fertilizer is added to the soil before sowing the seeds. Wood ash, sawdust and rotted mullein are laid in the sowing holes.

At the stage of formation of the third leaf, the time for the next feeding is coming.Two weeks before this moment, you need to soak the bird droppings in water, wait for the fermentation process to stop, add water and carefully pour the solution over each seedling. Pre-beds should be plentifully watered with plain water. After the formation of the forks, the bushes are watered with a solution of 10 liters of water with 30 grams of superphosphate.

A number of other standard soil fertilizers can be used if needed, depending on the maturation stages and presence of plant diseases.

Pros and cons

Great demand for wintering cabbage among summer residents and gardeners is due to a number of comparative advantages. These include:

Crop stability. From one square meter of planting, you can collect up to 7 kilograms of mature heads.
Frost resistance. Fruits are able to undergo slight frosts within -5 degrees at any stage of ripening, without loss of useful characteristics.
Variability of use. Zimovka variety cabbage has a universal purpose and can be used for pickling, pickling or long-term winter storage.
Presentation. Heads of cabbage do not fade and do not delaminate on the beds under the influence of the sun and various precipitations, as well as during long storage.
Transportability. When transporting the crop, the heads do not crack or rot under standard conditions.
Good immunity. The white-headed vegetable is famous for its resistance to the occurrence of gray rot and punctate necrosis, which positively affects its safety.
Vitamin composition. Wintering contains a large amount of minerals and vitamins, including ascorbic acid and sugar.

Only a slight bitterness of the vegetable immediately after harvest and during the first 2-3 months of storage can be attributed to a negative quality.It is recommended to eat wintering cabbages after this period, when the taste properties will improve and fully open. From the second half of winter, it is best to use cabbage for salads, soups, and fresh.

Pests and diseases

Unlike modern hybrid varieties, Zimovka most often receives diseases such as various forms of bacteriosis, downy mildew and black leg. To prevent the spread of these diseases, the crop should be sprayed with Phytosporin before fork tying.

If the heads are planted in a dark or very damp place, they may be affected by the cruciferous flea. The insect leaves holes on the leaves of the plant, which spoils the appearance of the crop and negatively affects its taste characteristics. To combat the flea, you can periodically sprinkle the plants with an admixture of wood ash with red pepper powder.

Colossal damage to cabbage is also caused by whiteflies, which lay their larvae in the leaves of the emerging head. Hatching caterpillars begin to actively eat the fruit from the inside. To eliminate pests, you can use a soap solution or special pesticides.

When slugs and snails are found on the beds, you can remove the pests with your hands. Also, gardeners often use bait in the form of chopped cucumbers or zucchini to repel insects.

Harvest and storage of crops

Wintering, as the description of the variety says, is subject to long-term storage and fermentation. The vegetable should be removed from the garden in mid-October, subject to dry weather. If you want to leave a head of cabbage for winter storage, you do not need to remove the outer stalk, as the vegetable is suspended from it.

The optimum temperature in the storage of white cabbage is 0-2 degrees. Under such conditions, you can leave the cabbage on racks or in special boxes.

For better preservation, the forks can be sprinkled with crumbled chalk. This will not only preserve the taste of the vegetable, but also favorably affect its presentation.

Reviews of gardeners

Alena, Stavropol: “I have been growing this variety for the third year. Every time a stable harvest and practically do not encounter pests. The preservation is very good and there is always fresh cabbage in the cellar. Perfect for a variety of pickles and much tastier when fresh than other varieties.”

Maria, Belgorod: “I planted Zimovka for the first time and, surprisingly, it is a very productive variety. I collected more than 100 kg, most of it was left to be stored for the winter. Over time, the taste only develops and gets much better.”