When to sow cabbage? A detailed guide to autumn and winter planting methods

Cabbage, also known as kale, white cabbage, headed cabbage, round cabbage and so on, is a variety of the Brassica oleracea species in the genus Brassica whose terminal and axillary buds can form a leafy head, and it originated along the coast from the Mediterranean to the North Sea. Headed cabbage has strong adaptability and stress resistance, is easy to cultivate, has high yields, and stores and transports well. It is grown widely around the world, is a major vegetable in European and American countries, and is also one of China's major vegetables; it occupies an important place in year-round supply.When is cabbage generally sown? What are the autumn and winter planting methods?

1. When is cabbage sown?

Cabbage has strong adaptability and tolerates both cold and heat, and in northern China it can be grown in the open field in spring, summer and autumn. In the high-cold regions of the Northeast, Northwest and North China, seedlings are mostly raised in spring and summer, planted in summer and harvested in autumn; the growing period is long and the leafy heads are large, making these China's main cabbage-producing areas. In North China and in some cities in the Northeast and Northwest, planting is mainly in two crops, spring and autumn, though multiple crops can also be grown. Raising seedlings in winter and spring, planting in spring and harvesting in summer is called summer cabbage; raising seedlings in summer, planting in autumn and harvesting in autumn and winter is called autumn cabbage.

2. What are the autumn and winter planting methods for cabbage?

1. Sowing and raising seedlings

In the Yangtze River Basin, sow from the end of July to August 20, choosing a plot that is dry, well ventilated and well drained, and raise seedlings under shade netting. After emergence, remove the shade netting, and 15 days later, when the seedlings have 2 true leaves and 1 heart leaf, prick out the seedlings at a spacing of 10 cm between plants and between rows, and apply one topdressing after they have established.

2. Land preparation and transplanting

Choose a high, well-drained plot whose previous crop was not a cruciferous crop for transplanting; after deep ploughing and fine harrowing, make beds 2 m wide and open deep furrows. Apply 2000—2500 kg of organic fertilizer and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as a base dressing. When the seedlings are 30—35 days old, transplant on a cloudy day or after 4 p.m. on a sunny day, and determine the transplanting density according to the variety; for flat-headed varieties, plant 2800 plants per mu. After transplanting, water to help the plants establish.

3. Field management

Water and fertilizer management should focus on promoting growth, with emphasis on fertilizing in the late rosette stage and early head-forming stage. In the early stage, nitrogen fertilizer is dominant, while in the middle and late head-forming stages, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are dominant. Apply topdressing 3—4 times, and carry out timely hoeing and weeding. In the late head-forming stage, control the frequency and amount of watering to avoid head splitting.

4. Pest and disease control

In autumn and winter cultivation, cabbage pests occur severely, so attention should be paid to controlling aphids, cabbage caterpillars, diamondback moths, cabbage moths, tobacco cutworms and other pests. Diseases occur relatively lightly and generally do not need control.

5. Timely harvest

According to the maturity of the cabbage, harvest the large heads. When harvesting, pull the plants up by the roots or cut them off with a knife at the root crown at ground level, remove the outer leaves, and grade and pack the heads by size for market.

3. Cabbage planting prospects

Cabbage is cultivated throughout China and used as a vegetable and as feed. The concentrated juice of the leaves is used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is one of China's important vegetables. In Northeast China it is commonly called “datoucai”. In Yunnan it is commonly called “lianhuabai”. Overall, the prospects for cabbage planting are average, not outstandingly good, but not bad either. Although the market price of cabbage is not particularly low, the purchase price received by vegetable farmers is much lower than the market price, and staggered marketing can indeed bring greater profits, but not all growers have cold storage conditions. Therefore, for planting cabbage in 2019, farmers are advised to consider carefully and avoid entrepreneurial risks.