The Latest Guide to Planting Time and Methods for Snow Cabbage
Snow cabbage, also known as xuelihong or nine-head mustard, is not only a vegetable but also a common folk herbal medicine, with diuretic and anti-diarrheal effects as well as swelling-reducing and pain-relieving properties. It is an important vegetable commonly cultivated in the Yangtze River basin of China, with high nutritional value, rich in various vitamins and protein, and deeply loved by many people. Below, Qinnong Net brings you its planting time and methods.
Planting Time
Snow cabbage can be planted multiple times a year, and in the warm regions of the south it can be cultivated in all four seasons, locally called four-season snow cabbage. In spring it is planted from February to April, in summer from July to August, in autumn from September to October, and in winter from December to February of the following year. In spring and autumn it can be planted in the open field; in summer, when it is hot, shade is needed, which helps the seedlings emerge uniformly.
Planting Methods
1. Seed selection and land preparation
Choose varieties that are heat-tolerant, cold-tolerant, fast-growing and highly disease-resistant, such as large-leaf snow cabbage and phoenix-tail snow cabbage. Choose a plot with loose, fertile soil, high organic matter content and good drainage. Apply sufficient base fertilizer to the soil, disinfect and sterilize it, then dig furrows and make beds.
2. Sowing
Treat the seeds before sowing to increase the germination rate and prevent diseases. Soak the seeds in diluted trisodium phosphate for half an hour, then remove and rinse them before sowing. However, the seeds are rather small, so mix them with fine soil or sandy soil and stir before sowing. Sow evenly, using 1 jin of seed per mu of seedbed. After sowing, cover with 0.5-1cm of soil, tread flat and firm, and after watering cover with plastic film to keep warm and retain moisture.
3. Transplanting management
When the seeds germinate and the seedlings break through the soil, promptly pull open the plastic film to maintain ventilation and light. When one or two small leaves have grown, they can be transplanted. For transplanting, generally plant 4 rows per bed, with a row-to-plant spacing of 35×30cm. The roots should be spread out when transplanting, not twisted or suspended in the air, and the planting depth should not exceed the leaf node, then water.
After transplanting, pay attention to water and fertilizer management. Water promptly during drought to keep the soil moist, and drain promptly during the rainy season to prevent root rot. Fertilization can be done together with watering; each fertilization should be mainly nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Fertilization should go from light to concentrated, and during watering and fertilization, timely cultivating and weeding should be carried out according to the growth status.
The above is the planting time and methods for snow cabbage brought to you by Qinnong Net. The main disease of snow cabbage is viral disease, which is not easy to cure once it occurs, so prevention should start with the seeds and soil and protective measures should be taken well. The main pests are aphids and cabbage caterpillars, which can be sprayed and killed with specialized pesticides or insecticides.