How are Chinese cabbage seeds dispersed?

Chinese cabbage is a very common vegetable with a very long history of cultivation, and there are many varieties of Chinese cabbage, making it a major vegetable. So do you know how Chinese cabbage disperses its seeds?

1. How does Chinese cabbage disperse its seeds?

Chinese cabbage disperses its seeds by ejecting them itself; the fruit or seed itself has weight, and once mature, the fruit or seed falls directly to the ground due to gravity. After some seeds fall to the ground, they undergo secondary dispersal by birds, ants, and so on.

2. The growing environment of Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage is relatively cold-tolerant and prefers a cool climate, so it is suited to growing in cool seasons. If cultivated in a hot season, it is prone to pests and diseases, or to poor quality and low yield, so it is not suitable for cultivation in summer. Its resistance to low temperatures is very strong. After the temperature reaches -3°C, if it can gradually warm up, it can also resume growth, but if it reaches -8°C and the temperature continues to drop to around -11°C, it cannot resume normal growth and suffers frost damage. Chinese cabbage is suitable for planting in loam and sandy loam and black-yellow soil that retain fertilizer and water and are rich in organic matter; it is not suitable for planting in sandy soil that easily leaks water and nutrients, and even less suitable for planting in clay soil with poor drainage.

3. The value of Chinese cabbage

The protein and vitamins contained in Chinese cabbage are greater than those in apples and pears, and its trace elements are also very notable; among them, its zinc content is greater than that of general vegetables as well as foods such as meat and eggs. It is no exaggeration to say that Chinese cabbage is a very nutrient-rich, popular vegetable, and also a treasure trove of trace elements needed by the human body. There are sayings that “no vegetable is better than Chinese cabbage” and “winter Chinese cabbage is as beautiful as bamboo shoots.”

If eaten with meat, it can both add the fresh deliciousness of the meat and reduce nitrite-type substances in the meat. As the saying goes: “Among meats, pork is the finest; among vegetables, only Chinese cabbage is fresh.”