Top best varieties of early cabbage with characteristics and descriptions
Early cabbage, regardless of the variety and ripening period, is intended for fresh consumption or for the preparation of various seasonal dishes that do not require long-term storage. The yield of an early vegetable is small, and ripe heads of cabbage reach a size one and a half to two times smaller than that of late varieties of cabbage, but the purpose of the June forks is different, as the name implies, is to replenish the body's vitamin reserve in the early summer period, and not to harvest for future use.
How to grow early cabbage
Starting to count the days, from the moment the sprouts appear in the seedling box, the harvest of early cabbage can be planned for 75-115 days. About two months from this period, the formation of cabbage heads in a garden bed or in a greenhouse will take. It should be borne in mind that the vegetable in the mass does not ripen at the same time. With a reasonably carried out planting, that is, with the gradual introduction of seeds into the soil, and with a pause before the next sowing of 1-3 days, the harvest of early varieties can be extended for 2-3 weeks.
Site preparation for landing
Growing early varieties of cabbage on the same plot of land regularly, it is necessary every three years to deploy the garden to the places where nightshade and legumes, potatoes or beets had previously grown. Reviews of gardeners confirm that such a soil by default will be rich in all trace elements necessary for early varieties, have a lightness characteristic of loam or sandy loam and have an acidity below average.
However, in any case, after the autumn digging, the depleted land will require superphosphate or compost feeding.
Fertilizer for application to the soil, is formed only after assessing the acidity of the soil. If the analysis (vinegar test) indicates a high acidity value, first the soil is liming, and then it is fed.
Seedling growing method
Seeds of early varieties, collected with their own hands from the previous harvest, undergo disinfection and growth stimulation before planting - first they are kept in a manganese solution, then exposed to contrasting temperatures. After drying, the material is considered ready for planting.
Home cultivation of cabbage seedlings is fraught with difficulties withstanding the temperature regime and access to fresh air, therefore, immediately after the first greens hatch, it is better to transfer the boxes to a closed greenhouse or to a glazed balcony.Thermometer readings during the day, adjustable within 18-21 C, but at night the thermometer should not rise above 8 С (optimally 6-7 C), otherwise, the grown seedlings will all go into a long stem.
With the appearance of the first true leaf, night and day temperatures are almost equal:
- 16-18 C - per day;
- 14-15 C - at night.
From the same period, the upper (window) balcony or greenhouse frame can be opened slightly for 1-2 hours a day, providing a slight draft. For plants in the greenhouse, at this time, weekly preventive spraying with manganese solution (pale) begins. Balcony cabbage seedlings of early varieties, the procedure is carried out twice for the entire "nursery" period.
On the 12-14th day from the emergence of sprouts, cabbage seedlings are dived into peat containers, cutting off the central root rod by 1/3 of the length before planting.
Seedless growing method
The description of the method differs from the usual seedling method in that the seeds of early cabbage are planted directly into the soil, after waiting for good weather conditions and stable soil temperatures, or using the greenhouse method. Seeds of cabbage of an early variety are introduced into the ground, sprinkling them in a continuous stream into a moistened groove, deepening the material by 2 cm. After the formation of the 4th leaf, cabbage sprouts break through, leaving the strongest and strongest.
The frequency of abandoned seedlings should not exceed 5 plants per 1 m2.
Watering of white cabbage of an early variety is carried out at the same frequency, before the emergence of sprouts and after, already during the formation of real leaves. In arid zones, the regularity of soil moisture will be four times / week at rates of 20 liters per 1 m2, in middle latitudes - three times a week at a rate of 13-15 liters. Other aspects of caring for growing early cabbage will not differ from those used for seedlings.
Next - planting and care in the open field.
Planting cabbage in open ground and care
A sign that early cabbage, as soon as possible, is time to transfer to open ground, is the appearance of the 6th true leaf on the seedling - approximately, on the 55-60th day. In central Russia, this period is well timed to the 15-20th days of April, when ground temperatures in the afternoon rise to 12-13 FROM.
Planting early varieties of plants in a permanent place, produce immediately after the rain or on the eve of it. If the ground is dry, it is first spilled abundantly.
Early cabbage loves space, so planting sprouts frequently will impair its growth. The optimal scheme is 50 by 50 cm. If, for a number of reasons, yellowed leaves appear on some seedlings 5-8 days after transplanting, the sprout is removed, and another is planted in its place.
How to feed cabbage
Before the ovaries of early cabbage form heads, the plant is fed with nitrogen fertilizers, and when the head is ripe, with potassium supplements. Top dressing begins to be introduced from the seventh day after planting cabbage and, first of all, for this, urea is used, diluted in water at the rate - 5 teaspoons per bucket... This amount of fertilizer is enough for watering 3 m2 cabbage beds.
Another 5-7 days later, cabbage, to form a larger head of cabbage, is stimulated with an infusion of chicken manure diluted with water 24 hours before watering, then settled, strained and supplemented with clean water in a ratio of 1:10.
Cabbage pests
In the spring, insects are most active and voracious, so the question of why cabbage turns yellow or withers is more related to their violent activity. There are several of the most "harmful" inhabitants of cabbage beds:
- Cruciferous flea. To combat it, naphthalene is used, ground with fine sand, taken in the proportion - 1 part of naphthalene to 5 parts of sand;
- Cabbage aphid.It is washed off with abundant irrigation of seedlings with a 2% solution of anabasine sulfate or tobacco infusion diluted with soapy water.
If the early variety cabbage has turned yellow and does not respond to rehabilitation actions, after removing the pests from the garden, the plant is replaced with a healthy one. It makes no sense to do this before all the insects are expelled.
The best early varieties
In fact, a characteristic of all early varieties of white cabbage approximately the same, but all the same, setting themselves the goal of starting to grow a fast-growing vegetable, gardeners carefully study the descriptions of various hybrids, in the hope of highlighting the best varieties from the mass of proposals. Below is the top of the most popular types of early vegetables in Russia and a corresponding description is given to each variety.
"Cossack F1"
The early ripening hybrid cabbage "Kazachok" will give a harvest already 90-96 days from the moment of sowing or 45-47 days from the start of growing cabbage in the open field. When ripe, the maximum weight of this cabbage fork is 1.6 kg.
External characteristics of the variety: an even rounded vegetable with a pale green outer leaf and a warm, yellowish core. The taste of the hybrid is neutral. The variety tolerates low temperatures well and is resistant to rotting on the root.
"Transfer F1"
Cabbage "Transfer", after ripening gives a head of cabbage less than the average size - 1-1.2 kg. The hybrid requires a longer period for ripening than the previous variety - at least 130 days from sowing seeds in a box. The vegetable yield is very high - under favorable conditions, about 1000 kg per 1 ha. This is due to the calm attitude of the variety to the cold, the resistance of the cabbage head to cracking, and the low susceptibility of the Transfer cabbage to diseases.
The maturation of the heads of this variety occurs in approximately one period. The characteristic of external qualities is a rich light green color of the outer leaf and a white core.
"June"
June white cabbage is an ultra-early hybrid with ripening periods of 93-95 days from the moment of sowing the seeds. This variety does not suffer from thickened plantings and calmly tolerates the fall of the thermometer column to 4 C. June cabbage gives a high yield of the largest heads of cabbage of all known early varieties of these crucifers - their weight reaches 2.4 kg. When picked late, cabbage heads do not burst or rot from the stalk.
June cabbage, as described, is one of the oldest early hybrids.
"Pandion F1"
The relatively cold-resistant variety "Pandion" is recommended for planting starting from the 10th of May. Its cultivation, on average, takes 95-100 days and does not organize great difficulties. Cabbage "Pandion F1" is resistant to decay and does not shoot arrows for a long time when overexposed on the vine. When the cabbage ripens, the size of the head does not exceed 1.5 kg.
Taste characteristics are high - the variety is widely used for preparing first courses and salads.
"Nozomi"
Cabbage "Nozomi" is presented in the form of an early maturing vegetable with a super-dense structure of a head of cabbage weighing 1.3-1.5 kg. The vegetable is suitable for growing for wholesale, as it ripens with full preservation of its presentation, and tolerates short-term transportation well.
The yield of the variety is high - within 3000 kg of cabbage from 1 hectare (hectare) of the planted area. The variety is weakly susceptible to root decay, Alternaria, tolerates cold well.
"Sir F1"
French hybrid, Sire F1 cabbage does not suffer from the heat as much as other early varieties and does not stop developing at temperatures from 25C. When you cut the heads of the first harvest, you can determine by the appearance of the vegetable - the cabbage is flattened to a spherical shape, the leaves turn pale to a faded green hue.
The weight of cabbage heads ranges from 2-2.3 kg, the planting density is up to 65,000 seedlings per hectare of planting area.
"Oracle F1"
Cabbage "Orakl F1" ripens on 93-97 days from planting seeds in the ground and belongs to the ultra-early varieties. It is often grown in polycarbonate greenhouses or under a double film, starting from the first days of April. In this case, already at the end of June there is an opportunity to get a harvest of the same-looking, round cabbage heads with a good presentation.
The approximate weight of cabbage heads is 1.5 kg.
"Golden hectare"
Cabbage "Zolotoy hectar", with excellent taste, has the smallest reserve of the storage period in unprocessed form - up to 30 days. At the same time, cabbage tolerates short transportation well, gives a very significant yield - about 8000 kg per hectare - and has practically no enemies among insects.
The size of the heads of cabbage is above average, the weight of the vegetable is about 2.5 kg.
Copenhagen Market
Cabbage "Copenhagen" belongs to the mid-early species of cruciferous and gives fairly average, but stable yields, in the range of 4000 kg per hectare. Heads of cabbage are best cut before they are fully ripe, as the variety tends to build up moisture and crack when harvested late.
The average weight of cabbage heads is 2.4 kg, the crop is harvested simultaneously from the entire planting area.
"Gribovskaya 147"
Cabbage "Gribovskaya" is distinguished by a uniquely high content of ascorbic acid in the leaves, which is why they try to grow this variety in as large quantities as possible. True, due to the long ripening period (up to 115 days), this cabbage appears on the market later than other early varieties. Nevertheless, its cultivation is considered profitable, since cabbage tolerates temperature fluctuations well, is unpretentious to humidity and invariably has a wonderful presentation.
Cons - the description of the variety emphasizes that "Gribovskaya" is weakly resistant to keel and decay, and also bursts with excess moisture.
"Akira F1"
Cabbage "Akira" is a record holder for early ripening, because its cultivation takes about 90 days from the moment of planting the seeds. In view of the need for a quick planting of the vegetable in the ground, it is not recommended to prepare open beds for the Akira variety. It is best to use a tunnel film shelter.
Like most hybrid varieties from Asia, "Akira" has a very compact, neat appearance - a small head of cabbage, weighing up to two kilograms, rich in lettuce color and dense, shiny upper leaves. Akira tolerates transportation better than other varieties, does not rot in the mass and is stored for up to two months at low temperatures.
The cabbage needs to be fed after you have planted it outdoors. I use BioGrowso far this is the best product I have ever bought. It is not toxic, but it works great.