Growing cabbage without seedlings

Cabbage is most often grown from seedlings. The seeds are sown in seedling containers and then transplanted into the garden bed. However, some gardeners prefer to sow cabbage seeds directly into the soil. Growing cabbage without seedlings significantly saves time and labor.

Peculiarities of growing cabbage without seedlings

Not everyone grows high-quality cabbage seedlings. Sometimes they become excessively tall, sometimes their root system is weak, and sometimes the seedlings die for no apparent reason. In most cases, seedling problems are due to a lack of light: cabbage is a sun-loving plant, and indoors it simply doesn't have enough light to thrive.

Growing seedlings in a heated greenhouse or hotbed solves the lighting problem, but this method for producing strong plants requires additional costs for purchasing and maintaining a greenhouse. Furthermore, greenhouse seedlings are demanding in terms of watering and microclimate conditions—if something goes wrong, the seedlings will die from blackleg or other nasty diseases.

All these problems disappear if you grow cabbage directly into the ground instead of using seedlings. Growing cabbage directly from seedlings has several advantages. Sowing directly into the ground hardens the plants naturally. They develop strong resistance to cold, heat, and drought, and produce a harvest two weeks earlier than seedlings. Furthermore, vegetable growers note that the heads are significantly denser, with increased dry matter and vitamin C content. Since transplanting seedlings is unnecessary, the root system of the seedlings is not affected and develops much better, resulting in increased yields.

The disadvantages of the seedless method include:

• high seed consumption (1.5-2 times more than with the traditional method);
• more painstaking care at the initial stage of vegetation;
• application of additional measures to protect seedlings from insects and infections;
• careful selection of the site and soil preparation.

Timing of sowing seeds

Mid-season varieties are sown in mid-May (between the 10th and 15th). Mid-late cabbage is sown between the 5th and 10th of May. Cultivation of late-ripening varieties begins in the last ten days of April.

Conditions for seed germination

Growing cabbage without seedlings doesn't require any special agricultural techniques. The only caveat is that the seedbed must be covered with plastic film to create the necessary warm and humid microclimate above the soil surface. Essentially, we're growing the seedlings directly in the bed.

A large number of seeds are needed for ground sowing, as some sprouts will inevitably be lost and others thinned out. Developing in a large amount of soil at once, seedlings develop a strong root system that extends to a considerable depth. This way, seedlings "earn" immunity to moisture stress. Cabbage grows well in light, loose soil enriched with fertilizer. In the fall, manure or peat compost is added during tilling. Alternatively, in the spring, when planting the beds, the soil is fertilized with humus. This crop requires a high mineral content. Therefore, in the spring, the soil is supplemented with complex mineral fertilizers. During sowing, the soil should be disinfected of pathogens, cleared of weeds, and thoroughly moistened.

 

Preparing holes for sowing

A common difficulty with the direct-seeding method is poor seed germination. This is due to the very small size of the seed: when watered, the seeds simply sink deep into the soil and are unable to emerge. You can increase the number of seedlings by placing the seeds on a lightly compacted bottom of the hole. The dense soil will hold the seeds securely in place, and they will germinate successfully. Farmers recommend making holes using a plastic bottle (press the bottom into the soil while gently rotating the bottle). Alternatively, using a sap, lightly compact the bottom of the trench with your palm.

Seed preparation

High seed germination is always ensured by high-quality seed material. Therefore, when growing cabbage without seedlings, it's important to carefully prepare the seeds, selecting only the largest and strongest ones. Calibration will reduce the time required for sowing and the subsequent removal of weak seedlings. Since young cabbage is often attacked by swarms of various insect pests, only strong, resilient seedlings grown from disinfected seeds can cope with them. Therefore, before sowing, seeds must be disinfected with potassium permanganate and then hardened in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. If you are unsure of the quality of the seeds, pre-soak them in a growth stimulant and keep them in a humid environment until germination.

Sowing seeds

Seeds are sown in holes or shallow furrows. When sowing in holes, place up to five seeds per hole. In trenches, place seeds one at a time, spaced 10 centimeters apart, to avoid thinning later. The seeding depth is 2-3 centimeters. If planting in rows, the distance between rows should be 50-60 centimeters.

The seeds are covered with slightly damp peat mixed with humus. The soil is compacted slightly. Watering the top of the bed is not necessary, as this can cause the seeds to wash away.

A makeshift greenhouse is constructed over the bed using a double layer of film or non-woven fabric. If the seeds were sown in holes, a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off can be buried over each hole. Several holes are made in the plastic to allow fresh air to enter. The top layer of film is removed once the sprout loops appear.

Incidentally, you can grow not only cabbage but also broccoli and cauliflower without seedlings. Sow the seeds three months before the expected harvest. When sowing, place the seeds in separate nests of 3-4 at a depth of 1.5-2 centimeters.

Caring for seedlings

After sowing, sprouts emerge fairly quickly—as early as 3-4 days, provided the weather is clear and warm and the soil moisture is 80%. As soon as the first sprouts appear, the bed is dusted with ash or tobacco dust to prevent uninvited guests such as flea beetles or aphids.

Once the seedlings have developed 3-4 leaves and the stems have grown 10-15 centimeters, the plantings are thinned for the first time. This time, all the thin and small shoots are removed, leaving two of the strongest. When thinning again, the best plants are retained. The removed seedlings are not discarded, but planted in a separate plot – they can also produce a harvest, although not as large or of the same quality.

After the final thinning, the bushes are watered and hilled up.

Hilling up cabbage is done 3-4 times per season. This agricultural technique stimulates root growth and improves nutrition for all above-ground parts of the cabbage plant. After each hilling, you can observe growth spurts. Furthermore, the stem, covered with soil at the base, is reliably protected from overwatering, and the roots from overheating. And when large heads of cabbage form, the mound of soil will protect the trunk from breaking.

Cabbage should be watered frequently but moderately. While the plant thrives in moisture, excessive moisture can cause the heads to crack and lose their marketable appearance. Growing seedlings should be watered twice a week, using 500 milliliters of water per plant. This frequent watering promotes the development of a robust rosette of leaves. Mature plants require 1-2 liters of water. During head formation, each plant requires up to 4 liters of water. During the ripening period, the watering rate should be up to 2 liters every three days.

Once the mature seedlings are freed from their covering, various insects can quickly take up residence. Butterflies, cabbage flies, and slugs (not to mention flea beetles) are particularly fond of the succulent leaves. These can be controlled with chemical insecticides or traditional pest control methods: mulching the soil with eggshells, nettles, and sawdust will help keep slugs away. Planting marigolds, dill, arugula, parsley, or basil near the cabbage will repel many pests. Spraying with Barguzin, Medvetoks, Zemlin, Grizzly, and Grom will help combat cabbage flies and mole crickets. Thrips, cabbage whites, cutworms, moths, aphids, and other pests can be controlled with Karbofos-500, Iskra M, and Fufanon-Nova.

Growing cabbage in acidic soil can lead to clubroot, a disease characterized by growths and swellings on the roots. Unfortunately, there's no cure, but the spread of the infection can be controlled with strong chemicals such as Trichodermin, Alirin, Topaz, and Previkur.

Cabbage responds well to fertilizing. The first application of fertilizer is done when only one strong seedling remains in the hole. At this time, ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, and potassium chloride are added to the soil. Spraying with nitrophoska, Rasvtorin, and Kemira Universal is also recommended. Ammonia water and a solution of organic fertilizer can also be used. The second application of fertilizer occurs when the cabbage heads are forming.

Early-ripening varieties ripen by the end of summer. Mid-season varieties are ready in September. Harvesting takes place from early September to late October. Don't worry about light frosts—even a slight drop in temperature causes the cabbage to accumulate more sugar and juice.

https://youtu.be/YpU3D-xygxw

Reviews

Lyudmila

This year, I decided to try a seedless method. I sowed seeds of the late "Moskovskaya" variety at the end of April under plastic. I was worried they wouldn't sprout, but the weather was warm all spring, which may be why the seedlings emerged quickly, in just five days. The seedlings grew evenly, and all the seedlings were strong, as if they were hand-picked. I placed three seeds per hole, and the sprouts all emerged uniformly, so I planted the thinned seedlings as well. Incidentally, the cabbage from them grew just as large. I liked this method because it eliminates the need for bulky seedling boxes indoors and the need to transplant seedlings. It turns out you can grow a decent cabbage harvest without much hassle in an outdoor garden bed.

 

Anastasia

I've been growing cabbage without seedlings for many years, because I learned from bitter experience that seedlings have very poor survival rates. The roots are weak and often damaged when transplanted or pricked out. But here, there are no problems – the cabbage grows straight to its permanent home, the roots grow strong, and the heads always turn out large and juicy. Furthermore, cabbage grown from seed is less susceptible to disease because it has a stronger immune system.

 

Michael

I've tried growing cabbage both from seedlings and from seeds. Honestly, I haven't seen much of a difference. My plants always turn out strong and healthy in both cases. The harvest ripens at the same time. I believe that if your plot is near your home, it's better to use the direct-seeding method. However, if your garden is far from the city, it's more practical to grow cabbage from seedlings indoors.

Conclusion

Millions of gardeners already use the ground-seeding technique for cabbage, thus obtaining significantly more tasty and healthy harvests. While this method is not without its drawbacks, given the reduced labor and time required to grow seedlings, the direct-seeding method is worth trying.