How to tell if Chinese cabbage is about to bloom and what to do if it happens

Peking cabbage is a tasty and healthy herb ideal for salads. He's not picky. Subject to the rules for growing, the crop is obtained 2 times per season. However, due to some factors, heads of cabbage can release arrows and bloom, which leads to a loss of taste and the entire harvest. To prevent this from happening, it is important to understand the causes of flowering and figure out how to avoid such a problem.

Why Beijing cabbage bloomed: reasons

Chinese cabbage appeared in Russian gardens relatively recently, but this did not prevent to establish the most common reasons for its flowering:

1. When planting, the soil was not warmed up to the desired temperature. Peking cabbage is a heat-loving plant, so in cold soil it experiences stress, the formation of fruits begins earlier and rushes to complete the cycle as soon as possible.
2. Long daylight hours. This plant loves the shade, therefore, being under the sun's rays for a long time, the heads of cabbage shoot an arrow and bloom.
3. If the plant is planted with seedlings, there is a risk of root damage. This can happen when the soil is loosened. Having lost part of the root system, the plant lacks nutrition and shortens its life cycle, trying to leave offspring.
4. Unsuitable climatic conditions also provoke flowering. Therefore, varieties adapted for Russian weather should be planted on your site - Bilko, Manoko, Taranko. For quality seed, contact specialized stores. Check the seeds before planting for infertility, damage and signs of disease.
5. Peking cabbage loves water, so a lack of moisture provokes flowering. Keep the soil slightly moist at all times.
6. Flowering occurs if at the moment of head formation the air temperature drops below + 22 ° C. Optimum performance is + 23 ... + 27 ° C. If it gets colder outside, use agrofiber.
7. If you plant Chinese cabbage after cruciferous vegetables, it will go into bloom. The best predecessors for Peking are legumes, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes.
8. The problem will manifest itself if there are not enough nutrients in the soil when planting a vegetable. Peking cabbage reacts especially sharply to a lack of calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Therefore, before sowing seeds or seedlings, organic and / or mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil. For example, 30 g of eggshells are insisted in 5 liters of hot water.
9. When choosing a variety, keep in mind that hybrids with low cold resistance often bloom.
10. Peking cabbage should be harvested without delay. Otherwise, dense heads of cabbage will inevitably go into color, spoiling the taste.

Peking cabbage is recommended to be planted twice a season. First landing - April 15-20. The second is from July 20 to August 10.

What to do if Chinese cabbage is blooming

If the plant has fired an arrow, the head of cabbage cannot be saved. In this case, it is removed, and a new sprout is planted in the vacant space.

To protect nearby plants, determine the cause of the flowering and try to eliminate it before the rest of the heads in the garden bloom. This will save the crop and prevent the problem from re-developing.

How to tell if a cabbage is about to bloom

The main signs of this phenomenon:

• stopping the plant in development and growth;
• swelling and yellowing of leaves;
• new leaves are not formed, the vegetable stops growing in width and sharply stretches upward.

Bloom prevention

To prevent spoilage of the crop, adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Plant the plant next to buildings or a fence that will provide shade. Peking cabbage needs a short day of light. If it is difficult to find shade on the site, plant the cabbage in an open area, but in the afternoon, use a covering material or create a structure of arcs over the garden bed, on top of which you stretch the translucent material. Peking cabbage grows well in greenhouses next to tomatoes and cucumbers.
2. Observe the planting dates mentioned above. At first, the cabbage can be covered with agrofibre, it will ensure the maintenance of the optimal temperature regime.
3. For planting, it is better to use frost-resistant Dutch varieties. Among them are Manoko, Optico, Mirako, Starko, Bilko and Taranko. The domestic hybrid Khibinskaya 5 and the Japanese variety Kyustar rarely bloom.
4. The seed is sown directly into open ground or peat cups. When loosening the soil, they affect no more than 2-3 cm, so as not to damage the delicate root system.
5. A month before planting seeds or seedlings, mineral dressing is introduced into the soil in the form of superphosphate or potassium sulfate. During the growing season, mineral complexes for cabbage are used, which can be purchased in specialized stores.
6. Before planting Chinese cabbage, the beds are sprinkled with wood ash, which prevents the appearance of arrows, and also protects the plants from pests and serves as a top dressing.

Is it possible to eat cabbage leaves that have gone into bloom

Leaves, during and after flowering, acquire a bitter taste and become rough... Therefore, such a product is not eaten either fresh or after heat treatment.

Will not correct the taste of cabbage and salting or soaking in salted water. In this case, the cabbage loses all the nutrients. But it can be used as feed for pets, if there are any on the farm, or put on compost.

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Conclusion

Peking cabbage flowering occurs due to violations growing rules.

Due to low temperatures, lack of fertilizers and moisture, long daylight hours and mechanical damage to the root system, the heads of cabbage release an arrow and begin to bloom, and the leaves become bitter.