What can I do to prevent the center of my cabbage from rotting?

Internal rotting of cabbage is most often caused by a fungal disease called "slimy bacteriosis." This condition is commonly known as "wet rot." The infection can develop at any stage of cabbage development, even during transportation or storage. This disease is extremely dangerous and can lead to the loss of the entire crop.

Signs of defeat

The initial stage of the disease is very difficult to detect. Infected cabbage growing in the garden can progress in two ways:

1. The outer leaves rot. The outer leaves darken, become slimy, and emit a rotten smell. Slowly and surely, the bacterial blight spreads throughout the entire head, leading to the inevitable death of the plant.
2. The infection begins in the cabbage stalk. In this case, pathogens infect the stalk through soil or insects. It darkens in color and becomes softer. The disease progresses rapidly, the inner leaves turn a dirty cream color, soften, and eventually the cabbage head falls off.

During cabbage storage, rot can go undetected for a long time. The interior of the cabbage stalk gradually decomposes, turning into a slimy mass with a putrid odor. Bacterial rot can only be detected when most of the cabbage head is affected.

Causes of the disease

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Jones) Waldee is a bacterium that causes bacterial blight. This pathogen is widespread worldwide. It most often becomes active and attacks crops when the plant's immune system is weakened. Several factors trigger this weakened immune system.

Nutrient imbalance in the soil

Excess nitrogen in the soil leads to the growth of enormous leaves. The leaf blade structure becomes very loose and porous. Microbes easily penetrate the plant cells through this surface.

A calcium deficiency further exacerbates the situation. Plant growth is stunted, and the leaves become thin and brittle. Even a slight wind easily tears and damages the cabbage. Infections quickly spread through the wounds.

To avoid nutrient imbalances in the soil, it's important to thoroughly prepare the soil for planting. Adding too much fresh or rotted manure will cause the cabbage to become overweight. Fertilizing cabbage should be done strictly according to agronomists' recommendations. It's best to strike a balance between overfeeding and nutrient deficiencies. As cabbage grows, nitrogen fertilizers are no longer necessary, but phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are very beneficial.

Weather conditions

The disease is particularly active in damp and hot weather. Air temperatures above 25°C and high humidity are favorable conditions for rapid bacterial growth. During prolonged rainfall, a film of water forms on the surface of cabbage leaves. Microbes accumulate in the stagnant water and penetrate the plant tissue.

It's impossible to protect cabbage from high temperatures, but you can try to protect the plants from excess moisture. To do this, you can stretch plastic film over the vegetable bed during periods of precipitation.

Violation of agricultural technology

Cabbage isn't a particularly fussy crop, but failure to follow basic planting and care guidelines can lead to disease. Common mistakes include:

• increased soil acidity;
• location of vegetable beds in the shade;
• violation of the landing pattern;
• overwatering and watering from above;
• failure to observe crop rotation;
• allowing the formation of a surface crust on the soil;
• unbalanced feeding.

Pest damage

Pest attacks weaken the plant and its immune system. Pests such as cabbage aphids and moths damage the integrity of cabbage leaves. Infections spread quickly through damaged leaves of weakened plants. The cabbage fly, which transmits the disease, is particularly dangerous. To protect vegetables from pest attacks, preventative treatments are necessary.

Late harvest

Gardeners commonly believe that cabbage should only be harvested after a significant frost. This is a misconception; frozen cabbage is not suitable for long-term storage. Even if the frost depth is not severe, the risk of bacterial blight is very high. Therefore, it is important to monitor weather forecasts for the coming days and, if temperatures drop significantly, attempt to harvest the cabbage.

Treatment and prevention

It is impossible to save a crop affected by bacterial slime. Cabbage showing signs of the disease is unfit for consumption. Furthermore, the disease can spread to other crops. Therefore, when diseased heads of cabbage are discovered, they are immediately removed from the beds, carefully collecting all plant debris.

You can save cabbage from this insidious disease by regularly performing preventative measures and following proper growing and care procedures.

Preventive treatments

Preventative treatments are an important step in protecting cabbage from bacterial infections and pests. You can use both store-bought chemicals and folk remedies.

Chemicals and their use

• Before transplanting cabbage seedlings into the garden, soak the roots in a suspension of Fitosporin-M for two hours. Dilute 40 ml of the solution per 10 liters of settled water.
• During the fifth leaf formation phase, cabbage is sprayed with a Gamair solution. One tablet is diluted in one liter of water. The application rate of the prepared solution is 1 liter per 10 m².
• During the active growth period, spray the leaves with a 0.1% working solution of "Sporobacterin" at 15-day intervals. Apply 1 liter per 10 m².

When treating cabbage with various compounds, it should be remembered that the edible part is located above the ground and therefore chemical compounds can be used no later than 30 days before harvest.

Folk recipes

Folk remedies are primarily aimed at combating pests that damage cabbage leaves, weaken plants, and spread infection.

• Horsetail decoction

To prepare the infusion, pour 10 liters of boiling water over 200 grams of dried herb and let it steep for 24 hours. Dilute the resulting infusion with water at a ratio of 1:5 and spray it on the cabbage.

• Onion-garlic cocktail

Steep 1 cup of onion peel and 3 cups of garlic peel in 10 liters of boiling water for 24 hours. After this time, strain the infusion and spray it on vegetables every seven days.

• Solution based on essential oils

Dilute 20 drops of fir or eucalyptus oil per 10 liters of water. Spray the cabbage beds with the aromatic solution.

• Vinegar solution

Dissolve two tablespoons of 9% vinegar in 10 liters of water. Spray the cabbage with the resulting mixture.

Recommendations and advice

In addition to preventative treatments, following simple rules will help you avoid encountering slimy bacteriosis on your property:

• Choose cabbage varieties that are the most disease-resistant. Cabbage varieties completely immune to bacterial slime have not yet been bred. However, choosing a variety resistant to most fungal diseases reduces the risk of infection.

• Treat seeds before planting. Seeds treated before planting produce strong shoots, which grow into plants with a stronger immune system. You can use ready-made solutions, such as "Epin," for treatment. Dilute two drops of the solution in 100 ml of water. Soak the seeds in the resulting solution for 5 hours. A folk remedy that works effectively is soaking the seeds for 24 hours in aloe vera juice diluted 50/50 with water.

• Disinfect the soil. To kill pathogens in the soil, you can apply copper sulfate. One tablespoon of the solution per ten liters of water is sufficient. Before applying the solution, loosen the soil. Disinfection is carried out in the spring 2-3 weeks before planting cabbage and in the fall after harvesting.

• Monitor soil acidity. Cabbage doesn't like highly acidic soils; acidic conditions are also ideal for bacterial growth. Therefore, it's important to monitor the soil pH and deacidify it if necessary. Baking soda is an excellent solution to this problem. It can be applied dry or diluted immediately before planting.

• Apply crop rotation rules. The basis of crop rotation is the rule of not planting the same crop in the same place two years in a row. It's best to alternate different crop groups annually. Ideal predecessors for cabbage include potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, and onions.

• Follow the planting pattern. The cabbage planting pattern should strictly follow the variety's originator's recommendations. Avoid saving space by planting too close together. Crowding leads to poor air circulation and water accumulation on the leaves, which contributes to the spread of bacterial blight.

• Follow the vegetable storage instructions. A month before storing the cabbage, disinfect the cellar or basement. You can use ready-made disinfectants or a diluted solution of potassium permanganate. All surfaces should be treated with antiseptic solutions. The air temperature in the vegetable storage area should be maintained at 3-4°C. Heads of cabbage can be placed on racks or hung by their stalks. Ensure there is sufficient space between them to allow air to circulate freely.

Reviews

Ekaterina Vasilievna, Chelyabinsk

We encountered this problem two years ago. The summer was very hot and rainy, leading to a rash of bacterial slime mold in our plot. By harvest time, there was nothing left to harvest; all 30 heads of cabbage had rotted on the vine. We had planted five different varieties. We burned all the cabbage outside the plot. Since then, we've been spraying the entire plot with copper sulfate twice a year. We've grown cabbage for the next two years without any problems.

Olga, Kirov Oblast

The cabbage heads in the cellar would periodically rot. We analyzed the possible cause and decided we were harvesting too late. We always listened to our grandmother, who said that frost bleaches cabbage. We thought this was a good thing. As soon as we started cutting the cabbage heads before frost, the disease subsided.

Conclusion

More than 80% of cabbage diseases are bacterial. Currently, there are no safe treatments for these insidious diseases. Therefore, to prevent the crop from becoming infected and ensure a good harvest, it is essential to follow proper plant care and regularly carry out preventative maintenance.