What are the benefits and effects of napa cabbage? A detailed guide to growing it on a balcony

Napa cabbage is one of the most common vegetables in our daily lives, and the benefits and effects of napa cabbage are also quite wide-ranging. With economic development, people have started growing napa cabbage on their balconies at home, but they do not know much about the cultivation method. So how should you grow napa cabbage on a balcony at home? How much do you know about the benefits, effects and contraindications of napa cabbage?

I. Benefits and effects of napa cabbage

1. Moistens the intestines and relieves constipation

Napa cabbage has a water content of about 95%, and it is also rich in dietary fiber. Eating napa cabbage can stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis, help digestion, promote the excretion of waste from the intestinal tract, and help prevent constipation and colorectal cancer. 2. Beautifies the skin and nourishes the complexion

Napa cabbage is rich in water and vitamins. Regularly eating napa cabbage not only replenishes water lost by the body, but the vitamin C and E it contains can also prevent skin pigmentation and have a skincare and complexion-enhancing effect. In autumn and winter, when the air is dry, eating more napa cabbage can reduce the damage cold wind does to the skin.

3. Promotes fluid production and nourishes the stomach

In “Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica” it is recorded that napa cabbage is “sweet, non-thirst-inducing and non-toxic, and benefits the stomach and intestines.” Traditional Chinese medicine holds that napa cabbage has the effects of nourishing the stomach and promoting fluid production, and clearing heat and relieving restlessness. Pounding napa cabbage to extract its juice and decocting it with lily bulb and dwarf lilyturf tuber in water to take warm has a fairly good therapeutic effect on dull stomach pain caused by deficiency of stomach yin.

4. Reduces fat and aids weight loss

Napa cabbage is a low-fat, low-calorie food with high water content and rich dietary fiber. Eating napa cabbage can speed up metabolism and prevent constipation and subcutaneous fat accumulation, making it an economical and affordable weight-loss food. Friends who need to lose weight may wish to try boiled napa cabbage or sweet and sour stir-fried napa cabbage; you can achieve a very good weight-loss effect without going on a diet.

5. Clears heat and detoxifies

Napa cabbage is cold in nature and sweet in flavor, making it very suitable for patients with thirst and vexing heat, cough with phlegm-heat, wind-heat common cold and other such conditions.

6. Prevents scurvy

Napa cabbage is rich in nutrients, and its vitamin C content is 4 to 5 times that of apples and pears. Regularly eating napa cabbage can prevent various diseases caused by vitamin C deficiency, such as scurvy and bleeding gums.

7. Prevents breast cancer

A survey by the Hormone Research Institute in New York, USA, showed that women in China and Japan have a much lower chance of developing breast cancer than Western women, and this is due to regularly eating napa cabbage. This is because napa cabbage contains a compound that helps break down estrogen related to breast cancer——indole-3-carbinol.

II. Dietary contraindications of napa cabbage

1. Napa cabbage is cold in nature and loosens the stomach and intestines, so people with diarrhea, deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach, or stomach cold and abdominal pain should not eat much of it.

2. Rotten napa cabbage must not be eaten, as it can cause nitrite poisoning

III. How do you grow napa cabbage on a balcony?

1. Preparation before planting

To grow napa cabbage on a balcony, you first need to prepare the growing site. Growing on a balcony cannot be like in rural areas; we can use the potted method, which saves some space. The growing container must be large, as napa cabbage still needs a relatively large space to grow. After washing the container clean, prepare loose and fertile soil and fill the container with it, and then a small growing site is ready. In addition, when planting, it must be placed in a sunny spot. Napa cabbage needs sufficient light during the seedling stage, but during the growth stage it needs to avoid prolonged light exposure.

2. Sowing

Generally, growing napa cabbage on a balcony is done in autumn, because napa cabbage growth requires a mild climate, and especially when forming heads it is fairly strict about temperature. In addition, there are fewer vegetables in winter, so if you sow in autumn, you can eat the napa cabbage you grew yourself in winter. First soak the napa cabbage seeds in warm water for 10-20 minutes, then soak them in clean water for 8-10 hours; this helps ensure successful sowing. After that, evenly scatter the seeds on the soil and cover with a shallow layer of soil. Napa cabbage has poor soil-pushing strength when sprouting, and covering with soil too deep is unfavorable for germination.

3. Thinning

After the seeds germinate and when they are 2-3cm tall, thinning can be carried out. Transplant the seedlings into a spacious container, dig a small hole every 10-15cm or so, and place the seedlings in vertically, taking care to keep the seedlings and root systems vertical. After earthing up, water to keep the soil moist; this helps napa cabbage grow faster. If some seedlings are of poor quality, they can be used to make soup or cold dishes, and they taste even sweeter and more tender.

4. Daily management

After thinning, place them in a spot on the balcony with sufficient light, then water frequently to keep the soil moist. At the same time, also pay attention to light intensity, so that strong sunlight does not scorch the seedlings and cause them to die. After the seedlings have grown for half a month, apply fertilizer once, evenly scattering compound fertilizer granules containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium into the soil and mixing them in thoroughly; the first fertilization should not be too much. In addition, frequently earth up the soil so the seedlings can fully absorb the fertilizer, and this can also prevent the seedlings from lodging. Usually also pay attention to pest and disease control. Do these things well, and you can harvest one and a half months after sowing.