A Detailed Guide to the Latest Management Methods for Chinese Cabbage at the Rosette Stage
The rosette stage of Chinese cabbage mainly refers to the period from the growth of its true leaves to the start of head formation. The rosette stage is the most important of all the growth stages of Chinese cabbage, and the growth during this stage is closely related to its yield, generally lasting about 3-4 weeks. Therefore, the management work during this period is also very important, so today we have brought you the management methods for the rosette stage of Chinese cabbage. Let's take a look below!
1. Intertillage and weed control
Chinese cabbage needs to be weeded about 3 times throughout its entire growth period, and one of those times is during the rosette stage. After Chinese cabbage enters the rosette stage, it should be weeded once in time before the rows close. The weeding time should be chosen on a sunny day, when the leaves are softened. This prevents the cabbage leaves from being too firm and getting damaged during weeding. When intertilling, the principle of deep furrows and shallow ridges should be followed, and the intertillage depth on the ridge should not exceed 5 cm. The depth of the furrow, however, should be kept at about 10 cm, creating a good environment for the growth of Chinese cabbage during the rosette stage. After the rows close, intertillage should be stopped.
2. Fertilizer and water management
After Chinese cabbage enters the rosette stage, its growth speed accelerates, and its demand for nutrients and water also rises sharply. Therefore, at the early stage of the rosette, a fertilizer for promoting plant development should be applied in time, mainly urea, generally by opening a furrow beside the field ditch for application. When opening the furrow, be careful not to damage the roots of the cabbage, so as to avoid reducing its nutrient absorption capacity. The rosette stage of Chinese cabbage is generally in summer, and the temperature at noon is relatively high, so we should appropriately use small drip irrigation to lower the surface temperature and promote the growth of Chinese cabbage. This prevents a high-temperature and high-humidity environment from causing pests and diseases. Then, after seedling hardening, water about once every week. It is not advisable to irrigate with large amounts of water, to prevent excessive moisture from instead affecting the growth of Chinese cabbage.
3. Seedling hardening to promote rooting
During the period from the middle of the rosette stage to the heading of Chinese cabbage, the amount of watering should be controlled well to promote seedling hardening, prevent excessive vegetative growth, increase leaf thickness, promote root growth and development, increase nutrient accumulation in Chinese cabbage, avoid excessively high humidity, and reduce the incidence of pests and diseases in Chinese cabbage. The seedling hardening period for Chinese cabbage is generally about half a month. However, note that if the planted variety has a short growth cycle, fast growth, poor growth vigor, or is sown late, and if there is drought and lack of water, high temperature and insufficient fertilizer, then seedling hardening should be minimized or not carried out at all.
4. Pest and disease control
The threat of pests and diseases during the rosette stage is relatively great. The more common diseases during this period include viral disease and soft rot. The main conditions for the onset of these diseases are high temperature and high humidity, so we must pay attention to controlling the temperature and humidity in the field to avoid creating conditions for pests and diseases to develop. Then we should frequently observe the growth of Chinese cabbage. After discovering the onset of disease, in addition to promptly checking the specific disease and applying the right treatment, we should also promptly remove weeds from the field and pull out diseased plants that have no treatment value. This reduces sources of disease in the field, prevents the spread of the condition, and stops losses in time.
Then focus on controlling aphids, because aphids not only chew the stems and leaves of Chinese cabbage, but also carry pathogens such as viral disease and spread them. So when doing a good job of disease control, everyone must not neglect pest control work either. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!