What are the planting times and methods for cabbage?

Cabbage is called "juancai" in many places, and "baocai" in many others. Actually, to be precise, both "juancai" and "baocai" are just one variety of the cabbage family of vegetables. Cabbage is rich in nutrients and very affordable, and now four-season cabbage has appeared, meaning cabbage can be planted all year round. Below is what Qinongnet wants to share with you today about the best time to plant cabbage and the correct methods for growing cabbage, and we hope it will be helpful to everyone.

Planting time

The planting time for cabbage is actually not fixed, because different climates in different regions have a great impact on the growth of cabbage, which is why spring cabbage, summer cabbage, autumn cabbage and winter cabbage appear on the market. In general, the best planting time for cabbage is April in spring and September in autumn. The most suitable temperature for cabbage growth is 20 to 28°C, so cabbage planted during these periods has high yield and good quality.

Planting methods

1. Seed selection

There are many varieties of cabbage, such as flat-head cabbage, round-head cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, purple cabbage and so on. Each kind of cabbage adapts to a different environment, so you can choose the most suitable variety according to the region where you are. For example, Hunan is more suitable for planting round-head cabbage, the Yangtze River basin is more suitable for planting flat-head cabbage, and in relatively dry regions you can choose Brussels sprouts. The specific seed selection needs to be made according to the specific situation.

2. Land preparation

Cabbage has a strong ability to adapt to the environment, so it does not need specific soil or soil texture, but when choosing land you must note that you cannot choose land that has been continuously cropped, as it is very prone to blight. So we should also pay attention when preparing the land. First, we need to clear the debris from the field, and only then start plowing. When plowing, turn the soil as deep as possible, then expose it to the sun for a few days. After that, we go to the field and dig a drainage ditch every 1 m to 2 m, preparing for drainage in advance. Finally, spread an average of 1,000 jin of farmyard manure and 50 jin of plant ash per mu, and wait for sowing.

3. Sowing

There are two ways to plant cabbage. The lazy method is to sow the seeds at a certain spacing, then cover them with soil and wait for seedlings to emerge. The other method is to first raise seedlings in a seedbed, then transplant them. When sowing and raising seedlings, we first need to wet the seedbed, then evenly scatter the seeds on the seedbed, cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, and when necessary cover them with a layer of dry grass or plastic film to maintain soil temperature. When the seedlings grow to 6 to 8 cm, they can be transplanted. When planting, plant with a row spacing of 40 cm and a plant spacing of 35 cm.

4. Management

The first thing after transplanting is to water, once every 3 to 5 days. After about 10 days, some transplanted plants in the field will not survive, so the seedlings must be filled in within 5 to 10 days. Then, after the seedlings have officially survived, in order to make the field look neat, the first fertilization is needed, accompanied by intertillage and weeding. This can reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption and at the same time enhance soil permeability and nutrient storage. An average of 100 jin of urea is needed per mu. The second fertilization is when cabbage begins to slowly curl its leaves, which is when it needs the most nutrients. On average, 1,000 jin of farmyard manure, 50 jin of potassium fertilizer, 50 jin of compound fertilizer and 30 jin of phosphate fertilizer are needed per mu, and sufficient water must be provided at the same time. If there is a season with a lot of rain, go to the field to clear the drainage ditches and drain out the excess water. Finally, some cabbage heads are relatively loose for various reasons, so we can tie them slightly with straw.

5. Disease prevention

Common cabbage diseases include downy mildew and black root disease. Downy mildew affects the growth of cabbage leaves, generally showing spots on the leaf surface that gradually increase, as if moldy, and in severe cases the plant wilts. The control method is to spray chlorothalonil once every 5 to 6 days, and after 2 to 3 times it will recover. Black root disease mainly harms the roots. The prevention method is generally done before planting: disinfect the land with quicklime during land preparation before planting, or spray chlorothalonil.