Kolrabi cabbage: cultivation and care in the open field with a photo

Kolrabi cabbage began to gain popularity relatively recently. Most often, experienced vegetable growers who like to grow vegetables in their garden are engaged in its cultivation. This variety is a dietary product that can be eaten boiled, stewed and raw. To get a good crop of kohlrabi cabbage, cultivation and care will have to be done correctly. Only by following all the rules can you increase productivity.

Short description

Before you grow kohlrabi cabbage in the open field, you need to read the description of its main characteristics.

During growth, the stem of the plant begins to develop first. It appears much earlier than heads of cabbage are tied. The bush is covered with large dark green leaves. The edible part of Kohlrabi is its stem, which in its shape is very reminiscent of a turnip. In terms of their taste qualities, the varieties of kohlrabi cabbage are very reminiscent of a cabbage stalk. However, Kohlrabi's stem is sweeter and juicier.

It contains more active biological elements and vitamins that the human body needs. The sizes of a vegetable can be completely different - from 0.5 to 1 kg.

Growing seedlings

Cultivation of kohlrabi cabbage begins with planting seeds for seedlings. Many gardeners who have not grown cabbage before do not know when to plant kohlrabi for seedlings. It is recommended to sow it one and a half months before planting seedlings in the garden.

To get an early harvest, planting material is planted in greenhouses in the first half of March.In this case, the first fruits can be harvested after three months. To get a late harvest, kohlrabi cultivation begins in early May. This will allow you to collect the first fruits in the second half of July. People living in the Moscow region and residents of the Moscow region can plant seeds a little earlier.

Seed preparation

To make Kohlrabi cabbage seeds germinate more intensively, it is recommended to soak them in a special solution made from aloe, boric acid and copper sulfate.

There is also another way to prepare seeds for planting. To do this, several layers of a thick towel are placed on the plate, on which the grains are placed. Then all this is filled with water and infused for 2-4 hours. The water is drained and the seeds are left overnight in a room at room temperature. In the morning, all the seeds are poured out of the plate into a plastic bag and kept in it for 12-20 hours.

Growing from seeds will work without problems only if the seed material is disinfected in advance.

Quite often, heat treatment of grains is used for this. However, it should be noted that after carrying out this procedure, the number of seeds suitable for planting will decrease significantly. Cabbage seeds do not tolerate too high temperatures, so they need to be heated in water heated to 30-40 degrees.

Soil preparation

In order for cabbage to start heading faster, it is necessary to grow it in previously prepared soil. It is created from a nutrient mixture, on which the quality of seedlings largely depends. Owners of summer cottages can easily create an excellent soil mixture to grow cabbage in it.

It is recommended to do this in the fall, so that by spring the soil can freeze well and warm up. For growing young seedlings, it is recommended to use porous and loose soil, which has a low acidity level.This will contribute to the unimpeded flow of moisture and its retention in the soil. It is advisable to use forest soddy soil mixed with sand and humus. However, it is not always possible to go to the forest for soil and you have to use ordinary garden soil.

Landing

After preparing the seeds and soil, Kohlrabi is planted. Plant seeds in small pots filled with pre-prepared soil. It is not recommended to deeply deepen them into the ground. It will be enough to place the seeds at a depth of about 2-3 cm. After planting the seeds, the soil must be moistened with water.

Planted cabbage should be under glass in a room with a temperature of at least 25 degrees. After the first shoots appear, the glass is removed and the seedlings are transferred to a cooler place.

Seedling care

During the cultivation of seedlings, it is recommended to water them regularly. Moisten the soil as needed.The main thing is that the earth is not too dry and the plant has enough moisture. You also need to protect seedlings from dangerous diseases. To do this, it is sprayed several times with a weak manganese solution. After the appearance of the first two leaves, the first feeding of seedlings is carried out, consisting of a liter of water and a teaspoon of mineral fertilizers.

Kolrabi cabbage care also includes picking if the seeds were planted in one large container. The procedure is carried out after the appearance of the first true leaf in the seedlings. Seedlings are recommended to be transplanted into separate peat pots.

Planting seedlings

Growing kohlrabi cabbage in the open field begins with planting its seedlings in the soil. Before you grow Kohlrabi, you need to figure out when to plant it in the garden. To get a good harvest, it is recommended to plant it under films at the end of May. If there is no film, then the sowing will have to be postponed to the first half of June.

Preparation of seedlings

Hardening of seedlings is carried out after the air temperature outside rises to 15 degrees. In order for the seedlings to get used to the outdoor temperature regime, it must be periodically taken out of the room. For this, places not lit by the sun are chosen, which are well protected from the wind.

First, it is recommended to take out the pots of cabbage at noon so that the air outside is well warmed up. You need to bring the seedlings back after the sun begins to set. Gradually, the time spent on the street increases. A few days before planting the seedlings in the soil, the pots will need to be taken outside all night. In this case, it is recommended to monitor the night temperature. If it is too low, you will have to cover the bushes with foil or paper caps.

Site preparation

The main advantage of kohlrabi cabbage is that it is not very demanding on the quality of the soil.It grows well in almost any type of soil. The main thing is that it should not be too depleted or have high acidity. If you grow it in such soil, then the ovary will grow more slowly. Therefore, before planting seedlings, it is recommended to check the pH. It should be between 6-7 pH.

Site preparation should be done in early autumn. During this period, the earth should be dug up to a depth of one bayonet. Then several kilograms of organic fertilizers, a tablespoon of superphosphate, urea and wood ash are added to the soil.

Disembarkation

Many do not know why the cabbage is not tied. Such a problem may arise if it has been planted incorrectly. It is better to plant young seedlings in the evening or on a cloudy day so that there is no sun. The beds are created according to one of two schemes: 70x30 or 60x40 cm. Before placing the seedlings in the hole, you need to add a few glasses of ash, a tablespoon of urea and superphosphate to them.

Seedlings are buried in the soil until the roots are completely underground. It is not recommended to plant it too deep, as this may cause early flowering or disrupt the formation of the stem. After planting all the seedlings in the soil, it is carefully watered and compacted so that the water does not evaporate too quickly.

Care

Cultivated cabbage needs proper care. There are various reasons why you need to care for vegetables during growing. Chief among them is getting a good harvest.

Irrigation

Kolrabi care should include periodic watering of plants. Growing cabbage, you need to water it every three days. After it is fully accepted, it will be sufficient to moisten the soil once a week.

June has the hottest days, and it is recommended to water the bushes daily so that the soil does not have time to dry out.

Feeding

During cultivation, cabbage is fed with fertilizer three times. The first time the procedure is carried out after the appearance of the first leaves. During this period, mineral microelements and complex fertilizers are introduced into the soil. The next time the bushes are fed three weeks after planting the seedlings. The area is sprayed with a sulfate solution prepared from 10 liters of water and a tablespoon of potassium sulfate.

Cleaning

People who have not grown kohlrabi before do not know when to remove kohlrabi cabbage from the garden. It ripens within 90 days after planting in the garden. It is through such a period of time that you need to harvest. For this, a clear and sunny day is chosen. It is recommended to dig up stems with roots that will need to be cut and discarded in the future. However, some of them are not pruned and left on the stems of the harvested crop.

Conclusion

Even a novice gardener who has never done this before can grow such cabbage. To do this, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the features of its cultivation and find out when to harvest kohlrabi cabbage.

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