Savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. сonvar.сaritаta var. sabaūda) - vegetable crop, belonging to the type Cabbage and the varietal group sabauda. The technology for growing and caring for the crop is not too complicated, but it has some peculiarities.
The culture produces large heads of cabbage, consisting of thin and corrugated leaves, which gives the head of cabbage low density and looseness. Healthy and very tasty leaf varieties are also known.
In our country, this garden plant has not become very widespread, which is due to its short shelf life, low productivity and inability to be used for pickling. Nevertheless, the best varieties are highly resistant to frost. Due to the low mustard oil content and the absence of coarse fiber, the taste is higher than that of white cabbage varieties.
Gallery: Savoy cabbage (25 photos)
Description of popular varieties and hybrids of Savoy cabbage
The most popular varieties and hybrid forms of Savoy cabbage very successfully combine high taste and commercial qualities, as well as sufficient resistance to adverse external factors and good stable yield.
Vertue 1340
Medium-late ripening variety, ripening in about four months. The ripened fruits are large in size and of medium density. The average weight of the fetus is approximately 1.8-2.0 kg. Storage harvested short-lived.
Sphere
Medium aging hybrid form. The harvest ripens in about four months. Ripe fruits are of medium size and density. The hybrid form is characterized by high productivity, and good stability to cracking.
Savoy cabbage Sphere
Golden early
Early ripening and very high-yielding variety for fresh consumption, as well as for short-term storage. Disease-resistant and drought-resistant variety, with round fruits of medium density, grayish-green color, weighing 0.7-0.9 kg.
Ovasa
Hybrid mid-late form for use in home cooking. The hybrid has excellent taste and marketability appearance, weakly affected by bacteriosis and fusarium, resistant to unfavorable conditions external factors. The fruits are partially covered, flat-round, grayish-green.
Savoy cabbage Ovasa
Melissa
Hybrid mid-late form for fresh consumption and short-term storage. The hybrid is resistant to cracking. It is stable and high yield , excellent taste, as well as sufficient disease resistance.
Uralochka
Late-ripening variety for fresh consumption, and also for use in home cooking. Ripe fruits are covered, quite dense, round in shape, yellowish when cut, light green in color.
Savoy cabbage Uralochka
Anniversary
A high-yielding, mid-season hybrid form for use not only fresh, but also for fermentation. The hybrid is resistant to major diseases of cabbage crops and cracking. Fully ripened fruits are quite dense, pale green, oval-round, with a white center.
Nyusha
An early ripening variety with fruits of a characteristic round shape and medium density. The variety is characterized by excellent taste and is suitable for fresh consumption, home cooking and short-term storage. It has high yield and resistance to flowering.
Useful properties of savoy cabbage (video)
Technology for proper cultivation of Savoy cabbage
Seed material for seedlings is sown in seedling boxes with drainage holes. Drainage with sand should be poured onto the bottom, followed by a nutritious soil mixture for growing garden crops. The sown seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil and covered with a film cover.
When optimal conditions are created, mass shoots appear in about a week. After emergence of seedlings, the film cover is removed. Irrigation activities are carried out approximately once a week. Transplant to permanent place Seedling material is needed approximately one and a half months after germination.
Seed material for seedlings is sown in seedling containers with drainage holes
Preparing and choosing a seat
It is best to place beds for growing garden crops on a southern or south-eastern slope, where the plants will be provided with the optimal amount of heat and sunlight. The planting site needs to be changed every year. It is impossible to grow crops on sandy, clayey and acidic soils, and the optimal soil acidity should be 6.5-7.0 pH. Light loamy, loamy and sandy loamy fertile soils are very suitable.
Important to remember, that you can grow Savoy cabbage after onions, beets, tomatoes, legumes, potatoes, cucumbers and perennial herbs. It is not recommended to plant in beds after cabbage, radishes, radishes, turnips, turnips, rutabaga and watercress.
Since autumn, the site has been subjected to deep digging and clearing of weeds. Be sure to apply uniform liming and then re-dig the area. IN spring period half a bucket of rotted manure or compost mass is added with the addition of 30-40 g of complex mineral fertilizer or 150-200 g of wood ash for each square meter. Digging of the soil is carried out to the depth of one shovel bayonet.
The planting site for savoy cabbage needs to be changed every year.
Planting methods and timing
Plant savoy cabbage seedlings permanently in open ground carried out when the seedlings have approximately six true leaves. About a couple of weeks before planting seedling material on the ridges, very important run out root feeding a solution based on one tablespoon of urea and one tablespoon of potassium sulfate, diluted in a bucket of water. At this time, you need to start hardening the seedlings at a temperature of 5-7ºC.
A couple of hours before planting, the seedling material should be watered abundantly. Planting is carried out by deepening the plants to the cotyledon leaves. The standard distance when planting early-ripening plants in a row is 35-40 cm with a distance between rows of 40-45 cm. Medium-ripening plants are planted in accordance with a 50x50 cm pattern, and late-ripening ones - 60x60 cm. After planting, you need to water the cabbage generously and be sure to shade from direct sunlight.
How to cook savoy cabbage (video)
Caring for Savoy cabbage
Watering is carried out as needed. Garden culture quite demanding on high soil moisture, but not to excessive moisture, therefore, with too frequent and abundant irrigation activities root system dies off in less than a day. After watering, shallow loosening is carried out, as well as the removal of all weeds.
Feeding should also not be excessive. It is enough to perform only two feedings for the entire season. The first time after planting the seedlings in a permanent place, a solution of mullein is introduced into the open ground. At the head setting stage, standard phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used.
Harvest rules and terms
Savoy cabbage is characterized greater durability to low temperature conditions, even compared to white cabbage varieties and hybrids. It is fashionable to cut heads of early-ripening plants after the heads of cabbage reach a weight of 600 g, and of late-ripening plants - 2.0 kg.
There are many subspecies of garden cabbage. Some are especially popular. Others are considered capricious, so they are not always chosen for cultivation. Savoy cabbage seedlings will help you get exotic look in his own area, despite all the warnings. The process is not complicated. The main thing is to adhere to all the rules.
Characteristics of the subspecies
Savoy cabbage belongs to the Sabuada group. Brought from North Africa and from the western Mediterranean. Named after the area where it has been grown for a long time - the Italian county of Savoy.
It came to the east of Europe in the 17th century. It is not particularly widespread in the Russian Federation, although all conditions for cultivation are available. In demand in the countries of Europe, Central and East Asia.
The distinctive characteristics of the subspecies are as follows:
- heads of cabbage - large, loose;
- leaves - greenish-yellow or dark green, thin, corrugated;
- there are no coarse veins;
- tastes similar to white cabbage.
The culture is frost-resistant. Low temperatures have a positive effect on taste. Yields are lower than those of other species. The chemical composition is richer than that of white cabbage. Contains sinigrin, an element that helps resist bacteria. Prevents the development of cancer cells, therefore it is used for medicinal purposes.
Savoy cabbage is used in cooking. Suitable for salads, cabbage rolls, but unsuitable for pickling.
The best varieties
Until recently, there were few varieties of the crop. But now they exist different types and savoy cabbage hybrids. They are divided into groups according to their ripening time.
Early ripening
The growing season of early ripening varieties is 3.5-4 months. Among the best varieties four are distinguished.
- Early Viennese - has highly corrugated leaves that are distinguished by a bluish bloom. Kochany dark green. Weight about 1 kg.
- Golden early - ripens faster than other types. Heads of cabbage weigh about 1 kg. Cabbage is resistant to cracking even in rainy weather. Suitable for preparing salads and dishes that are subject to heat treatment.
- Petrovna - matures later compared to other early species. Heads of cabbage weigh a little more than 1 kg. The color is dark green on top and light yellow on the inside. It has high yields.
- Moscow lacemaker - heads of cabbage can be cut 3 months after sowing the seeds. Their weight reaches 1.5 kg. They have a yellowish tint inside. The leaves are heavily corrugated. Universal use. Ideal for making cabbage rolls.
Mid-season
Savoy cabbage varieties of the mid-season group ripen in 4-4.5 months. Two of them are popular.
- Melissa F1 is a hybrid that is characterized by high productivity. The average weight of a head of cabbage is 3 kg, some specimens reach 4 kg. The shape is flattened, the inside is dense. The leaves are dark green with a bluish bloom. They have a lot of pimples. The variety is resistant to common diseases. Withstands adverse environmental conditions. Vegetables do not crack.
- Sphere - the species is distinguished by rounded heads of cabbage weighing up to 2.5 kg. The leaves are dark green. The inside of the cabbage is yellowish. Dishes prepared using it have a sweetish taste.
Late ripening
Late ripening varieties can be harvested more than 4.5 months after sowing. Among the best species there are four.
- Uralochka - produces dense round heads of cabbage weighing more than 2 kg. The leaves are large, light green, highly corrugated. The inside is yellow. The species is characterized by resistance to cracking and excellent taste.
- Alaska is a variety of Savoy cabbage that has large heads weighing more than 2 kg. The leaves are small, green with a gray tint and a waxy coating, wavy. Cabbage stores well. Most often used in processed form.
- Nadia - has delicate bubbly leaves. It is resistant to diseases. The heads of cabbage do not crack at the stalk. Transportable, but shelf life is short.
- Lacewort - characterized by a red hue, which have a mass of less than 2 kg. The leaves are thin. Taste qualities tall. Preservation is short-lived.
How to grow seedlings
Cultivating Savoy cabbage using seedlings will allow you to get a harvest faster.
Sowing time
Manipulations are performed taking into account the early ripening characteristics of the selected variety:
- early species - in mid-March;
- average - at the end of March–beginning of April;
- late - in the first half of April.
To enjoy cabbage for a long period, several varieties are sowed different periods maturation. This is done in several stages.
Soil preparation
The soil should be light and loose, slightly acidic. High acidity is reduced by adding to the soil slaked lime or wood ash. Exist different variants preparing the substrate for savoy cabbage seedlings.
- Take fertile soil, sand and peat in equal proportions.
- 3 parts coconut substrate and 1 part vermiculite. The first component will provide access to air and water to the roots of the plant. The second contains the nutrients necessary for the good development of sprouts. The substance also prevents the development of a disease called blackleg.
- Peat tablets have many advantages as a substrate for seedlings. Contains mineral supplements, antibacterial substances and a growth stimulator. Thanks to this composition, plants receive strong immunity and the opportunity to develop intensively.
Do-it-yourself soil mixtures must be disinfected. To do this, they are watered with a solution of Fitosporin, which is diluted in water - 1 drop of the substance per 1 liter of liquid. A slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate will also work.
There are already fully prepared biosoils on sale that do not require additional processing. They promote rapid seed germination and active development of sprouts.
Selection of vessels
Whether the plants will need to be picked in the future depends on the prepared containers. It is performed if the seed is sown in one large box. To skip this stage of growing Savoy cabbage, you should plant the seeds in separate containers: plastic cups, yogurt jars, etc. Holes are made in the bottom of the containers to prevent moisture stagnation.
The ideal solution when it comes to choosing containers would be peat pots. They are placed on the site along with seedlings. Over time, the vessels dissolve, saturating the soil with useful substances.
Preparation of seed material
Purchased seeds are often sold already processed. If the grains have not passed preliminary preparation, then you need to do it yourself:
- calibration - small and low-quality ones are rejected;
- disinfection - use Fitosporin or potassium permanganate solution;
- stimulation - soak the grains in a solution of the drug Epin (2 drops per 1 liter of water);
- soaking in hot water- at a temperature of 50°C for 15 minutes;
- hardening - the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
After preparation, the grains are dried.
Sowing
Knowing how to plant Savoy cabbage seedlings, you will achieve successful results. When planting seeds in a common box, make grooves 1 cm deep. The distance between rows should be about 3 cm, and between plants - 1.5 cm.
The soil is compacted a little, moistened and covered with film. This method involves thinning crops during dense planting.
When planting seeds in individual containers, 2-3 grains are placed in each of them. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the weaker seedling is cut off.
It is prohibited to pull out plants, otherwise the root system of the sprout that remains may be damaged. This sowing method makes it possible to obtain high-quality seedlings with strong roots.
Picking
Picking is done when the plants have 2-3 true leaves. To make it easier to remove the seedlings, the soil is well moistened beforehand. Then perform the following actions:
- separate each seedling with a spatula along with a lump of earth;
- place the plants in separate cups, covering them with soil up to the cotyledon leaves;
- moisturize, if possible, also add a solution of the growth regulator Atlet - 1 ampoule per 3-4 liters of water.
After picking, seedlings need special care. Watering is stopped for several days. The vessels are placed in a warm room, where they are kept for 3-4 days. At this time, the seedlings are protected from direct sun rays. After the plants take root, the temperature is lowered to +20-22°C.
Optimal conditions for seedlings
Growing Savoy cabbage seedlings and caring for them are closely interrelated. Without providing proper conditions, you will not have quality seedlings.
Temperature
After sowing, the containers are placed in a place with temperatures of +20°C during the day and +18°C at night. Worth providing good circulation air. To do this, the plantings are ventilated every day and condensation is removed.
Lighting
Savoy cabbage seedlings prefer well-lit places. When shoots appear, the vessels are placed on the southern windowsill. Create diffused light using newspaper or special screens.
Daylight hours should be 12 hours. If necessary, it is provided with the help of phytolamps. They are installed above the containers at a distance of 25 cm. Otherwise, the seedlings will be thin and weak.
Watering
Cabbage loves moisture. Optimal indicators for soil are 75%, for air – 85%. When sprouts do not have enough water, they turn yellow and wither. It should be applied in moderation as the top layer of soil dries out. It is worth considering that stagnation of moisture provokes the development of fungal diseases.
For irrigation use warm, settled water. After this, the soil is loosened and the area where the plants are kept is ventilated.
Top dressing
Good development of seedlings can be achieved by providing them extra food. To do this, savoy cabbage seedlings are fed in 3 stages, following the recommendations.
- 3 weeks after sowing, a solution of Agricola and Zdraven Turbo is added to the soil. The first product is used in a dosage of 2.5 g per 1 liter of water, the second - 1.5 g per 1 liter of water.
- 10 days after the previous fertilizer, the same substances are used, increasing the dosage by 1.5 times.
- 2-3 days before planting, feed with potassium, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate, dissolving the substances at 8 mg, 5 mg and 3 mg, respectively, in 1 liter of water. They are added during watering.
To strengthen the root system and stems, perform root feeding or foliar spraying. For this purpose, biostimulants are used.
Hardening
To prepare plants for planting in open ground, they are hardened off. The process begins by opening the windows for several hours in the room where the seedlings are kept. They do this for 2 days. Then the seedlings are taken out onto a glassed-in loggia or veranda.
The time spent in a cool environment is gradually increased. Plants are shaded from the sun. After 6 days, watering is stopped, the containers are taken out to Fresh air all day. They bring it back at night. A week after the start of hardening, the Savoy cabbage seedlings are left outside.
Diseases and pests
Rotting of the root part of the stem can be caused by the following factors:
- stagnation of moisture in the ground;
- temperature violation;
- watering with cold water.
Plants damaged by blackleg are thrown away. Healthy seedlings are transplanted into a new soil mixture and treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Savoy cabbage seedlings are often infested by aphids, in the presence of which a light coating appears on the leaves. It sucks the sap from the cells, causing the plants to wither. On initial stages defeat can be resisted by pest invasion using folk remedies:
- wormwood extract;
- ash infusion - 30 g of substance per 1 liter of water;
- solution liquid soap– 40 ml per 1 l.
At an advanced stage of the lesion, such remedies will be effective
- Anabasine sulfate;
- Aktellik;
- Inta-vir.
The drugs are used according to the attached instructions.
Planting in open ground
Seedlings in the phase of six true leaves and a stem 20-25 cm high can be transplanted to a permanent location.
Deadlines
For the process to be successful, you need to know when to plant savoy cabbage. For early ripening varieties, the timing of moving to open ground is late April–early May, when the seedlings are 40-45 days old. For mid-late and late types, work is carried out 35-45 days after sowing - approximately after May 10. By this time, the average daily temperature should be +15°C, then the soil will warm up a little.
Site selection
The culture grows well on loose loamy and peat soils. Plant it on flat areas or ridges. The optimal pH level is 6.5-7.0. Good predecessors for savoy cabbage will be:
- cucumbers;
- carrot;
- pumpkin crops;
- green manure;
- potato;
- legumes
It is better not to plant cabbage after tomatoes and beets. These crops deplete the soil. If cruciferous vegetables grew on the plot, then you need to grow Savoy cabbage on it after at least 4 years.
The bed is prepared in the fall. The following substances are added for digging:
- humus - 5 kg per 1 sq. m.;
- lime - 0.5 kg per 1 sq. m.
In spring the soil is loosened. Then add ash and urea - 0.4 kg and 1 tsp each. accordingly for 1 sq. m.
Landing
For early species use a scheme of 60 by 40 cm or 70 by 35 cm. Savoy cabbage of mid-season and late-ripening varieties should be planted according to the pattern 70 by 60 cm or 70 by 50 cm. Add 15 g of superphosphate to the prepared holes. Plants are planted together with a lump of earth, sprinkled with soil and watered.
Until the seedlings have taken root, they are shaded from the sun. When night temperatures drop, additional shelter is provided. You can use agrofibre for this. If after 7 days the plant is not accepted, it is removed. Another seedling is planted in its place.
How to care for plants
To get a good harvest, it is necessary to provide the plantings with appropriate conditions.
Watering
Vegetables will be received required amount moisture if you water them according to this scheme:
- immediately after planting - once every 2-3 days, adding 8 liters of water per 1 sq. m.;
- when the seedlings take root - with the same period of time, increasing the volume to 13 liters per 1 sq. m.
Particular attention is paid to watering during the period of tying forks. The amount of water is adjusted according to weather conditions. They bring it to the root evening time or in the morning.
Loosening and hilling
After watering, the soil is loosened to a depth of no more than 8 cm. To retain moisture and increase plant nutrition, it is worth hilling. This stage of care is performed twice:
- 3 weeks after disembarkation;
- 10 days after the previous time.
Thanks to such actions, the culture forms large heads of cabbage.
Fertilizer
Different varieties of Savoy cabbage are responsive to fertilizing.
- After planting in a permanent place, when the seedlings begin to grow, mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 is used as fertilizer. Urea is suitable instead, the dosage of which should be 30 g per 1 square meter. m.
- While curling the head of cabbage, nitroammophoska is embedded in the ground and watered with azophoska solution. The norm is 30 g per 1 sq. m. and 50 g per 1 liter, respectively.
On poor soils, the amount of nutrients added is increased by 3-4 times. Organic matter is often used as fertilizer. Infusions of dandelion and nettle are suitable. Shortage nutrients can be determined by the type of vegetables:
- nitrogen – developmental delay is observed;
- phosphorus – the color of the heads of cabbage has a purple tint;
- potassium - light spots on the edges of the leaves;
- calcium - cabbage acquires a sour taste.
Diseases and pests
Due to improper care the crop may be affected by diseases.
- Clubroot is the most common disease. Causes irreparable harm to plants. It appears in the form of growths on the roots, which is why there is a lag in growth. They fade in the heat lower leaves. Damaged crops are destroyed. Healthy people are treated with a solution of the drug Hom - 40 g per 1 liter. During the season, it is necessary to carry out such manipulations 3-4 times with an interval of 10 days. Fungal spores persist in the soil for 6 years, so cabbage is returned to its original place when this period has passed.
- False powdery mildew– a fungal disease that is especially dangerous for young and weakened plants. Signs – dark spots on top of leaves, grayish coating below. If they are detected, dust with ash - 100 g per 1 sq. m. m. Cabbage is also repeatedly sprayed with a solution of Fitosporin, which is used according to the attached instructions. An interval of 7 days is maintained between treatments.
Savoy cabbage is less susceptible to pest invasion than white cabbage. But you still need to periodically inspect the vegetables.
- Slugs - appear in rainy weather. Reduces the quality of fruits. They are afraid of strong-smelling plants: calendula, marigolds, wormwood. They are laid out around the site. Can be divided into heads of cabbage. They will also help chemicals, which are scattered between the rows. The drugs Thunderstorm and Anti-slug are suitable. They are used no later than 20 days before cabbage is harvested.
- Cruciferous flea beetle - when it is present, holes are visible on the leaves. If the lesion is at the initial stage, you can use decoctions of wormwood and chamomile to combat insects. Dusting with ash will also help. When there are a lot of pests, it is worth using chemicals. Anabasin sulfate or Bitoxibacillin are suitable, the dosage of which should be 10 g per 1 liter and 4 g per 1 liter, respectively.
Harvest
Early ripening varieties of Savoy cabbage ripen in mid-July. The heads of cabbage acquire a characteristic color and gain corresponding weight. If you are late with collection, the forks will begin to crack. These types cannot be stored, so you will have to consume the fruits immediately.
Late varieties are harvested in mid-autumn. They are stored in the cellar at a temperature of +2-5°C. Cabbage does not lose its presentation for 3 months. When frost sets in, you don’t have to cut vegetables. If necessary, they are cut and immersed in cold water to thaw.
Growing in different regions
The culture is resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions. Growing Savoy cabbage is possible almost throughout Russia. The exception is the southernmost regions, where it is too hot.
There are features of cultivating vegetables in different areas.
- Middle zone - the climate of the Non-Black Earth and Black Earth regions is well suited for cabbage. But on summer cottages is rare in these regions. Vegetables are grown through seedlings. More often, seeds are sown in a greenhouse, although they can be planted directly into the garden bed. Depending on the weather, manipulations are performed from mid-April to mid-May.
- Moscow region - the Golden Early variety is most suitable for the region. Gardeners more often use purchased seedlings. To grow it at home, seeds are sown in April. Planting in open ground is carried out in May. They also practice sowing immediately in a permanent place.
- Urals - early ripening species are cultivated in the region. Here you can find the Yubileiny variety of Savoy cabbage more often than others. The specificity of growing in this area is that you need to use only minerals for feeding. Organic matter will decompose long time, in conditions of a short summer, a rapid increase in green mass is necessary.
Savoy cabbage. Growing. Care. Harvesting
Savoy cabbage differs from white cabbage in having blistered or corrugated leaves without a waxy coating.
The shape of Savoy cabbage leaves is due to increased tissue growth between the vascular-fibrous bundles. On the contrary, the vascular-fibrous bundles themselves are less developed in Savoy cabbage than in cabbage.
Nutritional value of savoy cabbage
Savoy cabbage is rich in protein, contains many vitamins, salts and biologically active substances. Savoy cabbage is more tender than white cabbage, its leaves have less fiber, 7-14% dry matter, 3-6% sugars, 2-3% protein, 21-77 mg% ascorbic acid, 7 mg% carotene, 2-3 mg% vitamin E It is more valuable in protein and vitamin C.
There is absolutely no bitterness in the leaves of Savoy cabbage; it is used to prepare very tasty cabbage soup, fillings for pies, and salads. It is not suitable for fermentation. Savoy cabbage heads are not suitable for long-term storage.
Unwanted Elements
Nitrates and nitrosamines
Cabbage plants are capable of accumulating a lot of nitrates, but there are varieties in which the accumulation of nitrates is much less. It has been established that the use of nitrogen fertilizers in moderate doses does not lead to the accumulation of nitrates, provided that the composition of nutrients supplied to cabbage plants is balanced, i.e. plants receive sufficient amounts of phosphorus, potassium and microelements.
The accumulation of nitrates in cabbage occurs:
1) in insufficient lighting;
2) during dry periods;
3) when alternating drought with floods;
4) with a lack of potassium;
5) when the dose of potassium exceeds the dose of phosphorus;
6) with a lack of sulfur and molybdenum;
7) on acidic soils (pH below 5).
Nitrate accumulation is also affected varietal characteristics, therefore, for personal consumption it is necessary to select varieties that do not accumulate nitrates.
Growing Savoy cabbage in the garden
Savoy cabbage is a more cold-resistant plant compared to white cabbage, it resists frost better, but in general, growing it is not much different from growing white cabbage.
Savoy cabbage varieties
Golden early (WORLD OF GARDENING) - early ripening, from sowing to ripeness 106-110 days. Medium sized rosette, semi-raised. The leaf is round, concave, medium wavy, strongly corrugated, dark green, with a medium waxy coating. The edge of the leaf blade is moderately concave. The midrib is prominent and light green. The head of cabbage is round, half-open, the outer leaves are strongly bubbly, dark green. Internal and external stumps average size. The density of the head of cabbage is average. Weight 0.7-0.8 kg. Productivity 2.8-3.2 kg/sq. m. Resistant to cracking.
Sphere F1 (WORLD OF GARDENING) - mid-season, from germination to ripeness 120 days. The rosette is raised, the petiole of the outer leaf is short. The leaf is broadly ovate, dark green with a medium waxy coating, medium bubbly, medium corrugated. The upper side of the leaf blade is concave. The waviness of the edge is average, there is a notch. The length of the inner and outer stumps is average. The head of cabbage is medium-sized, medium-dense, round, rising towards the base, partially covered. The color of the covering leaves is dark green, whitish when cut. The blistering of the covering leaves is average, there is a curved edge. Head weight is 1.5-2.5 kg. Marketable yield is 8-10 kg/sq.m. m.
Need for growth conditions
Cabbage cannot be grown in shaded areas. Cabbage requires a lot of light, this plant have a long day, i.e. With a long day, her development processes go through faster. Lack of light leads, as already mentioned, to the accumulation of nitrates and disruption of plant development.
Cabbage is a cold-resistant plant; it can tolerate short-term drops in temperature down to -7°C, and even lower in the fall. Cool weather with a temperature of 15-18°C is most favorable for cabbage growth. Temperatures above 25°C have a negative effect on the formation of heads of cabbage. In hot, dry weather, increased accumulation of nitrates begins.
Cabbage is very demanding of moisture, but excessive moisture is harmful to it. With excessive moisture, the roots begin to die and bacteriosis develops.
Cabbage is placed after well-fertilized crops - potatoes, root vegetables, legumes. It cannot be grown in the same place more often than once every 3-4 years to avoid diseases. It is good to grow celery, thyme, sage, coriander and anise next to cabbage plants to repel cabbage flies and attract entomophilous insects that destroy cabbage pests.
Preparing the soil for growing Savoy cabbage
Cabbage consumes a lot of nitrogen, potassium and calcium. High doses of organic fertilizers (manure or compost) are used for it, but the introduction of a maximum dose of nitrogen contributes to a deterioration in the quality of the product - more nitrates, less sugars and dry matter.
The best effect is obtained by combining organic fertilizers (30-60 kg per 10 sq. m) with mineral fertilizers. To avoid the accumulation of nitrates under early ripening varieties For cabbage, only greenhouse humus or compost should be added. Fresh manure can only be applied during late and mid-season varieties and only in the fall, scattering it over the surface of the soil. At the same time, manure should not be allowed to mix with lime, which is also added in the fall.
The best ratio of fertilizers for cabbage: 30-60 kg of organic fertilizers plus 90-120 g of mineral nitrogen, 90 g of phosphorus and 60 g of potassium and 1-2 g of boron fertilizers per 10 square meters. m.
When plowing in spring, all the phosphorus, 2/3 of the potassium and half of the nitrogen are added. The remaining fertilizers are applied when closing the rows and curling the heads of cabbage.
Of the microelements for cabbage, the most important are manganese, boron and copper. Applying them as top dressing (preferably foliar) increases the yield of early cabbage by 20-30%, late cabbage by 10%.
The optimal pH value of soil salt extract for cabbage is 6.6-7.4.
On soddy-podzolic soils, liming of the soil is necessary. It prevents many diseases of cabbage and promotes proper absorption of nitrogen from fertilizers. The amount of lime added to the soil depends on the quality of the soil, its physical chemical composition and degree of acidity. On average, on slightly acidic soils, add from 1 kg (on sandy soils) to 4 kg (on clay soils) of lime, on strongly acidic soils, respectively, from 2 to 10 kg per 10 sq. m. m. Lime or chalk is applied in the fall, scattering them over the surface of the dug up soil. It is advisable that the added lime does not come into contact with the manure. Adding lime not only changes the acidity of the soil, but also improves its structure. Cabbage tolerates excess calcium well.
With optimal soil acidity, the number of bacteria increases significantly, the number of fungi decreases, and the development of pathogenic microorganisms, as a rule, does not acquire a dangerous size.
Growing Savoy cabbage seedlings
Cabbage is grown as seedlings to speed up ripening. Seedlings of the same age, grown in different calendar periods, differ sharply. Improvement in temperature and light modes accelerates growth rates, and with earlier sowing, seedling development may be slower if growth conditions are worse. Therefore, when calculating the time of sowing cabbage seedlings, one must keep in mind the possibility of creating optimal conditions for its development, first of all, a sufficient amount of light and not too high a temperature.
To grow in open ground without shelter, you can start sowing savoy cabbage on March 10-15 with planting in a permanent place in late April - early May.
Seedlings can be grown in a solar heated greenhouse or nursery under film, prepared for as long as possible. early sowing from the first ten days of April.
Before sowing, seeds are pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate or disinfected with hot water at a temperature of about 45-50 ° C for 20-30 minutes, followed by rapid cooling in cold water. To increase productivity and resistance to diseases and pests, seeds are treated before sowing with a biological growth and development activator - Agat-25, El-1, Albit, Zircon.
The best way to receive healthy seedlings— growing in cassettes (pots) with a volume of 65 cm3 (4.5x4.5x3 cm). Seedlings grown in cassettes tolerate transplantation more easily and suffer little illness.
Seeds are sown to a depth of 0.5-1 cm, and the crops are watered immediately. To grow cabbage seedlings, maintain a temperature of 15-18°C during the day and 8-10°C at night.
To increase growth, anti-stress activity, as well as resistance to disease, 10 days after sowing and 5 days before planting seedlings in a permanent place, the soil is treated with a 0.015% solution of sodium humate.
Seedlings are fed twice: in the phase of two or three true leaves and 3-5 days before planting in the ground. For feeding, 15 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride are diluted in 10 liters of water. For one plant, use 0.15 liters in the first feeding and 0.5 liters in the second. Spraying cabbage in the 6-8 leaf phase with Silk leads to an increase in yield, an increase in the content of sugars and vitamin C.
7-10 days before planting seedlings in open ground, they are hardened off, i.e. withstand more severe conditions: increase ventilation, reduce temperature, reduce watering.
By the time of planting, the seedlings should be hardened, 18-20 cm high, with 4-5 well-developed leaves (this is 35-45 days old).
If the growing regime is violated (poor ventilation, plant density, strong temperature changes and waterlogging of the soil), peronosporosis (downy mildew) may appear. It appears on the cotyledons and leaves of seedlings in the form of gray-yellow oily spots covered on the underside of the blade. powdery coating. To combat peronosporosis, cabbage is pollinated wood ash(50 g per 1 sq. m) with an interval of 5 - 7 days. But first of all it is necessary to ensure optimal conditions plant maintenance.
Cabbage seedlings are often affected by blackleg. The infection persists and accumulates in the soil, developing with excess air humidity, sharp fluctuations in soil temperature and thickened planting, lack of ventilation. If blackleg symptoms appear ( root collar and the stems turn black and thin), the plants should be watered with a 0.05% solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water - raspberry color). Add calcined sand to the treated plants in a layer of up to 2 cm.
Transplanting
In low, swampy areas, cabbage should be planted on beds 100 cm wide and 18-25 cm high. In areas where there is no danger of waterlogging, cabbage is grown on flat surface. Growing in narrow beds has a positive effect on the quantity and quality of the harvest.
Cabbage should be given a very bright place. Even slight shading will lead to a slowdown in development and a decrease in quality - a drop in the content of vitamins, the accumulation of nitrates.
Cabbage planting dates
Cabbage is a cold-resistant plant; it can tolerate temperatures down to -5°C, but only for a very short time. Therefore, you can start planting cabbage seedlings in a permanent place from mid-April “under film” with protection from frost with non-woven covering material. Covering plantings with non-woven material increases the temperature by 1.2-5.1°C, accelerates the production of environmentally valuable products by 7-10 days, and increases the yield by 2.3-5.4 times. In this case, the seedlings do not stretch out, since the non-woven material allows air to pass through more easily. Covering with non-woven material and especially film must be removed in a timely manner; on May days there should be no overheating, which leads to stretching of seedlings and bending of stems.
Savoy cabbage seedlings in a field without shelter middle lane Planting begins in the second half of April (depending on the position of the site and the weather) and ends between May 5 and May 20.
Savoy cabbage planting schemes
For Savoy cabbage, the distance between rows is 70-80 cm and in a row 50-70 cm (depending on the size of the head), and for late-ripening varieties with large heads of cabbage, the distance between rows is at least 70 cm, in a row 80-90 cm. Do not reduce the distance worth it - the resulting heads of cabbage will be poorly stored, and the possibility of disease will increase.
To use the space more efficiently in the first month, you can plant early green vegetables between the plants, which will be harvested within one month.
Sequence of actions when planting cabbage
The afternoon is best time landings. The site must be watered the day before planting.
1. 2-3 hours before planting, water the seedlings to minimize root damage. To stimulate root formation, you can water it not with water, but with a solution of heteroauxin (2 tablets per 10 liters of water).
2. The root system of seedlings removed from the pot (cassette) is dipped into a clay mash with the addition of 0.3-0.4% solution of phytolavin-300 to protect against blackleg and bacteriosis.
3. Add chalk and a handful of humus to the planting holes, water the holes with a suspension of the biological product Nemabact to combat cabbage fly.
4. Each plant is planted in a hole up to the cotyledon leaves, tightly squeezing the roots with soil. You must take special care of the heart (apical bud), and under no circumstances sprinkle it with soil. It is necessary to ensure that the roots do not bend or bunch up, but are distributed more or less evenly, so that the seedlings are well pressed with earth (after planting, the seedlings should not be removed with a slight tug).
5. 0.5-1 liters of water are poured under each plant. When watering, the watering can should be kept as low as possible to the ground, since streams of water falling from a height destroy soil lumps, after which a crust forms.
6. An hour or two after watering, the surface of the soil is sprinkled with dry soil. Last operation important, it can be equated to watering.
7. To repel cabbage flies, the next day after planting cabbage, sprinkle the soil around the plants within a radius of 4-5 cm with tobacco dust or its mixture with freshly slaked lime or ash (1:1). For 1 sq. m consume 20 g of this mixture.
Seedless growing method
Cabbage is frost-resistant and can be sown directly 3-6 weeks before the last frost. Seedless cultivation has the advantage that the plants grow in one place all the time and their root system is not damaged. Sowing is carried out in well-dug soil, sowing 3-4 seeds per nest at the same distance as when planting seedlings. Then the seeds are carefully covered with earth or a mixture of peat and humus. When growing cabbage, it is advisable to use non-perforated film, removing it no later than the 2nd true leaf. The microclimate promotes a faster passage of developmental stages at which plants are susceptible to diseases. Further cultivation under the film leads to stretching of seedlings and bending of stems.
When the second and third true leaves appear, thinning is carried out, leaving two plants in the nest at first, and when thinning again, one plant at a time.
Plant care
10-15 days after planting, in hot, dry weather, flea beetles are combated; the rows are dusted with ash or fluff lime.
To increase immunity to diseases during the growing season, cabbage is sprayed with immunocytophyte during the whorl and head setting phases, 300-500 ml (0.01%) of working solution per 10 square meters. m. The natural plant growth regulator Gibbersib also works well. It is used to treat cabbage 3 times: in the 6-8 leaf phase, at the beginning of head formation and 7 days after the second spraying.
Watering
Good growth and formation high yield Cabbages are possible only with a good water supply. It is especially sensitive to a lack of moisture in the phase active growth and head formation. You need to water the cabbage every 6-7 days, pouring 1-2 liters of water into the hole under the plant, and during the growth of the head of cabbage, this norm is increased to 3-4 liters of water. However, excessive watering is also harmful; it is better if the soil is saturated with water more or less evenly to 70-80% moisture capacity. Watering is stopped 2 weeks before harvesting.
Loosening the soil and hilling
10 - 15 days after planting, the first loosening of the soil around the plants is carried out.
The first hilling is carried out when they begin to form large leaves, the second - 20-25 days after the first. Early and medium varieties are hilled 1-2 times, late varieties with a high stump - 2-3 times.
It is better to hill up on the second day after rain. It is important that a loose, moist layer of soil is applied to the plant, and not dry lumps. When hilling in dry weather, you must first rake upper layer dry soil, and then cover the cabbage with damp soil.
Hilling causes the formation of additional roots, increases the supply of nutrients and water to the cabbage, and also gives the plant the necessary stability. After the formation of 8-10 leaves, the cabbage has a large surface and is swayed by the wind so much that a funnel-shaped expansion forms in the ground at the base of the stem. Strong rocking of the plants prevents good rooting of cabbage, so hilling has a beneficial effect on the development of plants.
When the tops cover the row spacing, hilling is not carried out, since the soil already retains its looseness well.
Nutrition
Early cabbage is fed 1-2 times during the growing season, mid-season cabbage - 3-4 times.
Cabbage needs increased nitrogen, potassium and calcium nutrition. At the beginning of growth, cabbage consumes more nitrogen, and during the formation of a head of cabbage - phosphorus and potassium. In general, the higher the ratio of potassium to nitrogen, the better the cabbage is preserved, and it is even better if the amount of potassium is 1.5-2 times more than nitrogen.
During the first feeding (usually two weeks after planting the seedlings) per 1 sq. m, 10 g of urea, 20 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium chloride are added. Mineral fertilizers are applied dissolved in water into the grooves in the middle of the rows, which are made at a distance of 10-12 cm from the row or hole; after applying the fertilizer, the holes are filled up.
The second feeding is applied at the beginning of head setting, 2-3 weeks after the first. Fertilizers are applied in the middle of the rows to a depth of 12-15 cm, the mixture includes 10-12 g of urea, 20-30 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium chloride.
Foliar feeding
If plants of late varieties of cabbage are poorly developed, foliar feeding is needed. To do this, take 1 kg of potassium chloride, 70-80 g of double superphosphate and 10 g of molybdenum per 4 liters of water, and leave the solution for 24 hours before spraying. If the plants are yellow-green in color and grow slowly, then add 1% urea to the foliar feeding.
Pest and disease control of savoy cabbage
To repel insects, cabbage plants are treated with infusion of tomato or potato tops, red pepper. Against aphids, you can also use a tobacco solution with the addition of laundry soap or a solution of wood ash with soap (5 g of soap and 20 g of ash per 1 liter of water).
Planting strong, healthy seedlings in peat pots in early dates on optimal depth reduce the risk of plant damage.
To increase productivity and resistance to diseases and pests, three weeks after planting, plants are sprayed with the Symbiont-universal biostimulator. For 1 sq. m will require 400 ml of working solution containing 0.001% of the drug. Anti-stress agents that increase overall immunity and resistance to diseases - Immunocytophyte, Immunofit, Sodium Humate.
When growing cabbage, from the very beginning you need to monitor the appearance of cabbage fly eggs around the plant stems. If eggs are found, they must be rake away from the stems along with the soil, add fresh soil and hill the plants high, which promotes the formation of additional roots. This must be done several times during periods when females lay eggs.
Systematic inspection of plants is necessary to combat cabbage aphids and white butterfly caterpillars. Ladybugs and lacewings are good helpers in the fight against aphids.
To repel cabbage flies, immediately after planting cabbage, sprinkle the soil around the plants within a radius of 4-5 cm with tobacco dust or its mixture with freshly slaked lime or ash (1:1). For 1 sq. m consume 20 g of this mixture.
To protect against cabbage flies, collars made of polyethylene film or thick cardboard, which are placed around the stems of young plants.
White butterflies are repelled by empty chicken eggs placed on pegs just above the cabbage.
In the fight against leaf-eating caterpillars of cabbage good results gives the use of a microbiological preparation entobacterin (1-3 g per 10 sq. m). The drug is effective at air temperatures below + 18...20°C.
The microbiological preparation bitoxibacillin is widely used on cabbage in the fight against cabbage moths, turnip and cabbage moths, cabbage and other types of cutworms. Application: 4-5 g of powder, or 8-10 tablets, diluted in 10 liters of water. This amount is enough to process 100 square meters. m of crops.
To protect cabbage from the cabbage cutworm, you can use the egg eater Trichogramma, and among biological products - bitoxybacillin and lepidocide. Lepidocide is a microbiological preparation, like some other microbiological preparations, highly effective against openly living caterpillars. Lepidocide is most successful against all types of cutworms (especially caterpillars younger ages). Application: 4-6 tablets are diluted in 1 liter of water, 10 square meters are treated with this amount. m of cabbage planting in the evening.
Most of the population of cabbage moths and other leaf-eating pests on cabbage is suppressed by a mixture of two microbiological preparations - Lepidocide with Entomophthorin. The mushroom drug Boverin can be used against cabbage moths.
Unfortunately, exotic Savoy cabbage is not popular among our gardeners, because many are inclined to believe that growing it is a complex and labor-intensive process. Whether this is actually true, we will tell you in this article.
Characteristics and differences of Savoy cabbage
Savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. sabauda), like its white relative, comes from wild species, whose homeland is Western Europe and the territory of North Africa. It is actively grown in Europe, but in the post-Soviet space it is rarely found and mainly only in summer cottages.
Savoy cabbage is much tastier and has more calories than white cabbage. The head of cabbage is used as food, which contains a lot of useful elements:
- dry elements – 7-14%;
- sugar – 2-7%;
- crude protein – 2-4%;
- mineral salts – 0.84%;
- vitamin C – 20-90 mg.
Did you know? Savoy cabbage has more nutritional value than white cabbage.
Growing Savoy cabbage through seedlings
In general, there are no separate rules on how to grow Savoy cabbage in the country - agricultural technology is similar to growing white cabbage. It is usually cultivated through seedlings. If the seedlings are strong and healthy, then you can expect a good harvest.
When to sow seedlings
The sowing time is determined by the characteristics of the cabbage variety. Early-ripening varieties are planted in the second ten days of March, mid-ripening ones - from mid-March to mid-April, late ones - in early April.
Climatic features during seedling cultivation are also taken into account. The timing of planting seedlings in the beds directly depends on this. As a rule, this period is 30-50 days.
Soil for growing seedlings
In order for the savoy cabbage harvest to be good, its biology must be taken into account. Thus, this type of cabbage is cold-resistant and light-loving, tolerates moisture well, but has special requirements for the soil.
In order for Savoy cabbage to feel comfortable in open ground, the soil for planting should be soft, but not too loose. The main component of the soil - peat - must be present in best quantity(at least 80%). 
In addition, you need to add sand (about 5%) and turf soil (20%) to the soil. To improve the quality of seedlings and ensure good fertility, compost (humus mixture) is added to the soil. For every kilogram of soil mixture, it is advisable to add a spoonful of ash - it will serve as both fertilizer and protection against blackleg.
Important! You cannot take soil from the site for seedlings - there may be pests and infections that can be destructive for young seedlings.
Pre-sowing seed treatment
To disinfect savoy cabbage seeds, they are immersed in hot (50 ºC) water for 1/3 hour, and then in cold water for 2 minutes. After this, the seeded specimens are dried. This procedure will allow the seeds to germinate faster.
If the seeds were purchased from a reliable supplier, this procedure is not necessary - the processing has most likely already been carried out. 
In order to increase the frost resistance of the crop, before planting savoy cabbage seeds for seedlings, they are soaked for a day in water at a temperature of +2 ºC. The germination of such seeds lasts up to three years.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Many people believe that if you properly prepare the soil and seeds, the planting result will be amazing. However, this opinion is wrong. You need to approach sowing seriously, because it depends on how well the grown Savoy cabbage will correspond to the description of the variety.
Savoy cabbage seeds should be planted in 3 phases with a difference of 4 days. Seeds are planted in containers or individual cups to a depth of 1 cm.
Before and after sowing, the soil is watered abundantly until seedlings emerge. As soon as the seedlings hatch, watering should be reduced.
Conditions and care of crops
Properly grown seedlings are the key to a good harvest in the future. After the first shoots appear (about 5 days), they are thinned out so that the distance between them is 2 cm.
Collateral strong seedlings is correct lighting. Daylight hours for seedlings should be 14-15 hours. That is, before the time comes to plant savoy cabbage, the seedlings need to be provided with additional lighting. To do this, you can use a simple fluorescent lamp. 
Seedlings should be watered regularly and in small portions, giving the top layer time to dry. The water temperature for irrigation should be 2-3 degrees higher than the soil temperature. The soil should not be over-dryed or flooded - the soil should be consistently moist. After each watering, the soil needs to be loosened a little so that the water does not stagnate.
Important! Stagnation of moisture can lead to the development of diseases and rotting of the root system.
The optimal room temperature before the appearance of savoy cabbage seedlings is 18-20 ºC. After the shoots appear, the temperature regime needs to be changed: +15-16 ºC during the day and +8-10 ºC at night. Such a difference in temperature will prevent the seedlings from stretching, will allow you to harden the Savoy cabbage seedlings and will make it easier to plant in the beds and care for them in the future.
Like many cultures, Savoy cabbage seedlings need feeding. It is carried out in several stages:
You can use ready-made fertilizers. Important! To avoid burns, the soil must be watered before fertilizing.
Equally important is hardening off the seedlings. For this purpose, 8-10 days before planting on the site, it is necessary to carry out the following operations:
- in the first two days, it is enough to open the window in the room where the seedlings are cultivated for 3-5 hours;
- For several days you need to take the seedlings outside, covering them with gauze from direct sunlight;
- on the 5-6th day, the frequency of watering should be reduced, but do not allow the soil to dry out, and place the seedlings outside for the entire time before planting.
Picking individual pots
After 7-8 days, when the seedlings have grown and become stronger, they should be picked and planted in cassettes with a distance of 3 cm from each other. The seedlings need to be deepened down to the cotyledons. 
Good seedlings must have no more than five leaves. Weak seedlings, without an upper bud and infected with fungi, are thrown away when picking.
After another 2 weeks, the seedlings must be transplanted into separate containers (cups) with pre-treatment with a weak solution copper sulfate. You can use another drug that will help protect seedlings from fungal diseases.
Did you know? You can grow seedlings without picking. In this case, the seeds are immediately planted in cups or small pots.
Planting Savoy cabbage seedlings in open ground
Properly grown seedlings are not all you need to know about cultivating Savoy cabbage. To get a decent harvest, you need to take into account the rules for growing it in the garden.
When to plant seedlings on the site
Savoy cabbage is planted in beds in May (given climatic conditions, this period is subject to change). For transplantation, choose cloudy or evening time.
Before planting in the beds, seedlings should be 15-20 cm in height, dark green in color, have well-developed roots, not dry stems and 4-7 leaves.
Place for savoy cabbage
Choosing the right place for cultivating Savoy cabbage will not only make it easier to care for, but will also allow you to get a good harvest.
It is better to plant seedlings in areas where grains or legumes were previously grown. Seedlings grow well in places where cucumbers, onions, potatoes, beets, and tomatoes grew. You cannot grow Savoy cabbage immediately after turnips, radishes, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, and watercress.
The best soil for this crop is one that can retain moisture for a long time (loamy, sandy loam, neutral, sod-podzolic). Land with a high clay content is not suitable for cultivation.
The place where cabbage will grow should be well lit and spacious.
The soil for planting is prepared in the fall: it is deeply plowed, organic (compost, manure) and mineral (superphosphate, potassium chloride) fertilizers are applied. In the spring, the soil is fed with ammonium nitrate so that a full-fledged head is formed on the cabbage.
Important! Favorable soil for Savoy cabbage should be slightly acidic (5-5.8 pH). To reduce acidity, lime is added to the soil every 3-4 years.
Planting process and scheme
The area where you plan to plant seedlings should be sprinkled with dry soil or organic compost(chopped weeds). They will help retain moisture in the soil, provide the cabbage with nutrients, and protect it from weeds and the formation of an earthen crust.
Holes for planting seedlings must be formed at a distance of 40 cm from each other. It is best to plant seedlings in a checkerboard pattern - this provides more space.
The depth of the hole should correspond to the height of the cup or walls of the container in which the seedlings grew. About a liter of water is poured into it and the seedlings are planted. The seedlings are sprinkled with soil up to the bottom leaf.
At first, young cabbage should be protected from the sun (shade).
Care and cultivation of savoy cabbage
Growing Savoy cabbage will not cause problems if you remember that such a plant loves moisture, loosening the soil, fertilizing, light and space.
Watering, weeding, loosening and hilling
Savoy cabbage loves watering, but slugs also love moisture. Therefore, it is not recommended to irrigate this crop at the end of the growing season.
After the head of cabbage has started, it is not recommended to water it by sprinkling or from above. Watering should be carried out exclusively at the root. Moisture on the inflorescences can cause mucous bacteriosis, and the harvest will be lost.
During the dry period, it is advisable to humidify the air by spraying the cabbage (every 15 minutes during hot hours).
Don't forget about loosening when caring for Savoy cabbage - this process allows oxygen to better reach the roots. To form lateral roots, hilling should be carried out regularly. And for good growth it is necessary to clear the area of weeds.
Did you know? Exists folk wisdom: Cabbage loves water and good weather.
Fertilizer application
In order to reap a harvest that you can show off to your friends, the crop needs to be fed. Used as a top dressing for Savoy cabbage organic matter
(manure, compost, humus). Often fertilized with wood ash.
- Feeding is applied throughout the season:
- 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the beds. If sowing was carried out immediately with seeds, it is better to fertilize after 3 weeks. For this, mullein and urea are used, which are diluted in water (0.5 liters of mullein and 1 teaspoon of urea per 10 liters of water).
- 12 days after the last feeding. Use 2 tbsp as fertilizer. spoons of nitroammophoska (NPK), diluted in 10 liters of water.
Nitrogen compounds contained in the soil directly affect the growth of cabbage, helping to gain vegetative mass and form the head. A lack of nitrogen is indicated by yellowed lower leaves, which die as a result. If you do not apply fertilizer on time, you can forget about the harvest. Potassium deficiency affects the color of the leaves, which also begin to dry out at the edges. The lack of potassium is compensated for by potassium fertilizers added to irrigation. Important! Do not overfeed savoy cabbage phosphorus fertilizers– this stimulates early flowering.
Treatment and protection from diseases and pests
Of course, diseases and pests (caterpillars, cutworms, cabbage flies, flea beetles, aphids) do not contribute to a good harvest, so you should regularly inspect Savoy cabbage for their appearance and immediately take elimination measures.
It is not recommended to treat cabbage with chemicals.– it is better to prepare the poison yourself, using available means.
The most dangerous thing for Savoy cabbage is excessive watering, which can lead to the development of a disease called “black leg.” For treatment, you can fertilize the soil with a solution of Fundazol.
Harvesting and storing savoy cabbage
First harvest early varieties can be harvested as early as June, and mid-season in August. If Savoy cabbage was grown for winter storage, it is harvested before frost. This ensures better storage. Savoy cabbage is stored somewhat worse than white cabbage, so it should be stored on shelves or in drawers, arranged in one row.
For Russian gardeners, Savoy cabbage often sounds like some kind of overseas curiosity. Accordingly, the attitude towards it is the same: many believe that this plant requires increased attention, although, if you look at it, the growing technique is not very different from growing other cabbage crops. Further on the features of growing and caring for crops in open ground (photos and detailed instructions are attached).
Savoy cabbage: description, plant characteristics
Savoy cabbage is considered a variety of white cabbage. The birthplace of this plant is traditionally considered to be South Africa and the Mediterranean.
In the vastness of our fatherland, this type of cabbage is not particularly popular due to the widespread misconception that Savoy cabbage is excessively capricious. In reality, this is far from the case.
Savoy cabbage is unpretentious to growing conditions
Savoy cabbage is very unpretentious to growing conditions, hardy, and frost-resistant. Not all gardeners can correctly recognize Savoy cabbage and quickly distinguish it from white cabbage. And this is very simple to do: Savoy cabbage forms fairly large heads of cabbage, but still not as large as white cabbage. In addition, the structure of the fruit is quite loose, and the upper leaves are thin and corrugated.
Advice. Since Savoy cabbage is not particularly widespread in Russia, it is almost impossible to find seedlings for growing it. The only one possible option cultivation remains seed.
Landing technique
First of all, determine for yourself which variety of Savoy cabbage you are interested in, since different varieties different deadlines sowing for seedlings. For example, early varieties are usually sown for seedlings in March (closer to the middle of the month), late varieties - in April.
Preparation of planting material and soil
Before sowing, seed material must be carefully selected and then properly processed. First, place the seeds in fairly warm water (about 50 degrees) for 10-15 minutes, then immediately transfer them to ice water. Then leave them overnight in the nutrient solution, after which be sure to rinse the seeds with water and put them in the refrigerator for a day. Do not forget to dry them thoroughly after all procedures.
Savoy cabbage seeds
After the seeds are prepared, you can start preparing the containers and soil for planting. It is advisable to use a special sand-peat soil mixture with the addition of turf soil (equal proportions). Place the prepared mixture into landing tanks, thoroughly water with manganese solution and prepare shallow (about 1 cm) furrows at a distance of about 3 cm from each other. Cover the containers with glass and place in a cool room. Within a few days, the first shoots should appear on the surface. After this, the glass can be removed and the containers with seedlings can be moved to a cooler place with a temperature no higher than 8 degrees.
When the first true leaf appears on the surface, the plants can be planted in separate small containers.
Advice. Before picking, it is advisable to thoroughly water the young seedlings: this will help simplify the process of removing them from the container. Before transplanting plants into separate pots, it is necessary to cut off their roots by approximately 1/3.
After picking, young seedlings should be watered periodically and protected from active sun. When the first pair of true leaves appear on the seedlings, a nutrient mixture must be added to the soil (dilute 1 teaspoon of mineral fertilizer and a tablet with a mineral complex in 2 liters of water).
Planting in open ground
Planting of strong seedlings in open ground should be done when 2-3 full pairs of leaves appear on the stems. A couple of weeks before planting, you should feed the plant (feeding should be foliar), and then begin gradually hardening off the plants: take them outside every day (the weather should not be very cold). Gradually increase the plants' stay outside to a day.
Savoy cabbage seedlings
Take care of the quality of the soil in the area where cabbage will be planted. Thus, Savoy cabbage does not like sandstone and clay, as well as acidic soils.
The soil for planting cabbage must be prepared in the fall: dig it thoroughly, then, after waiting for the weeds, remove them, lime the soil and dig it again.
In the spring, immediately before planting, mineral fertilizer is applied to the soil, and the soil is dug up again.
The depth of planting of seedlings is determined by the location of the cotyledon leaves: they must remain on the surface. The planting pattern should be 35x40 cm. This pattern is relevant for early varieties. For medium-sized ones, a planting pattern of 50x50 cm is more suitable, for late ones - 60x60 cm. After planting, the seedlings are thoroughly watered.
Caring for Savoy cabbage
The care process is almost identical to caring for any type of cabbage. The crop will need watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil, and protection from pests.
Watering the plant should be done on a regular basis. At first, it is advisable to moisten the soil once every 2 days. Over time, the frequency of watering should decrease to 2 times a week, but their abundance should be increased by almost 1.5 times. In the rainy season, of course, watering should be reduced, but in dry weather it is better to apply it to the soil large quantity water.
Savoy cabbage needs regular watering
Savoy cabbage does not need frequent feeding, but it should receive nutrients at least a couple of times. When the plant has sufficiently established itself in the area and begins to grow actively, feed the soil with mullein solution (in a ratio of 1:10 to water), or mineral fertilizer. The plants are fertilized a second time when the heads of cabbage begin to set. This time it is better to use exclusively mineral complexes with special emphasis on superphosphate and potassium.
Loosening is another important stage in caring for Savoy cabbage, since the crop will not grow on heavy, churned soil. For the first time, this procedure is carried out immediately after planting young seedlings. In the future, it is advisable to loosen the soil in the beds at least once a week.
Well, and finally, protection from pests. To avoid the appearance of any pests or the spread of diseases in the area with cabbage, you should carry out more specific preventive measures. So, you can treat all plants with wood ash (about 250 g of ash per 1 sq. m). Additionally, you can also treat the cabbage beds with a strong manganese solution (this will prevent the possibility of the spread of fungal diseases).