Growing and caring for Kohlrabi cabbage in open ground

Kohlrabi cabbage began to gain popularity relatively recently. Most often, it is grown by experienced vegetable growers who like to grow vegetables in their garden. This variety is a dietary product that can be eaten boiled, stewed or raw. To get a good cabbage harvest Kohlrabi, cultivation and care will have to be done correctly. Only by following all the rules can you increase productivity.

Short description

Before growing Kohlrabi cabbage in open ground, you need to familiarize yourself with the description of its main characteristics.

During growth, the stem of the plant begins to develop first. It appears much earlier than the heads of cabbage are set. The bush is covered with large dark green leaves. The edible part of Kohlrabi is its stem, which is shaped very much like a turnip. In terms of their taste, Kohlrabi cabbage varieties are very similar to cabbage stalks. However, Kohlrabi has a stem fruit that is sweeter and juicier.

It contains a larger amount of active biological elements and vitamins that the human body needs. The size of a vegetable can be completely different - from 0.5 to 1 kg.

Growing seedlings

Growing Kohlrabi cabbage begins with planting seeds for seedlings. Many gardeners who have not grown cabbage before do not know when to plant Kohlrabi to produce seedlings. It is recommended to sow it a month and a half before planting seedlings in the garden.

To obtain an early harvest, planting material is planted in greenhouses in the first half of March. In this case, the first fruits can be harvested after three months. To get a late harvest, Kohlrabi cultivation begins in early May. This will allow you to collect the first fruits in the second half of July. People living in the Moscow region and residents of the Moscow region can plant seeds a little earlier.

Seed preparation

In order for Kohlrabi cabbage seeds to germinate more intensively, it is recommended to soak them in a special solution prepared from aloe, boric acid and copper sulfate.

There is also another way to prepare seeds for planting. To do this, several layers of thick towel are placed in a plate on which the grains are placed.Then all this is filled with water and infused for 2-4 hours. The water is drained and the seeds are left overnight in a room at room temperature. In the morning, all the seeds are poured from the plate into a plastic bag and kept in it for 12-20 hours.

Growing from seeds will proceed without problems only if the seed material is disinfected in advance.

Quite often, heat treatment of grains is used for this. However, it must be taken into account that after this procedure, the number of seeds suitable for planting will be significantly reduced. Cabbage seeds do not tolerate very high temperatures, so they need to be heated in water heated to 30-40 degrees.

Soil preparation

To make cabbage head faster, you need to grow it in pre-prepared soil. It is created from a nutrient mixture, on which the quality of the seedlings largely depends. Owners of summer cottages can easily create an excellent soil mixture to grow cabbage in.

It is recommended to do this in the fall, so that by spring the soil can freeze thoroughly and warm up. To grow young seedlings, it is recommended to use porous and loose soil, which has a low acidity level. This will facilitate the unhindered flow of moisture and its retention in the soil. It is advisable to use forest turf soil mixed with sand and humus. However, it is not always possible to go to the forest for soil and you have to use ordinary garden soil.

Landing

After preparing the seeds and soil, Kohlrabi is planted. Plant the seeds in small pots filled with pre-prepared soil. It is not recommended to dig them deep into the ground. It will be enough to place the grains at a depth of about 2-3 cm. After planting the seeds, the soil must be moistened with water.

Planted cabbage should be kept under glass in a room with a temperature of at least 25 degrees. After the first shoots appear, the glass is removed and the seedlings are transferred to a cooler place.

Seedling care

While growing seedlings, it is recommended to water them regularly. You need to moisten the soil as needed. The main thing is that the soil is not too dry and the plant has enough moisture. It is also necessary to protect seedlings from dangerous diseases. To do this, it is sprayed several times with a weak manganese solution. After the first two leaves appear, the seedlings are first fed, consisting of a liter of water and a teaspoon of mineral fertilizers.

Caring for kohlrabi cabbage includes picking if the seeds were planted in one large container. The procedure is carried out after the first true leaf appears on the seedlings. It is recommended to transplant the seedlings into separate peat pots.

Planting seedlings

Growing Kohlrabi cabbage in open ground begins with planting its seedlings in the soil. Before you grow Kohlrabi, you need to figure out when to plant it in the garden. To get a good harvest, it is recommended to plant it under films at the end of May. If there is no film, you will have to postpone sowing to the first half of June.

Seedling preparation

Hardening off of seedlings is carried out after the air temperature outside rises to 15 degrees. In order for the seedlings to get used to the outdoor temperature conditions, they must be periodically taken out of the room. To do this, select places not illuminated by the sun that are well protected from the wind.

First, it is recommended to take out the pots of cabbage at noon so that the air outside is well heated.You need to bring the seedlings back after the sun begins to set. Gradually, the time spent on the street increases. A few days before planting the seedlings in the soil, the pots will need to be taken outside overnight. It is recommended to monitor the night temperature. If it is too low, you will have to cover the bushes with film or paper caps.

Site preparation

The main advantage of Kohlrabi cabbage is that it is not very demanding on soil quality. It grows well in almost any type of soil. The main thing is that it is not too depleted or has high acidity. If you grow it in such soil, the ovary will grow more slowly. Therefore, before planting seedlings, it is recommended to check the pH value. It should be within 6-7 pH.

Site preparation should begin in early autumn. During this period, you should dig up the ground to a depth of one bayonet. Then several kilograms of organic fertilizers, a tablespoon of superphosphate, urea and wood ash are added to the soil.

Disembarkation

Many people don't know why won't cabbage set?. This problem can arise if it was planted incorrectly. It is better to plant young seedlings in the evening or on a cloudy day, so that there is no sun. The beds are created according to one of two schemes: 70x30 or 60x40 cm. Before placing the seedlings in the hole, you need to add several glasses of ash, a tablespoon of urea and superphosphate.

The seedlings are buried in the soil until the roots go completely underground. It is not recommended to plant it too deep, as this may cause early flowering or disrupt the formation of stem fruit.Having planted all the seedlings in the soil, it is thoroughly watered and compacted so that the water does not evaporate too quickly.

Care

Grown cabbage needs proper care. There are various reasons why you need to care for vegetables while growing. The main one is obtaining a good harvest.

Watering

Caring for Kohlrabi should include periodic watering of the plants. When growing cabbage, you need to water it every three days. Once it is fully established, it will be sufficient to moisten the soil once a week.

The hottest days are in June, and it is recommended to water the bushes daily so that the soil does not have time to dry out.

Top dressing

During cultivation, cabbage is fed with fertilizer three times. The first time the procedure is carried out after the first leaves appear. During this period, mineral microelements and complex fertilizers are introduced into the soil. The next time the bushes are fed three weeks after planting the seedlings. The area is sprayed with a sulfate solution prepared from 10 liters of water and a tablespoon of potassium sulfate.

Cleaning

People who have not previously grown Kohlrabi do not know when to remove Kohlrabi cabbage from the garden. It ripens within 90 days after planting in the garden. It is after this period of time that the harvest needs to be harvested. For this, a clear and sunny day is chosen. It is recommended to dig up stem fruits with roots, which in the future will need to be cut off and thrown away. However, some do not cut them and leave them on the stems of the harvested crop.

Conclusion

Even a novice gardener who has never done this before can grow such cabbage. To do this, just familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of its cultivation and find out when to harvest Kohlrabi cabbage.