Why are cabbage seedlings wilting and dying, and what should I do?

The harvest depends on the health of the seedlings. A common problem encountered when growing cabbage seedlings is wilting. If the cabbage is wilting, it's important to determine the cause and then take immediate action.

Reasons

Cabbage is a cold-hardy plant. Ideal growing conditions are temperatures between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius (61 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit). If the air around the seedlings is dry and warm (temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius), they will not thrive and will hardly develop. Light is also important for cabbage. Without sufficient light, seedling growth will slow, and ultimately, the harvest will fail.

Unfavorable growing conditions negatively impact seedlings. Reasons why plants wilt:

• excessively warm, dry air (that’s why it’s almost impossible to grow strong plants in an apartment with central heating);
• incorrect soil composition, excess of nutrients;
• mineral deficiency;
• excess moisture;
• acidic soil;
• the soil is not loosened after watering;
• direct sunlight;
• damage to the root system;
• disease.

Signs

It's easy to recognize when cabbage seedlings are struggling. Growth slows sharply, and the leaves become wilted. The entire plant droops and may even fall to the ground. At the first sign of this, immediate measures must be taken to rehabilitate the plant.

Treatment

Once the cause of cabbage wilting has been identified, treatment must begin. Gardeners use various methods to "revive" seedlings, depending on the situation:

1. Excess fertilizer can be removed by watering the plants thoroughly. It's important to allow the water to drain freely through the drainage holes.
2. If the appearance indicates a lack of some microelement, it should be added to the soil as soon as possible or foliar treatment should be carried out.
3. If there is excess moisture, you need to reduce the frequency of watering.
4. If the seedlings suffer from direct sunlight, the window should be shaded or the plantings should be moved further indoors.
5. If cabbage is sick, it is necessary to treat the disease itself (clubroot, black leg and other fungal diseases lead to wilting).

Resistant varieties

The cabbage variety is selected based on your needs and the regional climate. Resilient early varieties:

• Cossack;
• Rinda;
• June;
• Tobia.

They should be sown early and can be eaten in the summer. Late varieties can be planted later; they ripen by fall and also store well over the winter. Hardy late varieties:

• Aggressor;
• Amager;
• Valentina;
• Kolobok;
• Mara.

Prevention

To avoid seedlings from falling, you should properly care for the cabbage and carry out preventative measures:

1. Choose good seeds with a current expiration date, and keep the packaging unopened. It's best not to store opened cabbage seeds.
2. Make your own soil. Mix equal parts peat and humus. Add 10 tablespoons of ash per 10 kg of soil. Avoid using soil from a garden bed where cabbage has already been grown, as pathogenic bacteria can persist in the soil, infecting the young seedlings.
3. Sow seeds 2 months before the expected transplantation into the garden bed.
4. The seed material must be pre-disinfected and soaked.
5. Before sowing, water the soil generously, and water again only after the sprouts appear.
6. Maintain a distance of at least 2-3 cm between seedlings.
7. Cabbage needs light, but not direct sunlight.
8. After each watering, loosen the soil to ensure ventilation of the roots.
9. For the full development of cabbage seedlings, it is necessary to maintain a low temperature in the room.
10. Before transplanting into the garden, harden off the seedlings on the balcony or near an open window.
11. Apply fertilizer twice during the seedling development period.
12. When 4 leaves have grown, transplant the seedlings to a permanent location.

Reviews

Svetlana S.

Last year, I planted cabbage in store-bought soil, and a couple of weeks after the seedlings emerged, they completely collapsed and began to dry out. I couldn't save them, so I had to replant them with a different variety. I used soil from the garden for the replanting, but added ash and a little peat. I watered them sparingly and shaded them from direct sunlight (I have south-facing windowsills), and the seedlings ultimately thrived. The harvest was decent, albeit a little later than I'd planned. So, I think it depends more on the variety and soil composition. And wilted seedlings are useless to save.

Olga Nikolaevna

While living in an apartment, I couldn't get cabbage seedlings to grow (I had to buy them ready-made at the market). But as soon as we moved into our own house, the seedlings grew well, without drying out or wilting. Apparently, it's all due to the very dry, warm air.

Conclusion

Cabbage seedlings are delicate and require special care. By following basic growing guidelines, you can prevent plants from wilting and ultimately reap a bountiful harvest from your own garden.