How to Grow Red Cabbage? Detailed Planting Method Shared
Cabbage is a very common vegetable for us, but red cabbage is still relatively rare on the market. Red cabbage is a new type of cabbage vegetable introduced from abroad, also known as purple cabbage. Now many places have successfully trial-planted red cabbage, so how do you grow red cabbage? Below is the red cabbage planting method I want to share with you. Let's take a look together.
1. Region Selection
Red cabbage is more suited to living in a relatively mild climate. It has a certain cold resistance and can also withstand a certain amount of heat, but the lowest planting temperature must not be below 5 to 8°C, and the highest temperature must not be above 35°C. This is also why red cabbage is relatively rare on the market. So when choosing a planting site, we must take these issues into consideration. Choose a place with relatively small temperature differences for planting. The planting site should be relatively flat, fertile, convenient for drainage and irrigation, and also in a location with relatively convenient transportation.
2. Sowing and Seedling Raising
Red cabbage is generally sown every year from August to September. Of course, during this period the temperature of the planting site also has a great influence, so the sowing time can be reasonably arranged according to the temperature. At the same time, in a few areas it can also be sown around March each year. Red cabbage planting usually requires raising seedlings first and then transplanting and setting them out. The seedling bed should have relatively high terrain and relatively fine soil texture. Before sowing, the seedling bed needs to be watered thoroughly, which helps the seeds sprout. If you are worried that the temperature is too low, you can cover it with a layer of plastic film at the end to keep it warm.
3. Seedling Management
Red cabbage will sprout about five days after sowing. If plastic film was covered at the time of sowing, it needs to be uncovered in time, and then check the growth of the red cabbage seedlings. If the soil on the seedling bed is relatively dry, then water needs to be supplemented in time, which helps the growth of the red cabbage seedlings. At the same time, we also need to check the growth of weeds in the seedling bed and remove the weeds by hand so as not to affect the growth and development of the seedlings.
4. Reasonable Close Planting
Generally, after about ten days, red cabbage seedlings can basically grow five or six true leaves. At this time we can transplant them. Before that, we need to prepare the planting site by tilling the soil, leveling it as much as possible, filling in low-lying areas in the field with soil, then spreading sufficient fertilizer, and then making ridges and furrows for planting. Generally, ensure that 2,000 red cabbage plants can be planted per mu, so the best planting spacing is about 60 cm between rows and 50 cm between plants. At the same time, the plant spacing can also be adjusted according to the fertility of the soil.
5. Field Management
After setting out the plants, the field temperature should be kept at around 15 to 20°C, so as to ensure the normal growth of red cabbage. The next thing is to water in time, which helps the growth of the red cabbage root system. Since the growth of red cabbage requires a large amount of nutrients, in addition to the base fertilizer, at least three to four topdressings are needed. Organic fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer, and manure water can be used to promote its growth, but during the heading stage, an appropriate amount of potassium fertilizer needs to be added. At the same time, soil calcium deficiency should also be avoided, and calcium-containing fertilizer should also be supplemented in an appropriate amount. Each time you fertilize, you can combine it with cultivating and watering, which can promote the absorption of nutrients.
6. Pest and Disease Control
The most common diseases of red cabbage are black rot and soft rot. Both of these diseases are fungal infectious diseases caused by improper water management in the field, and they seriously affect the quality of red cabbage, so we can use neophytomycin for treatment. Sometimes downy mildew and sclerotinia will also appear. These two diseases basically occur frequently in summer during high temperature and rainy periods, and can be treated with chlorothalonil and dimethachlon respectively. Finally, there will also be some pests that harm red cabbage leaves, such as aphids and cabbage caterpillars, which can be controlled with a 3500-fold dilution of fenvalerate.