What are the key points for growing and managing baby napa cabbage
Baby napa cabbage is very popular in our lives, and this vegetable has extremely rich nutritional value. However, many people think baby napa cabbage is just napa cabbage, which is actually wrong. Baby napa cabbage has a crisper and smoother texture compared to napa cabbage. Its shape is also a bit different: the leaves of baby napa cabbage are yellow, and it is cooked after just a brief blanching. Nowadays, quite a lot of people grow baby napa cabbage, so how should it be managed when growing it? Let's take a look below!
1. Intertillage and weeding
About 10 days after baby napa cabbage emerges, one intertillage and weeding operation is needed. When intertilling, it is different from other vegetables. Because baby napa cabbage has a relatively shallow root system, going too deep can easily damage the roots, so you only need to gently loosen the soil surface, which can effectively promote the development of the baby napa cabbage roots. Also because of the shallow roots, when intertilling we should carry out weeding at the same time to prevent weeds from competing for nutrients and affecting the growth of baby napa cabbage. Regularly observe the weed growth in the field, and if there are too many weeds, carry out a separate weeding operation.
2. Temperature control
After sowing and before emergence, appropriately raise the temperature around the baby napa cabbage to promote seed germination and emergence. However, after emergence, pay attention to ventilation and cooling. The daytime temperature must not exceed 25 degrees, and the nighttime temperature should be kept at around 11 degrees. Also, the ventilation amount should gradually increase as the temperature rises. When the lowest daily temperature is 15 degrees, the greenhouse film can be removed directly. After removing it, intertill and weed to raise the surface temperature and promote root growth of the baby napa cabbage. Also, according to the growth of the seedlings, do a good job of thinning to increase the yield of baby napa cabbage.
3. Water and fertilizer management
Baby napa cabbage has moderate water and fertilizer needs, with different levels of demand at each growth stage. For example, during the rosette stage, water and fertilizer application should be appropriately controlled; heavy water and heavy fertilizer are not favorable for rosette formation. During the heading stage, the demand for water is high, but when watering, mainly water little and often to prevent excessive water from causing leggy growth of baby napa cabbage. After leggy growth, the density increases, raising the relative humidity in the air and triggering pests and diseases. During the entire growth period of baby napa cabbage, there must be no fewer than two topdressings: the first during the rosette stage, and then another topdressing during the heading stage.
4. Pest and disease control
Actually, the disease incidence of baby napa cabbage is relatively low, because its growth period is short and it itself has strong disease resistance. However, we still must not take it lightly, because baby napa cabbage can still be threatened by some insect pests. For example, the diamondback moth and others. The diamondback moth has the highest incidence after sowing in early spring, so at this stage we must pay attention to pesticide control, and abamectin emulsifiable concentrate and similar products can be used. If other pests and diseases are found, you can refer to the control methods for napa cabbage, as their diseases are all quite similar.
The above is a brief introduction by the editor to the key management points for baby napa cabbage. Growing baby napa cabbage is actually very simple, but it also requires everyone to manage it carefully. Only then can the quality and yield of baby napa cabbage be ensured and your own economic benefits from growing it be further improved. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. If you want to learn more related information, please continue to follow us!