Let's revive the cabbage again since it has wilted.

When growing cabbage and providing it with proper care, vegetable growers often encounter the problem of wilting and drying out of the plant's foliage. There are many factors that contribute to this phenomenon. To avoid losing a harvest, it's important to promptly identify the cause of yellowing lower leaves and take immediate action to address it.

Reasons

If you notice yellowing and wilting of cabbage leaves, don't immediately overwater the plant or spray with insecticides. After all, the wilting could be caused by improper care or the development of pathogenic fungal spores in the soil beneath the vegetable. These fungi will only increase in numbers with increased humidity, ultimately leading to the complete death of the vegetable.

Improper care

Without proper agricultural practices, such as timely watering and soil loosening, the plant's root system will suffer from oxygen starvation, cutting off the supply of water and organic matter to the above-ground part. In sunny weather, the leaves, absorbing energy, overheat, turn yellow, and dry out.

Symptoms:

• loss of cabbage turgor;
• disruption of photosynthesis and pale color of the plant;
• yellowing and wilting of the lower leaves.

Fusarium

During dry, hot summers, cabbage grown outdoors is often susceptible to Fusarium wilt. This pathogenic disease leads to partial crop loss, and if no control measures are taken, it can even destroy the entire crop.

Symptoms:

• with sufficient watering - loss of plant turgor;
• disruption of chlorophyll formation on leaves;
• the appearance of a white-red moldy coating in the area of ​​the root collar;
• drying out and dying of foliage.

Peronosporosis

When prolonged rainy weather sets in and temperatures reach 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, gray-white moldy spots appear on the outer surface of cabbage leaves. The mycelium, emerging from contaminated soil or tools, multiplies rapidly under favorable conditions. Photosynthesis is disrupted, and the affected foliage dries up and dies.

Symptoms:

• the appearance of moldy gray-white spots with a pink tint on the outer part of the cabbage leaves;
• areas on the leaves, after being affected by the fungus, become oily to the touch;
• the inner part of the leaves is affected by a whitish coating;
• The affected plant dries up, stops developing and dies.

Black rot

Black rot, or vascular bacteriosis, is one of the most dangerous diseases affecting cruciferous crops. Pathogen infestation can occur at any stage of plant development through contaminated soil, seeds, tools, and containers. In open-ground cabbage, it most often begins with slight yellowing and wilting of the lower leaves.

Symptoms:

• yellowing and drying of the edge of the leaf blade;
• penetration of infection into the central veins of leaves and heads;
• the leaves dry out, become like parchment, and fall off;
• After 2-3 weeks the infection covers the entire plant and it dies.

Tumor-keel

An incurable fungal disease. The pathogen's development is facilitated by elevated soil moisture, increased acidity, and high air temperatures. Spores are spread by infected seedlings, insect pests, earthworms, and mole crickets. Tumors and growths form on the cabbage root system, the plant ceases to function normally, and the foliage wilts and dries out.

Symptoms:

• the leaves take on a bluish-gray tint and dry out;
• tumor growths and swellings of tissue form on the roots of the plant;
• Photosynthesis slows down, cabbage leaves dry out and die.

Cabbage leaf beetle

In early June, the cabbage leaf beetle emerges from its wintering habitat. This parasitic insect is a small, shiny, black beetle with gray legs. Females chew holes in the leaves and lay eggs. The hatched larvae suck out the plant's milky sap, causing the leaves to turn pale, dry up, and fall off.

Symptoms:

• in early to mid-June, the leaves have damage all around the perimeter in the form of small holes;
• In July, due to the hatched larvae, which begin to feed on milky sap, the leaves turn light in color, dry out and fall off.

Wavy and cruciferous flea beetles

In early April, as soon as the soil warms up slightly, cabbage is attacked by flea beetles (Flea beetles) or cruciferous flea beetles. The insects chew round holes in the leaves, sucking out the milky sap. The leaves stop growing and dry out. If treatment is not timely, the plants die.

Symptoms:

• in mid-April, small light yellow dots appear on the outer part of the foliage;
• After two weeks, the leaves are completely infested with flea beetles, turn light in color, dry out and die.

Moths and cutworms

The pest moths that lay their eggs on the undersides of cabbage leaves emerge early in the spring. Their eggs can kill the plant in just a few days. The hatched offspring burrow into the leaf surface, creating tunnels and damaging the plant tissue.

Symptoms:

• holes appear on the lower leaves of cabbage;
• the greatest damage is visible on the underside of the leaves;
• After 7-10 days the plant stops photosynthesis, the leaves turn yellow and dry out.

Mole cricket

By devouring shoots and young root systems, the mole cricket can not only damage the foliage but also destroy the entire cabbage crop. By not consuming the entire cabbage root, but only nibbling on it, the mole cricket causes the foliage to wilt and die.

Symptoms:

• on one side of the plant the foliage wilted within a few hours;
• The planted cabbage suddenly lost turgor overnight.

Chemical methods for combating cabbage leaf wilting

To prevent cabbage from being attacked by pathogens and insect pests during the growing season, preventative treatments with fungicides and insecticides should be carried out from the very beginning of seedling cultivation. Essential minerals and microelements should also be added to the soil in a timely manner. If infection or pest infestation begins, immediate control measures must be initiated.

Spraying against Fusarium wilt

If cabbage is seriously affected by fusarium spores, the plant should be dug up and burned immediately. However, if the disease is just beginning to develop, the following products have proven effective: Pozakonozole, Trichopolum, Agat-25, Vitaros, Topsin-M, Baktofit, Maxim, and Previkur.

Treatment against downy mildew and black rot

Protecting cabbage from these diseases can be achieved not only by spraying with chemicals, but also by following proper agricultural practices such as crop rotation, timely fertilization, and soil loosening. Fungicides such as Acrobat-M, Quadris, Topaz, Fitosporin, and Gamavir are effective against black rot and downy mildew.

Treatments against clubroot

Clubroot spores are so tenacious that they remain viable in the soil for 9-10 years. Therefore, in addition to destroying diseased plants, the soil should also be treated with quicklime, Bordeaux mixture, bleach, or Acrobat.

Spraying against insect pests

In case of attack by insect parasites that cause harm to cabbage leaves, preventive treatments are carried out with insecticides: Molniya, Decis, Sempai, Aktara, Belt, Bazudin, Iskra, Actellik, Vertimek.

Folk remedies for preventing cabbage leaf wilting

Using chemicals to neutralize pathogens and pests harms beneficial microorganisms living in the soil. Traditional methods are gentler and no less effective.

Mullein infusion

When fermented, cow dung infusion releases ethylene gas, which has a detrimental effect on the spores of pathogenic fungi.

Preparation:

• prepare a 10 liter container, place 3 kg of fresh mullein in it, fill it with water;
• leave for two days in a warm place;
• Dilute 1 liter of ready infusion with 5 liters of water;
• Spray the leaves with a broom in the evening once every five days.

Soda ash solution

Washing soda, as a natural alkali, will have a detrimental effect on the acidic environment of fungi when affected by clubroot, fusarium wilt, and downy mildew.

Preparation:

• Pour warm water into a three-liter container, add 3 tablespoons of soda ash, 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• stir the solution and place it in a spray bottle;
• Spray in the morning once every 6-7 days.

Infusion of onion peel and hot pepper

Infused onion peel, along with hot pepper, will serve as a repellent against most sucking and chewing pests.

Preparation:

• Place 0.5 kg of onion peel in a prepared 10 liter container and fill with warm water;
• add 2 teaspoons of ground red pepper, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 caps of dishwashing liquid;
• leave for three days in a warm place, strain;
• Spray the cabbage leaves affected by the pest with the infusion once every three days.

When using onion peels, you can add beet or potato broth to the infusion. These broths contain nitrogen and microelements that will enrich the cabbage.

Prevention

By taking all the necessary precautions and measures to prevent cabbage foliage from wilting, you can ensure good plant growth while protecting it from pathogens and pests.

1. When planting seeds for seedlings, disinfect them with potassium permanganate.
2. Purchase soil for sowing seeds only from specialized stores; do not use garden soil.
3. When the first pair of true leaves appears on the seedlings, carry out preventive treatment of the plants with the fungicide Previkur.
4. Throughout the growing season, apply mandatory agricultural practices: watering, loosening, and fertilizing with high potassium and phosphorus content.
5. During the growing season, inspect the leaves of cabbage for the first signs of infection and eliminate them promptly.

Adviсe

By following these tips and recommendations, you can not only avoid the problem of wilting cabbage leaves, but also get a decent harvest.

1. To protect cabbage from infection, before sowing, soak the seeds in water at 60 degrees for 10 minutes, then place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. By spraying cabbage with growth stimulants Zircon or Epin once every two weeks throughout the season, you can protect the vegetable from damage by harmful fungal spores and increase the quality of the harvest.
3. To get rid of wavy and cruciferous flea beetles in cabbage beds, water the leaves with a watering can and sprinkle with wood ash. Apply this method every other day, alternating with insecticide treatments.

Reviews

Gardeners who have already used one of the methods to eliminate wilting of cabbage leaves share their impressions.

Liza, Alexandrov, Vladimir region

Last year, while growing cabbage, I noticed the lower leaves were wilting, and white-pink moldy spots had appeared on the undersides. By alternating fungicides: Acrobat-M and Quadris, I quickly restored the vegetable's health.

Andrey, Irkutsk

In recent years, growing early cabbage has become a major problem due to attacks by the wavy flea beetle. I read about using wood ash in an old magazine called "Priusadebnoe Khozyaistvo" (Household Farming). I tried this method, alternating it with spraying with Aktara. I got rid of the pest completely.

By following proper plant care guidelines, choosing the right location, and implementing timely preventative measures, you can grow healthy cabbage in open ground without dry, wilted leaves.