Universal variety of cabbage Snow White with excellent taste

Of all the versatile varieties of white cabbage, Snow White stands in a special place. The amazing taste, mass of nutrients, unpretentious care have long won the love of farmers and connoisseurs of plant foods. What are the features of the variety, how to grow a culture - read on.

Description and characteristics of the cabbage variety Snow White

At first glance, Snow White looks like other varieties of white cabbage, but a knowledgeable gardener can easily distinguish it. The culture is distinguished not only by its taste, but also by its appearance, as well as by the ripening period, resistance to cold.

Origin and development

Snow White is a variety of Ukrainian origin. Breeders of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing have developed a new plant with improved taste and nutritional qualities by means of group pollination of various varieties of cabbage.

Breeding history

For group cross-pollination, Ukrainian breeders used varieties Zimovka 1474, Amager 611, Denish Bolhead, Dauerweis, Zimnyaya Gribovskaya 2176 and some others, after which they selected the most successful result.

Initially, Snow White was grown in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, but thanks to its qualities, it quickly gained popularity, and is now successfully cultivated throughout the CIS.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins, useful properties

The variety of white cabbage has a low calorie content - 27 kcal per 100 g, but at the same time it has a high content of vitamins such as A, B1, B2, B5, C, K, PP, rare vitamin U with anti-atherosclerotic and antihistaminic properties, and trace elements - potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, iodine, iron, phosphorus. Additional medicinal properties give Snow White an impressive amount of folic and pantothenic acids.

Cabbage perfectly stimulates the immune system, has anti-inflammatory properties, increases metabolism, and has a positive effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system. Eating this product is especially beneficial for kidney disease, gout, cholelithiasis and ischemia.

Attention! Any varieties of cabbage should be carefully included in the diet with increased stomach acidity. Especially it is necessary to limit the consumption of raw cabbage.

Application features

Since Snow White is a late variety, this is manifested in some stiffness of the leaves. Therefore, it is rarely used in its raw form. But it is considered one of the best varieties for pickling and salting - pickles are obtained, which the longer they are stored, the tastier they become. Also, borscht, soups, vegetable side dishes, stuffed cabbage are prepared from this cabbage, stuffing for pies and much more.

Ripening period

When sowing seeds for seedlings in March and April and transplanting at the age of 30-40 days, Snow White ripens in early September. From the moment the first shoots appear until the heads of cabbage are harvested, an average of 130-150 days pass.

Yield

The versatile variety Snow White is especially in demand by farmers due to its high yield. The marketable yield of the variety is 4-8 km per 1 sq. m, and with good care, you can collect 10 kg of cabbage. The yield also increases when feeding cabbage with mineral and organic fertilizers. The average weight of a head of cabbage reaches 5 kg.

Disease resistance

Subject to all agrotechnical requirements, Snow White has an average resistance to fungal diseases and garden pests. Common diseases - keela, black leg, peresporosis - are prevented by using the drugs Fundazol, Fitosporin, Baktofit and Planriz.

Cold resistance

Snow White is characterized by increased frost resistance, which allows harvesting even in late autumn. The variety is capable of tolerating frosts down to -10 ° C without loss of quality characteristics. However, it is better not to leave the heads of cabbage stronger before frost.

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Characteristics, description of the appearance of leaves and head of cabbage, taste

The head of cabbage of Snow White is formed by large leaves of light green or bluish-green color up to 16 cm in diameter. The leaf plates have a medium wrinkled surface with slight venation and smooth or slightly wavy edges. The head of cabbage is dense, with a shiny waxy coating, with a small round stump and a short petiole. The cabbage pulp is white in cross section.

Raw vegetable tastes juicy, sweet and sour, refreshing. When boiled, baked and fried, it acquires tenderness and additional sweetness.

Growing regions and climate requirements

It is recommended to grow Snow White cabbage in the temperate and warm climates of the central regions of Russia. In general, the variety is adapted to the domestic climate, and its high frost resistance allows it to be grown even in the northern regions.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Snow White variety

White cabbage of this variety is appreciated for:

• great taste;
• high seed germination;
• large fork size;
• resistance to cracking;
• frost resistance;
• universal application;
• keeping quality;
• high content of nutrients.

The disadvantages of the variety include average immunity to diseases and garden pests, some stiffness of cabbage leaves.

Difference from other varieties and hybrids

The main distinguishing feature of Snow White is the late ripening period. Thanks to this, cabbage is stored longer than others, while practically not losing vitamins and minerals for eight months. The taste of this type of cabbage, intended for long-term storage, only improves over time.

Attention! Late-ripening cabbage varieties are also valuable because during storage until the next harvest, they do not accumulate nitrates.

Another difference of Snow White lies in agricultural technology - the timing of sowing, planting, germination differ from the characteristics of the early and mid-season "brothers".

Features of planting and growing

Sowing seeds to obtain strong and healthy shoots is carried out in late February or early March. After two months, the grown seedlings are transplanted to the garden bed.

Training

The soil mixture for sowing is harvested in the fall. To do this, mix 5 kg of humus, 5 kg of sod land and 10 tbsp. l. ash. It is better not to use the soil from the garden so as not to infect the cabbage with infections and bacteria.

Seed

Before sowing, the seeds are heated in hot water (+ 45 ° C) for 15 minutes. Settled and floating specimens are removed.After that, to increase the resistance of cabbage to fungal diseases, the seeds are kept in cool water for 5 minutes

Seedlings

To get strong seedlings, a pick is carried out one or two weeks after the emergence of shoots. To reduce the possible injury of young roots, a container for seedlings is chosen 5 × 5 cm in size. For the growth and development of seedlings, it is recommended to use fluorescent lamps, which illuminate the seedlings for 10-14 hours a day.

How to make a seedless plant

It is better to sow in early spring when the soil is well provided with moisture due to rains. Sowing is carried out by a mechanized method using vegetable seeders or manually. After sowing seeds with a marker in the holes, they are mulched with sawdust or humus to protect the soil from crusting and supply it with nutrients.

Important! For mechanized sowing, seeds are mixed with dry superphosphate. This is done to ensure uniform seeding over the entire area and has a positive effect on the formation of the seedling root system.

Ground requirements

The soil requirements for sowing Snow White are the same as for all varieties of late-ripening white cabbage. Sowing is best done on the soil of a fine crumbly structure with a high level of fertility. The optimum soil acidity (pH) is 5.5-6.0. On acidic soil, the risk of hernia damage increases.

Important! This variety is picky about light and cannot be grown in the shade.

Predecessors

The best predecessors for Snow White are crops that are regularly fertilized. Late-ripening varieties can be grown in the beds where potatoes, legumes, cucumbers, and beets used to grow.

Timing, schemes and landing rules

Seedlings are planted in the spring, in March - April, according to the 50 × 60 cm scheme. The planting density is usually indicated in the instructions of the seed manufacturer. To ensure optimal water-air balance, inter-row cultivation is carried out using a cultivator in order to avoid injury to the crop and to minimize untreated areas. It is advisable to use cultivators in conjunction with finger working bodies, which carry out processing not only in the aisles, but also between the plants in the garden. During cultivation, mineral fertilizers are applied and spraying is carried out.

Planting density and depth

The optimum sowing depth of the grown Snow White saplings is 10-12 cm.The distance between adjacent plants in a row is from 50 to 70 cm.

Growing features

The peculiarities of growing large and healthy fruits are regular loosening, weeding, fertilizing with various fertilizers and abundant watering.

Snow White is unpretentious in care - following the simple advice of experienced gardeners, you can harvest a large harvest of vegetables.

Watering mode

Watering is done every two days. Water consumption - 8 liters per 1 sq. m. The optimal water regime stimulates the full development of the outlet. During the growth of the rosette, the need for moisture is moderate; as the head of cabbage forms, it increases. Waterlogging of the soil retards the growth of cabbage and can lead to death.

Important! Watering the cabbage is stopped a month before the harvest, otherwise cracking of the head cannot be avoided.

Loosening and hilling

The first loosening is done when the young plant grows up. To do this, use a hoe, flat cutter, hand cultivator. The loosened holes are covered with earth, level the surface of the beds, while the stem is left slightly huddled. They are usually loosened again in June - early July, while small mounds are made on the surface of the earth.

Top dressing

The first feeding is carried out 10 days after the pick. For feeding, use a solution of the following ingredients:

• 1 liter of water;
• 1 g of potassium chloride;
• 4 g superphosphate;
• 2.5 g of ammonium nitrate.

The second time the nutrient composition is applied 10-12 days after the previous feeding. For 1 liter of water, take 3-4 g of ammonium nitrate.For the third time, feeding is carried out shortly before planting the seedlings in a permanent place. Mix 1 liter of water, 3 g of ammonium nitrate, 2 g of potassium chloride and 8 g of superphosphate.

Important! With good development and violent growth of cabbage, the third top dressing can be omitted.

Measures to increase the yield

To get a good harvest of Snow White, it is best to use high-quality seeds, choose the optimal soil with low acidity and timely carry out the necessary agrotechnical measures - watering, loosening, fertilizing and hilling.

Disease and pest control

Snow White has an increased immunity to vascular bacteriosis and fusarium wilt, but can be affected by other diseases - keel, black leg and peronosporosis. At the first signs of the disease, you need to remove the affected plants and treat the soil with a solution of copper sulfate.

Of the insects, Snow White cabbage is most often affected by cruciferous bugs, aphids, cabbage whitewater and stem lurker. An effective alternative to insecticides ("Fundazol", "Fitosporin", "Baktofit" and "Planriz") is the use of folk methods: treatment with tobacco dust and spraying with an aqueous solution of liquid soap.

Growing difficulties

Subject to all agrotechnical requirements, the cultivation of Snow White does not cause difficulties except for the possible defeat of a number of diseases and garden pests. However, this can be easily corrected by using certain drugs such as Fundazol, Fitosporin, Baktofit and Planriz.

Harvesting and storage

How long the cabbage will be stored depends on the correct collection, so you need to follow certain requirements and rules.

How and when to collect

Harvested from September to November, preferably on a sunny, dry, warm day by autumn standards. The cabbage is carefully dug out without cutting off the heads, the roots and stumps are cleaned from the ground. Substandard heads of cabbage are sorted and harvested. The top damaged leaves of the good forks are also removed.

Features of storage and keeping quality of the Snow White variety

Before storing, the heads of cabbage are dried for about 5 hours under a canopy that protects from precipitation and direct sunlight. Layer of cabbage during storage - 2-3 medium heads. Snow White's shelf life is about 8 months.

Advice and feedback from experienced gardeners

It's hard to find negative reviews about this variety.

Lyudmila, Rostov: “Excellent variety of cabbage, never caused problems. The main thing is high-quality seedlings and a warm summer. Heads of cabbage are large and strong, I use them for cooking dishes with heat treatment, raw a little tough. "

Vladislav, Moscow: “I cut Snow White in September, before the frost, there is no rigidity. Stored for almost a year on wooden shelves. "

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Conclusion

It is not for nothing that Snow White has become one of the most popular varieties of white cabbage. Unpretentious care, versatility of application, rich vitamin and mineral composition and long shelf life are its main advantages.