Secrets to growing a bountiful harvest of Chinese cabbage outdoors

Chinese cabbage is the most easy-to-grow variety of the cabbage family. It's quite easy to get an early, healthy harvest from seedlings or by sowing seeds directly into the ground, making growing Chinese cabbage simple and quick.

Peculiarities of Chinese cabbage

Peking cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage (since it's native to China), ripens much earlier than white cabbage. It's a cold-hardy, moisture-loving annual plant with long days. In open ground, early varieties ripen as early as 45 days after sowing. Mid-season varieties yield a harvest in 60 days, and late varieties in 80 days. The vegetable's structure is such that the head has no stalk—the head consists entirely of hundreds of tender, shriveled rosette leaves, which contain up to 80% ascorbic acid, a significant amount of mineral salts, and especially a large amount of iron. This composition makes Peking cabbage a very beneficial product for the human body. This Chinese guest is consumed in a variety of ways: it's delicious in fresh salads, pickles, and hot dishes.

Growing Chinese cabbage is usually straightforward. However, improper cultivation techniques can result in the formation of stems with flowers, which produce seeds, instead of heads. If the cabbage was grown for propagation, there's no need to worry. However, if the cabbage was grown for food and instead of neat heads, large yellow inflorescences result, then forget about its exquisite flavor or attractive presentation.

Planting dates

In most cases, bolting (and consequently, harvest loss) is caused by incorrect sowing time for Napa cabbage seeds. As mentioned earlier, Napa cabbage is a long-day crop, meaning that when daylight hours exceed 12 hours, its biological processes are focused on reproduction (flowering and seed formation). If there is insufficient sunlight, the greenery (the food we eat) grows rapidly. Therefore, to obtain edible heads, Napa cabbage should be sown as early as possible in the spring, while daylight hours are short. Alternatively, for a fall harvest, the cabbage is planted in late summer, when the days begin to shorten. Sowing time is determined based on the method of growing the vegetable—from seedlings or seeds. If seedlings are chosen, seeds should be sown in late March - early April or in September. When grown from seed, suitable days for sowing seeds in the ground are from April 10th to 20th, or from July 19th to August 10th in summer.

Conditions for growing cabbage

In addition to the established deadlines, for successful cabbage cultivation, the presence of additional accompanying factors is necessary:

• The air temperature should be approximately 13-20°C (55-68°F) – this is when the plant's vital processes are activated. Sprouts can appear at 5°C (41°F), but in the early stages of vegetation, it's optimal to keep seedlings at 18°C ​​(65°F), slightly lowering the temperature during head formation (to prevent flowering).
• air humidity should be within 70% on cloudy days and 80% on clear days;
• The soil should be fully ripe at planting time, meaning it should reach a temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius, be loose, nutritious, and always moist. Optimal soil moisture in early spring is achieved by the presence of snowmelt. The optimal moisture content is 65%.

Growing methods

For an earlier harvest, cabbage is grown from seedlings. You can sow the seeds directly into the ground, but the heads will ripen 10-12 days later.

Chinese cabbage prefers sunny, quiet sites with loose, nutritious soil, preferably loam. Seedlings dry out in too-light soil, and those growing in dense, heavy soil are susceptible to clubroot. Fertilize the soil in the fall, providing organic matter and minerals. Acidity isn't harmful to Chinese cabbage, but salinity can weaken the plant. Excessive acidity can be reduced with lime, while salinity can be reduced with sawdust or straw. Since this oriental vegetable's main product is its leaves, it requires a lot of nitrogen for their development. It's recommended to plant this crop after cucumbers, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and legumes, as these crops leave behind a sufficient amount of nutrients.

Cabbage from seeds

One of the characteristics of Chinese cabbage is its rapid germination. It's also frost-tolerant, making sowing seeds outdoors the most optimal method for growing this variety.

If the air temperature is 10-13 degrees Celsius when sowing the seeds, seedlings will appear within 4-5 days. In cooler weather, sprouts will appear within a week. However, don't keep the seedlings in the cold all the time—this will cause them to sprout rather than produce edible foliage. Conversely, if it's too hot, the plants will flower.

If you want to enjoy Chinese cabbage in early summer, choose an early-ripening variety. These include Khibinskaya, Asten, Marfa, Mandarin, and Lenok, which ripen as early as 55 days after the first shoots emerge.

Sow the seeds in long, narrow furrows or small holes if you don't want to thin the seedlings later. Since cabbage seeds are very small and can easily fall into the spores of the soil, it's best to lightly compact the bottom of the holes with your palm. The sowing depth should not exceed two centimeters. Cover the seeds with dry soil, then lightly water the soil using a sprinkler. Dust the soil with ash or ashes to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.

The first leaves grow very large and spreading. Keeping this in mind, the holes should be spaced at least 30 centimeters apart. Two to three seeds can be placed per hole at a time, allowing you to identify the best seedling and discard the others. To ensure early germination, the seedbed should be covered with plastic.

Summer cultivation

To harvest in the fall, seeds can be sown in the second half of summer. Sowing and growing conditions remain the same as for spring vegetable cultivation. However, when growing cabbage in the summer, daylight hours will need to be artificially reduced. This can be achieved with lutrasil. Maintaining the soil's water balance is also important—avoid the frequent drying out of the soil, as is typical in summer. In the summer, cabbage should be watered frequently, every other day.

Seedling method

Many farmers grow Chinese cabbage from seedlings, which allows them to harvest fresh produce much earlier than expected. However, this method also has its drawbacks: seedlings do not tolerate transplanting well. However, this problem can be avoided by planting the seeds in peat pots, which eliminate the need for transplanting. If sowing in seedling containers, it's important to ensure the correct soil. The soil mixture should be loose and aerated. A mixture of humus, turf, river sand, peat, and ash is best for sowing. The seeds are placed in the soil to a depth of 1-1.5 centimeters. It's important to keep the soil well-moistened.

The seedling box is placed in a warm, dark place until the sprouts emerge. With seedlings, sprouts appear as early as three days after sowing. If you're unsure of the quality of the seeds or want to speed up the germination process, you can soak them in a growth stimulant (Epin, Heteroauxin) before sowing. After sowing, cover the top of the box with plastic wrap. As soon as white loops appear, the seedlings are placed on a windowsill to receive good spring sunlight. The optimal temperature for full seedling growth is 18 degrees Celsius. To prevent the sprouts from stretching and bolting, the air temperature and humidity must always be within optimal limits.

After 30 days (by this time, the plant will have up to 5 leaves), the seedlings are transplanted into the garden bed. If the weather outside is cool, the seedlings will need to be hardened off. To do this, a week before transplanting, regularly walk the cabbage on the veranda or balcony to allow the seedlings to acclimate to the new weather conditions.

Transplant seedlings using the transshipment method, meaning they are transplanted with the root ball still attached. This minimizes the risk of damaging the fragile roots. Hardened seedlings take root within 5-7 days. During this time, the soil should be mulched with compost.

Further care

Growing Chinese cabbage is challenging only in the early stages. Later, it won't require any special care. Short daylight hours are essential for Chinese cabbage, but it produces a good harvest in a sunny location. The plant thrives in moisture but doesn't tolerate overwatering. Insufficient water causes the heads to form small and dry, while excess water leads to fungal diseases. Sprinkler irrigation is suitable for watering—the wrinkled leaves quickly absorb the main component of their composition, becoming juicier and sweeter. Water the cabbage every three days, using 500 milliliters per plant. Alternatively, moisten the soil once a week, applying 2 liters of water to each head.

While other cabbage varieties require warmth, Napa cabbage thrives when temperatures are below 20°C. Given the biological characteristics of this exotic vegetable, it is recommended to cover the bed during periods of sudden cold snaps and rain. Furthermore, the covering will protect the cabbage from damage by the cabbage fly.

Cabbage is demanding when it comes to soil quality – it must always remain loose and allow oxygen and water to pass through well. Therefore, one of the most important agricultural practices in growing cabbage is loosening the soil, which begins two weeks after planting the seedlings and 20 days after sowing the seeds. Loosen the soil immediately after watering, without waiting for a dry crust to form. The cabbage bed must be completely clear of weeds, otherwise they will stifle the growth of the already weak root system. On particularly hot days, when moisture evaporation is more intense, it is preferable to mulch the soil with wood ash or a thin layer of dry leaves.

During the growing season, cabbage is fertilized twice. The first feeding is done two weeks after planting the seedlings in the garden. A high nitrogen content in the soil is essential for Chinese cabbage. Root feeding is done with a solution of mullein or chicken manure, or herbal infusions. During fruit formation, the seedlings are sprayed with a boric acid solution. The crop also requires calcium. This component is added during spring soil preparation by placing crushed eggshells into the furrows. If no fertilizer was applied to the soil in the fall, then in the spring it is fertilized with potassium sulfate, superphosphate, and ammonium nitrate.

Pests and diseases

Outdoor Chinese cabbage is susceptible to flea beetles, slugs, cabbage whites, and cabbage bugs. These pests most often appear in densely packed beds where moisture accumulates. It's best to use traditional methods to control these insects, as cabbage leaves accumulate nitrates. Planting Chinese cabbage close to tomatoes, onions, and garlic reduces flea beetle activity. Spraying with an infusion of tomato tops helps against other insects. Garlic infusion also works well. Thorough weeding, loosening, and thinning will help prevent pest problems at various levels.

The main crop diseases are blackleg, clubroot, and gray mold. Infections most often develop due to poor growing conditions. Keeping the soil clean and slightly moist, spacing plantings, and treating with fungicides as a preventative measure will help prevent these diseases.

Harvesting and storing vegetables

When planted in spring, cabbage will ripen by early summer. When planted in summer, it will ripen in September. At maturity, the head of cabbage has light yellow-green leaves, gathered into a loose, elongated head. Headed cabbage varieties should weigh up to 300 grams. Mature leaf cabbage should have 7-9 leaves. Hybrid varieties are harvested when frost sets in. Don't worry about the cabbage freezing: after thawing, it retains neither its marketability nor its flavor. This characteristic makes it possible to harvest even as late as November. The first summer harvest usually doesn't have a long shelf life, while autumn fruits remain marketable for 3-4 weeks. Cabbage should be stored in a dark room with humidity above 70%.

When stored in the refrigerator or on the balcony, cabbage can last up to 4 months.

Tips for growing Chinese cabbage

Avoid pricking out seedlings, as it's long been proven that this method doesn't preserve the roots intact. Grow seedlings directly in individual containers, or place the seeds in the nursery at a respectful distance from each other to ensure they survive until they're planted outdoors.

Leafy varieties are suitable for early spring planting, while head varieties are suitable for summer cultivation. Keep this in mind when choosing seeds.

When sowing in the ground, seeds are placed in strips or holes. Regardless of which method you choose, you'll need to thin the seedlings after a couple of weeks, removing the weakest shoots.

If you are afraid of bolting, then choose hybrid varieties of Dutch selection - they are not prone to bolting.

Conclusion

Every gardener can grow this exotic vegetable in their own garden. While Chinese cabbage does require a special approach to care, it can be a bit finicky in some areas. However, its ability to produce a harvest early, coupled with its beneficial properties, makes it a worthy addition to your garden.