How to Grow Napa Cabbage and Three Techniques to Store It Without Spoiling

Napa cabbage is a common vegetable in our daily lives. It can be stir-fried, made into soup, or pickled, and its nutritional value is quite high. There is a saying that “a hundred vegetables are not as good as napa cabbage,” and moreover, napa cabbage is very inexpensive, making it a frequent guest on the dining table. So, what is the growing method for napa cabbage?

I. A Brief Introduction to Napa Cabbage!

1. Can napa cabbage be eaten raw?

Napa cabbage can be eaten raw. According to reference materials, napa cabbage has preventive and adjunctive therapeutic effects on cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and many other modern lifestyle diseases, and also has anti-aging effects. Eating it raw gives the best dietary therapeutic results; it just needs to be washed clean.

2. Can napa cabbage be eaten overnight?

Napa cabbage should not be eaten overnight. Fresh napa cabbage contains a large amount of non-toxic nitrates, and if it is left for a long time after being cooked, the nitrates will be reduced to highly toxic nitrites. Therefore, it is better to stir-fry and eat it fresh.

II. How to Grow Napa Cabbage?

1. Timing

Napa cabbage prefers a cool climate. Its suitable growing temperature is 18-20°C, it can safely overwinter at -2°C to 3°C, and its growth weakens above 25°C. Therefore, napa cabbage is generally planted in autumn, and only a few heat-tolerant varieties can be planted in summer. If it is an early-maturing variety, it can be sown in early to mid-August; if it is a mid-to-late-maturing variety, it can be sown from late August to early September.

2. Land preparation

Napa cabbage can be grown in both the north and the south. It does not have high requirements for soil, but sandy loam or loam rich in organic matter and loose and fertile is best. Before sowing napa cabbage, the land must be prepared. First, plow the plot deeply and harrow it fine, then make beds, and apply decomposed organic fertilizer per mu.

3. Sowing

Napa cabbage can be direct-seeded or raised as seedlings and then transplanted. Direct seeding is mainly done in drills, with spot seeding as a supplement. When sowing, control the plant and row spacing. If conditions such as climate and soil are good, it can be appropriately planted densely; otherwise, it should be planted sparsely. After direct seeding, apply decomposed human manure and urine; for seedling raising and transplanting, it is best to do it on a cloudy day or in the evening of a sunny day. To improve the survival rate, it can be transplanted with soil, and after planting, water with root-settling water.

4. Management

After sowing napa cabbage, water once each morning and evening every day to keep the soil moist. Seedlings can emerge in 3-4 days. When they grow to 2-3 or 4-5 true leaves, thin and fill in the seedlings, and remove weeds, diseased seedlings, and weak seedlings. After seedling raising and transplanting, water once each morning and evening every day for 3 consecutive days to help the seedlings recover and survive.

5. Fertilizing

Once napa cabbage survives, topdressing can begin. Generally, apply decomposed human manure and urine once every 3-4 days. During the rosette stage, the concentration of topdressing should be increased. After heading begins, apply heavy topdressing and increase potassium fertilizer. After the plants close the rows, generally no more topdressing is applied. To facilitate topdressing, loosen the soil and remove weeds in the early stage, and earth up to form ridges during the rosette stage.

6. Watering

Watering napa cabbage depends on the climate and soil. During the seedling stage, water frequently to keep the soil moist. During the rosette stage, control watering, keeping it just dry and wet alternately. During heading, increase watering and keep the soil moist at all times.

III. How to Store Napa Cabbage?

1. Cold storage: Store napa cabbage in a cold storage facility, which can effectively delay the loss of water from the cabbage and maintain chlorophyll content.

2. Air-drying storage: Remove the rotten leaves, then air-dry for 4-5 days. After drying, the outermost leaves of the napa cabbage will wilt due to water loss, and then move it to a storage room.

3. Cellar storage: Place napa cabbage in a cellar. The temperature is best between 0-5 degrees. Turn it over every few days, and promptly remove any rotten leaves found.

The above is an introduction to the growing method for napa cabbage. Once napa cabbage has grown, it can be harvested at the right time. If there is too much after harvest, it can be stored. The above are three storage methods that can ensure the napa cabbage will not spoil.