Correct methods and key technical points for hardening off Chinese cabbage

The practice of pausing watering of Chinese cabbage from the middle of the rosette stage until before head formation, thereby promoting robust growth of the Chinese cabbage, is called hardening off.

Hardening off can control excessive vegetative growth of Chinese cabbage, make the leaves thicker, and favor the accumulation of nutrients and dry matter. At the same time, it encourages the root system to develop deeper, which helps absorb more water and nutrients, and is very beneficial for the health of the Chinese cabbage and its timely entry into the head-forming stage. In addition, hardening off also helps control the occurrence and development of diseases.

In the north, the hardening-off period is generally 10 to 20 days. Usually, spring-sown, summer-sown, and early-autumn-sown Chinese cabbage are generally not hardened off because their growing period is short.

When hardening off, fertilization, watering, and intertillage must be organically combined to achieve the comprehensive effect of hardening off. Generally, after thinning to a stand and topdressing, water heavily 1 to 2 times so that the soil layer absorbs water fully, then carry out timely fine intertillage, requiring deep hoeing of the furrows (6 to 9 cm) and shallow hoeing of the ridge backs (2 to 3 cm), forming a loose, fine, crumbly moisture-conserving layer, and by all means avoid extensive damage to leaves and roots.