How to properly plant and grow cabbage seedlings at home

Cabbage is grown in almost every household plot. A good harvest of different types of this vegetable cannot be obtained without high-quality seedlings. Consider how to pick up and grow seeds, care for seedlings at home and prepare plants for transplanting outdoors.

The timing of planting cabbage for seedlings

The timing of sowing cabbage for seedlings depends on the climatic conditions of the region and varieties... Seedlings are transferred to open ground, when 3 pairs of true leaves are formed on it. This happens when the seedlings reach 2 months.

Accordingly, sowing begins 2–2.5 months before the expected date of planting on the site, when the temperature is at least + 17 ° C.

In the southern regions this is done in early March, in the central regions - in early April, in the Urals and Siberia - in late April.

Reference. In early March, early ripening varieties are sown, mid-ripening and late ones are planted in mid-April.

Preparatory stage

Before planting, seeds, containers and soil must be disinfected.

Seeds

Seeds purchased in stores do not require preparation at home, as they are already treated for infections and covered with a nutritious shell of green, red or blue.

Untreated planting material harvested from its own harvest is disinfected, since pathogens are often found on the seed coat.

Calibration is carried out before processing, selecting the largest specimens. To check the quality, they are soaked in warm saline solution (3 tsp for 1 liter of water) for 40-60 minutes. Empty seeds will float to the surface and are harvested. The rest are washed with clean water.

After that, the material is disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 l of water) for an hour or placed for 30 minutes in a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution. For disinfection, chemical and biological preparations are used: "Maxim", "Planriz", "Fitosporin-M" (2 g per 1 liter of water).

To prevent fungal infections, planting material is heated: placed in a gauze bag, kept in water heated to + 48 ... + 50 ° C for 15 minutes, then dipped in cold water for 2 minutes and dried on a napkin.

Reference. To increase the immunity of seedlings, the seeds are hardened. To do this, they are placed in a dry cloth and placed for a day in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, where the temperature is kept within + 4 ... + 6 ° C.

To stimulate germination, the planting material is soaked for 12 hours in a solution of aloe juice (10 drops per 200 ml of water), sodium or potassium humate. Growth stimulants are effective: "Epin", "Zircon" (5 drops per 1 liter of water).

Before planting, the seeds are dried on a paper towel.

Container

The health of the seedlings depends on the cleanliness of the containers. If you use a container in which the infected soil was located, the death of seedlings is inevitable. Therefore, containers for planting seeds are pre-disinfected with a raspberry solution of potassium permanganate (2 g per 1 l of water), a solution of copper sulfate (5 g per 1 l of water), a soda solution (5 g per 1 l of water), a solution of whiteness (1: 1).

Priming

Seedlings require breathable nutrient soil. Ready-made soil is bought in garden stores. Suitable "Universal Mix", which has already been processed.

If for self-preparation of soil mixtures they take sod land from the garden. Before use, it is disinfected from insect pests and pathogenic fungi in one of the following ways:

• warmed up on a baking sheet in the oven at + 100 ... + 120 ° C for 10 minutes;
• placed in the microwave for 3 minutes;
• steamed in a water bath for 40-50 minutes;
• spill with hot concentrated solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 liter of water).

After sterilization, the earth is mixed in equal amounts with the rest of the components: neutral peat, clean coarse sand, humus. Add 1 tbsp to a bucket of prepared mixture. wood ash and 20 g "Ammofoski".

Sowing technology

Before sowing, the soil in the containers is moistened. In white cabbage, the seeds are small, so the grooves are shallow - 1-1.5 cm. The grains are laid out with an interval of 2-2.5 cm. The distance between the grooves is kept at 4-5 cm.

The seeds are covered with an earthen mixture and carefully watered with warm, settled water so as not to wash the seeds out of the ground. The container is covered with a transparent plastic wrap, creating a greenhouse effect, and placed on a windowsill or in a convenient place under phytolamps. The greenhouse is periodically ventilated so that mold does not form from condensation.

Optimal conditions for seedlings at home

The recommended air temperature for germinating seeds is + 20 ... + 23 ° С during the day and + 17 ... + 18 ° С at night. The planting material requires high humidity, so it is covered with foil or plastic containers with transparent lids are used.

Attention! With a lack of moisture, the shell on the pelleted seeds dissolves poorly, which makes germination difficult.

After the sprouts appear, the containers are placed on a well-lit windowsill or phytolamps are suspended over the seedlings at a height of 40–45 cm. After removing the film or cover, the air humidity is maintained by placing a container with water near the container.

If the seedlings are grown on a windowsill, the batteries are covered with foil. At night, they open the windows for ventilation. A sufficient amount of light will prevent the sprouts from stretching, and the coolness of the night will harden them.

Further care

Seedling care includes picking seedlings, timely watering, feeding and preparing plants for planting in open ground.

Watering

Cabbage is a moisture-loving plant, but excessive watering will kill young shoots. Seedlings are watered 2 times a week, while making sure that the soil is not excessively wet.

Picking

When growing seedlings in a common container, a pick is required. It is performed when a pair of true leaves is formed on the plants. Suitable for planting are plastic glasses or peat pots with a volume of 200 g. Plants can be conveniently removed from wet soil with a teaspoon or fork. The sprouts are picked up together with a lump of earth and placed in a separate glass, deepening into the soil until the first true leaf.

Attention! When transplanting, they do not hold the plant by the leaves: they are fragile and easily break off.

To reduce stress, the culture is moistened with an Epin solution from a spray bottle.

Top dressing

If superphosphate and humus were added to the planting soil, the sprouts do not need additional fertilizing at first.

If the leaves become pale green in color, have slowed down in growth, then they lack nutrients. 7-8 days after picking, the planting is fertilized with complex mineral fertilizers: Agricola, Kemiroi.

Hardening

At the age of 1.5 months, the seedlings begin to harden. For this, containers are taken out onto the balcony and a window is opened. Plants are gradually accustomed to cool air: they start at 2 o'clock, increasing the duration every day. Hardening will prepare the seedlings for temperature changes in an open area.

How to grow seedlings without picking

Cabbage usually tolerates transplanting well, but nevertheless picking slows down its growth a little: it takes about 6-7 days for the culture to resume active development.

You can do without picking if you plant the seeds right away in separate containers: 200 g plastic glasses, small plastic pots, peat tablets or pots.2 seeds are planted in each glass, later the weaker sprout is removed.

Seeds are also germinated in a common spacious box according to the 7 × 7 scheme. This distance is enough for seedlings for full development. For transplanting into open ground, the sprouts are gently pry with a spoon with a lump of earth.

In a snail

Some gardeners practice the original method of growing seedlings - in a snail, which significantly saves space.

To make a snail you will need:

• transparent low capacity, preferably round;
• tape 11-12 cm wide, about 1 m long, made of a porous soft material (usually they take a substrate under linoleum);
• elastic band for fixing the snail;
• polyethylene film.

The tape is laid out on a horizontal surface, wet soil is poured onto it with a layer of 1 cm and pressed with the palm of your hand. It is better to pour the earth not immediately along the entire length of the tape, but gradually, in small areas.

On the one hand, retreating from the edge of 2 cm, spread the seeds at a distance of 4-5 cm, deepening them with your fingers into the soil. The finished section 15–20 cm long is rolled up, the soil is continued to be laid further, planting seeds in it. Gradually the tape is filled and rolled up to the end.

The resulting structure is fixed with an elastic band, turned vertically so that the edge with the seeds is on top, and placed in a container. The coils are poured with warm water and covered with a film, leaving a small space between it and the ground.

Attention! After the first shoots appear, the film is removed.

The snail is placed in a warm, bright place. To extract the seedlings, the roll is carefully unwound, while the sprouts themselves are separated from the soil.

Growing seedlings of different types of cabbage

When cultivating white cabbage the central root of the sprout is shortened by 1/4 of the entire length. This stimulates the active development of lateral roots, as a result of which the sprout receives more nutrients from the soil.

For growing seedlings brussels sprouts air temperature + 18 ... + 19 ° C is sufficient. For better development of the root system, the sprouts are deepened into the ground or filled up with soil.

Broccoli seeds they are immediately planted in separate pots, since this type of vegetable does not tolerate picking well.

Savoy cabbage seedlings dive into pots with a peat mixture until the first true leaf is formed. To form lateral suction roots, the central root is shortened by 1/3 of the length.

Savoy cabbage does not respond well to direct sunlight, therefore, the seedlings are shaded on such days.

When and how to transplant seedlings into the ground

Early and mid-early varieties of culture are transferred to open ground in the southern regions in early May, in the central ones - at the end of May, in the Urals and Siberia - in early June. Medium, mid-late and late varieties - from May 15 to early June.

For planting plants in open ground, beds are prepared in a well-lit area. The soil is pre-dug up, and at the same time compost, rotted manure (1 bucket per 1 m²), superphosphate (25 g / m²), potassium nitrate (15 g / m²) are introduced.

Important! Disembarkation is carried out in the evening so that the sun's rays do not damage the sprouts.

Cabbage is planted according to the scheme:

• 35 × 40 cm - early;
• 40 × 50 cm - mid-season;
• 55 × 65 cm - late.

In the prepared area, pits are made 20 cm deep and watered with warm water. Seedlings are carefully transferred from the pots together with a lump of earth into the recesses, covered with soil to the first leaves and lightly pressed against the soil.

The first 2-3 days to improve the survival rate of the plant, watered abundantly and sprayed the leaves. Cover with agrofibre or lutrasil at night, protecting from a drop in temperature.

Conclusion

Growing cabbage seedlings at home is not difficult. Comfortable temperature and humidity for seeds and seedlings are created on window sills or shelves illuminated by phytolamps. With proper care, plants will be healthy and robust and will yield a good harvest afterwards.