What kind of vegetable is cabbage, and what are its cultivation methods?

Cabbage is also called cauliflower, bao cai, lotus white, kohlrabi, blue vegetable, western soil blue and so on. It is a plant of the genus Brassica in the cruciferous family. It can be eaten as a vegetable and can also be used as feed. Some varieties have brightly colored leaves and can be used as ornamental plants, with high ornamental value. So, what is cabbage?

1. What is cabbage?

1. Cabbage is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant of the genus Brassica in the cruciferous family. It grows short and sturdy, is oblate in shape, 10-30 cm in diameter or larger, and has round leaves. The leaf color includes green, grayish green, and milky white. The flowering period is in April, and the flowers are pale yellow.

2. Cabbage is a very ancient vegetable. As early as more than 4,000 years ago in the ancient Greek and Roman era, people began to make them into delicious dishes. Even now, wild ones still grow on the barren, cold chalky grassy beaches of Europe. It can be cultivated in both the north and south of China.

3. Cabbage is a vegetable with high nutritional value. It is generally stir-fried and eaten, either alone or stir-fried with other vegetables. It is rich in high-quality protein, cellulose, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. After eating it, it can supplement nutrition and strengthen the body.

4. Cabbage is a traditional Chinese medicine with high medicinal value. Its leaves have the effects of clearing heat and promoting diuresis, dispersing nodules and relieving pain, and tonifying the kidney and replenishing deficiency. They are used for damp-heat jaundice, peptic ulcer pain, unfavorable joints, and deficiency. Cabbage can also fight cancer, improve gastric ulcers, and improve blood sugar and blood lipids.

5. Cabbage is an ornamental plant. Its variety, kale, is an excellent foliage plant. The leaves come in many colors, including light red, purplish red, white, yellow and so on. Because the leaf color is bright and the ornamental period is long, it is often used to arrange flower beds and has a very high ornamental effect.

2. How is cabbage planted?

1. Time: Cabbage likes a warm environment and is relatively cold-tolerant. The most suitable temperature for growth is 20 to 28 degrees. Therefore, it is better to plant it in April in spring and September in autumn, but depending on the region and climate, the planting time will vary.

2. Land preparation: Cabbage is not very strict about soil selection, but it is better to plant it in humus-rich clay loam or sandy loam. When choosing land, do not choose land that has been continuously cropped. After choosing, clear away debris from the land, then plow the soil, expose it to the sun, and apply sufficient base fertilizer.

3. Seed selection: There are many varieties of cabbage, and they adapt to different environments. The most suitable variety should be selected according to the environment of the region. For example, round cabbage has relatively good heat and water tolerance and is suitable for planting in many regions; flat cabbage is heat-tolerant, cold-resistant, and disease-resistant, and is suitable for planting on flat land; three-season green cabbage is suitable for planting in spring, summer, and autumn.

4. Sowing: It can be sown by dibbling or raised as seedlings and then transplanted. Dibbling means sowing the seeds at a certain spacing, then covering them and waiting for seedlings to emerge; raising seedlings and transplanting means first raising seedlings in a seedbed, and after the seedlings grow 6-8 true leaves, transplanting them on a cloudy day or in the evening on a sunny day.

5. Watering: Cabbage likes a moist environment. After transplanting, water once every three to five days and wait for them to survive. When the leaves curl, water thoroughly; in the late rosette stage and early heading stage, increase watering; at the end of the rosette stage, appropriately control water; if there is a lot of rain, drain it in time.

6. Fertilization: After the cabbage seedlings have officially survived, carry out the first fertilization and intertillage weeding. On average, one mu requires 100 jin of urea; when the leaves curl, carry out the second fertilization. On average, one mu requires 1,000 jin of farmyard manure, 50 jin of potassium fertilizer, 50 jin of compound fertilizer, and 30 jin of phosphate fertilizer.

7. Harvesting: When the head is firm, it can be harvested. Sometimes, due to too much water, the head is relatively loose, so it can be tied slightly with straw. When harvesting, keep 2 outer leaves to protect the head.

8. Diseases and pests: The main diseases of cabbage are downy mildew and black root disease. For downy mildew, chlorothalonil can be sprayed once every five or six days, and after two to three times it will heal. For black root disease, chlorothalonil can be sprayed for prevention and control. The main pests are aphids and cabbage caterpillars, which can be prevented and controlled by spraying corresponding agents.

Summary: Cabbage is a plant of the genus Brassica in the cruciferous family. It is a very ancient vegetable and has high nutritional value. In addition to being eaten as a vegetable, it can also be used as medicine. Its variety, kale, is also an excellent foliage plant. The above is an introduction to cabbage cultivation methods. I hope it is useful to everyone.