Proper care for cabbage in open ground: what to do to get a good harvest

The result of growing any garden crop is a harvest, the quality of which largely depends on care during different stages of development. Cabbage is a plant that requires special attention—without proper care, you can lose your harvest, but timely implementation of all measures ensures a high-quality harvest.

Stages of care in open ground

To obtain a dense, elastic, and juicy head of cabbage without flaws, you need to properly water, loosen the soil, apply fertilizer, and carry out disease and pest prevention, based on the plant's characteristics: a small, superficial root system and a large volume of leaves that evaporate a lot of moisture.

Watering

Among the wide variety of vegetable crops, cabbage stands out for its water-loving nature. Watering should be tailored to the soil, variety, and growth stage:

• planted seedlings are watered every 3-4 days, using 8-10 liters per 1 m²;
• the volume of watering increases as the plant grows - 10-12 liters per 1 m²;
• Early ripening varieties in June are watered more often than late ones - every 8-10 days;
• Watering rates for late varieties are increased in August, when heads of cabbage begin to form;
• watering is stopped 3-4 weeks before harvesting to prevent oversaturation with moisture and cracking of the heads of cabbage;
• On heavy soils, water evaporates more slowly than on loose soils – this should be taken into account when adjusting the frequency and volume of watering.

Watering intensity depends on weather conditions. In dry, sunny weather, water more frequently, as the top layer of soil, where the roots are, dries out quickly in hot weather, damaging the root system. The soil condition serves as a guide: if a rolled-up ball of soil disintegrates, the plant is not receiving enough moisture.

It's recommended to water with water warmed throughout the day in a large container. Using tap water creates a temperature difference between the warm soil and the cold water, which negatively impacts the roots. This should be taken into account at any stage of growth and for all varieties.

The best time to perform the procedure is morning or evening. During the day, in bright sunlight, a drop of water can focus the light (like a lens) and cause sunburn.

Watering methods:

• young, fragile plants are watered using a watering can to avoid washing the soil away from the roots;
• watering with a hose into furrows dug between the rows;
• Drip irrigation supplies water in measured portions, ensuring a regular supply of the required amount of moisture;
• Sprinklers moisten the soil well and refresh the plants, but control is required to avoid over-watering the soil.

Properly organized watering helps the inner leaves to form normally, which leads to the formation of a dense, large head of cabbage.

Top dressing

Regular fertilizing is the key to obtaining a high-quality harvest, since the presence of nutrients in the soil plays a major role in the formation of the head of cabbage.

When to perform:

1. Fertilizer #1: Two weeks after planting the seedlings, apply mullein in a 1:5 solution or bird droppings in a 1:10 solution, using 1.5 liters per plant. Ammonium nitrate can be used instead of organic fertilizer, prepared according to the instructions.
2. Fertilizer #2 is applied during the intensive leaf growth phase, 15-20 days after Fertilizer #1. A mixture of superphosphate, nitrate, and potassium sulfate (2:2:1) is used as fertilizer. The rate is 50-60g per 1 m².
3. Fertilizer #3 – Apply two weeks after Fertilizer #2 if the plant is growing poorly or is sick. For this, mix potassium sulfate and superphosphate (1:2), adding a little ash. Apply 25g per plant.

Lighting and heat requirements

Cabbage is a cold-resistant plant and tolerates light frosts of -6°…-7°C well in adulthood, and -2°…-3°C – as young seedlings after planting in the ground.

High temperatures (23°-29°C) are not very favorable for cabbage, as they promote the proliferation of pests that greatly damage the development and quality of the head and significantly slow down vital processes. At 35°C and above, development and growth cease.

One of the crop's characteristics is its light requirements. Cabbage thrives in 15-17 hours of daylight. Insufficient light affects the seedlings' development—they become elongated, weak, and lose resistance to infections.

When transplanting seedlings into the ground, consider this important factor and plant them at a certain distance between each other so that they don't interfere with each other as they grow and receive sufficient light. Otherwise, the cabbage heads will grow much smaller.

Distance between cabbage seedlings when planting:

• 0.3-0.4 m – early varieties, hybrids of white cabbage, kohlrabi;
• 0.5-0.6 m – average ripening period;
• 0.6-0.7 m – late varieties;
• 0.25-0.5m – colored;
• 0.4-0.6m – Savoy;
• 0.3-0.5 m – broccoli.

Hilling and loosening

After the seedlings have taken root, all maintenance activities begin, including removing weeds and loosening the soil.

Begin loosening the soil after the seedling has strengthened and taken root, removing any crust that has formed on the soil. Then, if necessary, loosen the soil after 7-8 days.

The loosening depth is initially shallow – 4-5 cm, then they loosen deeper – 6-8 cm, 80-10 cm.

Hilling is carried out to strengthen the stability of the stem and to provide additional nutrients – new roots grow.

Early-ripening seedlings are hilled 2-3 weeks after planting, while late-ripening varieties are hilled 3-4 weeks later. Hilling is repeated after 10-12 days. Raking the soil later is more difficult, as the leaves are already closed and easily damaged.

Leaf picking

Leaves, as an organ, play a specific role in the life of cabbage - they participate in the formation of elements necessary for the plant (the process of photosynthesis), and the lower (covering) leaves accumulate the nutrients needed for the formation of the head of cabbage.

Removing seemingly unnecessary leaves reduces the supply of nutrients and creates conditions for the penetration of infections and pests through the wound - sap appears at the site of the break, attracting insects.

A professional opinion regarding leaf removal is that only leaves damaged by disease or pests should be removed, while healthy lower leaves prevent pests from penetrating the head of cabbage and help regulate moisture and temperature.

Prevention of insect pests and diseases

The most dangerous pest for cabbage is the cabbage fly. Early-ripening varieties are most susceptible to it, as the plant's active growth coincides with the insect's breeding season.

Applying technical chlorophos (80%) in solution or specialized insecticides (2-3 times) at 6-8 day intervals will prevent pest infestations. Sprinkling a mixture of ash and tobacco dust (100 g each) and red pepper powder (1 teaspoon) around the plant will also help.

Before the formation of heads, a 0.2% solution of technical chlorophos (80%) or phosphamide is used when cabbage aphid caterpillars, cabbage white butterflies, cutworms, and cabbage moths appear.

During the egg-laying period, a solution of superphosphate and potassium chloride is very helpful – spraying is carried out.

One of the most common cabbage infections is clubroot. To prevent it, disinfect the soil before planting seedlings and maintain it regularly (loosening and weeding). If infected, remove the infected plant from the garden bed and treat the soil with formalin or Bordeaux mixture.

Tips for protecting all types of cabbage:

• Covering the soil with spunbond will prevent the penetration of cabbage flies to the roots;
• To protect against flying insects, cabbage beds are covered with spunbond;
• Hand-collecting caterpillars helps to significantly reduce their numbers;
• Spraying the leaves with a solution of vinegar (1 tbsp. per 10 l) or ammonia (50 ml per 10 l) on a warm sunny day will repel most pests;
• the specific smell of marigolds, mint, and tansy planted nearby is not liked by insect pests;
• Spraying with decoctions of wormwood, dandelions, onion peels, garlic with the addition (to improve adhesion) of laundry soap helps when aphids appear.

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Proper care of cabbage plants will ensure a high-quality harvest, which will provide a source of vitamins in the fall and winter.