Good water and fertilizer management in autumn and winter is essential for a bumper Chinese cabbage harvest

    Good water and fertilizer management is key to a bumper Chinese cabbage harvest. When growing autumn and winter Chinese cabbage, correct management should be carried out according to the climate and the crop's water and fertilizer requirements at each growth stage.

Water and fertilizer management for Chinese cabbage

    1. Seedling stage: The cabbage root system is not well developed and has weak absorption capacity, and autumn and winter are relatively dry, so sufficient water must be supplied in time, with frequent light watering to promote root growth. At the heart-breaking stage, apply a topdressing once, using 3—4kg of urea per mu; at each thinning, combined with intertillage, apply a light seedling-promoting fertilizer, using 5—6kg of urea per mu, or 600—800kg of clear manure water or biogas slurry.

    2. Rosette stage: This is a period of rapid growth for Chinese cabbage, with high water and fertilizer requirements, so as to satisfy the vigorous growth of the cabbage. After final thinning or after the Chinese cabbage has recovered from transplanting, dig holes or small furrows between rows or between plants and apply fertilizer, topdressing 20—25kg of compound fertilizer per mu; after topdressing, water thoroughly once, then water according to how dry or moist the soil is.

    3. Head-forming stage: This is the critical period for Chinese cabbage head formation, requiring large amounts of fertilizer and water. Water and fertilizer management during the head-forming stage focuses on the early and middle phases of head formation, namely the "barrel-drawing fertilizer" and the "heart-filling fertilizer". When the head begins to form, apply topdressing immediately, with 18—22kg of compound fertilizer and 6—8kg of urea per mu; after the Chinese cabbage draws its barrel, apply topdressing once more, and combine it with irrigation, with slow, gentle watering being best. Alternatively, apply water-soluble fertilizer with the irrigation water. Stop watering 10 days before harvest to prevent the Chinese cabbage from keeping too much water and thus storing poorly.