Reasons why cabbage leaves turn red or pink and what to do
Not always, if the foliage turns red or changes its color to a different shade, this is a sign of disease damage to the culture or the appearance of pests on the cabbage, so you need to understand why this is happening.
Causes of reddening of cabbage leaves
To grow and develop normally, a culture requires macronutrients (nitrogen) and microelements (calcium, magnesium, iron, molybdenum, copper). A lack of one or more nutrients always affects the plant. For example, with a lack of phosphorus in the ground, reddening of the leaves is observed.
Why did the cabbage leaves turn red if the weather is cool, cloudy, rainy?
When the air temperature drops, metabolism occurs normally, but the roots do not have time to absorb useful elements, especially phosphorus from the ground. When it rains, phosphorus leaves the surface of the soil much deeper, and a plant with roots close to the surface cannot get to it in any way.
It is required to fertilize the plants with phosphorus. 2 tbsp are scattered on 1 m². tablespoons of superphosphate or 1 teaspoon of diammonium phosphate. You can scatter 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium monophosphate per 1 m², as it contains phosphorus.
Instead of these fertilizers, dissolve 0.5 kg of bird droppings, or 1 liter of mullein, or 0.5 kg of ash in a ten-liter bucket of water. Then mix the ingredients, leave the solution for a day to infuse. Pour 0.5 liters of solution under the roots of one plant. After a week, do the same feeding again. If the weather is cool, then it is better to cover the plants with foil.
If the lower leaves turn blue or turn red, this is due to a lack of nitrogen. The cabbage stops growing. This happens very often in bad weather. Then the plants are fed with solutions of ammonium nitrate, carbamide, ammonia water.
The leaves changed their color and holes appeared in them
Why do cabbage leaves change color and are eaten?
This is due to the attack of pests:
- Defeat with cabbage spring fly. Cabbage fly larvae are small, inconspicuous worms that feed on roots. To eliminate the pest, solutions of Rovikurt (0.1%), Tolkorda (0.1%), Anometrin (0.6%) are used.
- The appearance of the cabbage scoop. It is a small brownish gray butterfly. If you notice insects, then you need to spray the preparations on the cabbage: Ambush, Tsimbush, Belofos, Cyanox.
- Aphid attack. Insects are able to eat most of the plant very quickly. For prevention, it is required to properly water the culture.If the aphid has attacked, then the plants are treated with Tolkodorm, Ambush, Corsair, Rovikurt, Antio.
- Defeat with cabbage leaf beetle. What to do if you see a leaf beetle? Spray plantings (0.15%) with Actellik.
The problem can also arise due to a variety of diseases:
- leaves turn yellow, wither, do not form into heads of cabbage, if affected by keel;
- peronosporosis (downy mildew) - yellowish spots appear with an illness, then the plant dies.
If any spots appear, spray the plants with 1% Bordeaux mixture, then repeat after a week.
Plant leaves turn yellow
Cabbage leaves turn yellow with potassium deficiency. After the edges of the leaf blades become brown. As a result, the heads of cabbage are medium-sized, loose and deformed. Sprinkling lime into the soil improves the absorption of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium by the roots. Sprinkle potassium sulfate on the ground.
The leaves of the plant have white or black spots
The reason for the white spots on the leaves is a lack of magnesium. They become like marble, then begin to dry out. In this case, add lime to the soil and feed the cabbage with solutions of potassium magnesia, magnesium sulfate.
If you see on the leaves somewhat depressed gray or black spots with a diameter of 1 - 5 mm, this means that there is an excess of nitrogen and a lack of potassium in the ground.
If you find whitish oily specks, it means that the culture is affected by the laundry. To eliminate the disease, sprinkle the plants with preparations containing copper.
If cabbage seedlings are covered with grayish fluffy mold and have small dark spots, it is gray cabbage rot.
Crop leaves curl or wither
Leaves curl as a result:
- insect attacks;
- lack of water;
- lack or overabundance of nutrients in the ground.
With a lack of potassium, the edges of the leaves become brownish-yellow, after which the leaves curl and die off. In the absence of boron in the ground, the leaves turn white, their edges curl. With a lack of molybdenum, young leaves curl up.
Foliage curls when burned as a result of improper pesticide treatment. Loosen the soil more often and water the plants in the evening. Water is poured into holes or furrows. In case of heat, you can water with sprinkling.
In case of illness, the black leg is sprayed with Bactofit, Planriz, Fitosporin, Fitolavin-300.
Prevention of discoloration of cabbage leaves
Observe the crop rotation. You can not plant cabbage if cruciferous plants grew before it: rutabaga, daikon, mustard, watercress, turnip, radish, radish, horseradish, as they may have similar diseases with cabbagefor example keela. They are affected by the same pests.
Pick up cabbage variety for a planting that suits your region. If you are planting cabbage in the north, then do not plant late-ripening varieties, as you will not be able to harvest due to the fact that the season is shorter in the north, that is, the cabbage does not have enough time to grow. Do not plant a strain in the south that does not tolerate heat well.
Be sure to dress the seeds before planting, treat the seeds with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Plant and care for kale properly.
Monitor the phytosanitary condition of the planting site. Pull weeds in time, especially those that belong to the cruciferous family - the rape and shepherd's purse.
If you plant dill, carrots, onions, nasturtium in the aisles, it will scare away pests. Try sprinkling kale leaves and the ground around them with ash or tooth powder. Spray the culture with infusion of celandine or tomato tops.
If you correctly follow the agricultural techniques for growing cabbage, then the risk of leaf reddening due to a lack of necessary useful elements, damage to cabbage by diseases and pests will significantly decrease.
