Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Summer Cabbage Planting and Management
How should summer cabbage be managed during cultivation? Please give guidance. Summer cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage that reaches the market between summer and autumn, when vegetable supply is in the off-season, offering considerable economic returns. However, because summer temperatures are high and rain is plentiful, it is a season with a high incidence of pests and diseases. When planting Chinese cabbage, key steps must be grasped, and you must...
How should summer cabbage be managed during cultivation? Please give guidance.
Summer cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage that reaches the market between summer and autumn, when vegetable supply is in the off-season, offering considerable economic returns. However, because summer temperatures are high and rain is plentiful, it is a season with a high incidence of pests and diseases. When planting Chinese cabbage, key steps must be grasped: you must select the right variety and adopt appropriate management measures to achieve stable and high yields.
Summer cabbage varieties mainly need to have characteristics such as heat tolerance, wind resistance, resistance to viral disease, resistance to soft rot, tolerance to strong light, moisture tolerance, a short growth period, a high proportion of usable heads, and high yield with good quality. Examples include heat-resistant cabbage varieties suited to summer sowing such as Re Kang Bai-45, Zaoshu No. 5, Xiafeng, Xialu, Xiaqiubao, Japanese Xiahui, Xiayou, and Xiayang.
I. Avoid continuous cropping, prepare the soil carefully, and apply sufficient base fertilizer
To reduce diseases and avoid soil deficiency in a particular element, avoid continuous cropping with cruciferous crops. Given the short growth period of summer Chinese cabbage, apply organic fertilizer heavily. Summer cabbage grows vigorously and has a high demand for water and fertilizer but is not tolerant of waterlogging. In production, adopt the cultivation method of heavy base fertilizer application and half-high ridge planting, so that watering can moisten the ridge surface thoroughly and drainage after rain is facilitated. Apply 3000-5000 kg of fully decomposed high-quality organic fertilizer, 30-50 kg of superphosphate, and 10-20 kg of potassium chloride or potassium sulfate per mu.
II. Sow at the appropriate time to ensure full, uniform, and vigorous seedlings
Sow in staggered batches from mid-May to early July. Sowing methods are divided into drilling and hill sowing. For drilling, the seed rate is about 0.25 kg per mu; for hill sowing, the seed rate is about 0.15 kg per mu. To ensure uniform and vigorous seedlings, the following points should be noted whether drilling or hill sowing: (1) After sowing, water along the furrow, but do not let the water flow over the ridge surface, to avoid surface crusting that affects emergence. (2) The bottom of the sowing furrow or hill should be relatively flat, and the covering soil should mainly be loose, fine soil, neither too thin nor too thick. (3) Cabbage sprouts are most afraid of direct sun exposure, so generally sow in the evening or afternoon, so that the sprouts emerge after 2 days and then receive sunlight after a night. (4) Pay attention to pest control.
III. Field management
Thin seedlings early (thin in stages), finalize the stand late, and keep strong seedlings. Whether drilling or hill sowing, generally thin 3 times. The first time is when the heart leaves appear (if not too crowded, it may be skipped), the second time at 2-3 leaves, and the third time at 5-6 leaves to finalize the stand. Because summer cabbage has a short growth period, generally no seedling hardening is done, and fertilizer and water are supplied continuously to promote growth. Water and loosen the soil in time. In dry weather with no rain, water lightly every 2-3 days. If there is standing water in the field on rainy days, drain it promptly to prevent seedlings from being waterlogged and becoming diseased. After finalizing the stand, apply 15 kg of urea per mu with irrigation. During the heading stage, carry out a second topdressing, applying 25 kg of urea per mu.
IV. Prevent and control pests and diseases early
Pests and diseases occur relatively severely in summer cabbage, so they must be detected and controlled early. The main diseases are downy mildew and soft rot. To prevent downy mildew, during the rosette stage spray 75% chlorothalonil at 500 times dilution, 65% zineb at 500 times dilution, or 40% phosethyl-Al wettable powder at 150-200 times dilution. To prevent soft rot, spray agricultural streptomycin 2-3 times during the rosette stage. Before disease onset or in the early stage, spray 72% agricultural streptomycin sulfate soluble powder at 4000 times dilution, focusing on mildly diseased plants and the plants around them, and be sure to spray the leaf stalks and stem base near the soil surface. Pull out diseased plants promptly to reduce the source of inoculum and prevent spread. Pests include aphids and cabbage caterpillars, which can be controlled by spraying 4.5% beta-cypermethrin at 1000-1500 times dilution. Strictly eliminate aphids to prevent the occurrence of viral disease.
V. Harvest in time
Because of high temperature and high humidity in summer, cabbage can be harvested when it reaches 70-80% maturity. The specific harvest time can also be determined according to market conditions, aiming to harvest and bring to market when Chinese cabbage prices are relatively high, so as to obtain greater economic returns.
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