Although today's gardeners will not be surprised by the different types of cabbage: Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, Savoy, Peking, red cabbage, but the most popular and in demand is white cabbage. Nadezhda cabbage is one of the white cabbage varieties cultivated in our country. It was bred in 1969 by Siberian breeders by crossing two hybrids “Dense cabbage” and “Slava Enkhuisen”.
Description of Hope
The basic principles of breeding are to create a variety that could be used in the northern territories of Russia (Urals, Far East, Siberia).Thanks to its taste, the area of distribution of the culture has expanded significantly, and now Nadezhda is planted in almost all regions of the CIS.
Characteristics of the variety:
- The ripening period of this cabbage is average (110–130 days).
- From planting seedlings in the ground to harvesting, it takes approximately 80–95 days.
- The description of the drought- and cold-resistant variety also indicates its high resistance to diseases.
- The heads of cabbage of this variety are flat-round, dark green in color, and have high taste. They have a dense but small stalk.
- The weight of one head reaches 3–3.5 kg.
It is used both raw and fermented. Depending on the agrotechnological conditions used, climate characteristics and soil composition, the quantitative indicators of the nutrients and vitamins contained in it change.
Growing
Cabbage loves a lot of light, so well-lit beds are selected for planting it. Under such conditions, plant growth occurs faster. When shaded, the lower leaves stop growing, begin to turn yellow and gradually die, and the head does not set.
If there is insufficient lighting, the heads can accumulate nitrates.
For normal growth, cabbage needs 15–20 degrees. Temperatures above 25 degrees negatively affect its development. Excess moisture is no less harmful to a plant than too little. In this case, the root system rots and a dangerous disease - bacteriosis - can occur.
For future planting of cabbage, select areas where tomatoes, onions or cucumbers were previously grown. It is not recommended to plant it in the same place earlier than after 3-4 years. To repel cabbage flies, it is recommended to plant thyme, sage, anise or celery nearby.
Soil preparation
For normal development, cabbage requires sufficient amounts of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. Humus is spread on the beds in the fall, but too much dosage can have a bad effect on it. It is optimal if mineral and organic fertilizers are combined. Soil acidity should be around 6.6–7.4 pH.
Seedless method
In this case, in the last days of April, small holes are made in the prepared beds. The distance between plants in a row is from 50 to 70 cm, and the row spacing is 75–80 cm. 2–3 seeds are placed in each hole, and the top is covered with glass or film.
After seed germination, the strongest and most viable shoot is selected, and the rest are removed. During the season, 3-4 hillings are carried out. This not only helps retain moisture, but also provides reliable support for a large fruit.
Seedling method
As soil for planting seeds for seedlings, take a mixture of equal parts of sand, peat and turf soil. This soil is first treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Preparing seeds also involves treating them with a weak solution of manganese. To do this, the seeds are placed in liquid for 20–30 minutes and then washed with cold water. After this, they are treated with preparations designed to stimulate seed growth (Agat-25, Albit, Zircon). These products also help increase the plant's resistance to diseases and pests.
Sowing seeds of mid-season varieties, including Nadezhda cabbage, to obtain seedlings is carried out from March 10 to 20.
The seeds are sown in furrows 0.5–1 cm deep. The air temperature in the room should be within 20–25 degrees, and after germination it is reduced.
Picking of seedlings is carried out at the age of 2 weeks.After rooting, the temperature is reduced to 17 degrees.
Seedlings are fed twice:
- during the period of appearance of 2–3 true leaves;
- 4 days before planting in the ground.
Urea (15 g), potassium chloride (30 g) and superphosphate (30 g) are used as top dressing. They are dissolved in 10 liters of water. After 6 leaves appear on the plant, they are sprayed with the ready-made Silk preparation. About 1 week before planting in the ground, the seedlings are hardened off: the ventilation of the room is increased, the air temperature is reduced, and watering is reduced.
Seedlings ready for planting should have 4–5 developed leaves, their height should be 18–20 cm. This is approximately 35–45 days after planting the seeds. Nadezhda cabbage is planted in open ground starting from the end of April, but this period may shift depending on weather conditions.
Care
During the rooting period of seedlings, watering is carried out daily. On hot days, some gardeners cover their beds with newspapers. This prevents the evaporation of moisture from the soil.
Subsequently, the cabbage is watered approximately once a week. For 1 plant, 1 liter of water is enough, and as it grows, this volume is increased to 3–4 liters. In overdried soil, the heads of cabbage crack. Watering is stopped until approximately 3-4 weeks before harvest.
Loosening the soil
The soil around the plants is loosened 2 weeks after planting in the ground. The next treatment is carried out another week. Simultaneously with loosening, hilling is carried out. The best time to carry out the loosening and hilling procedure is the next day after rain or watering.
Harvesting and storage
From one square meter you can collect up to 10–14 kg. The Nadezhda cabbage variety can maintain good presentation for a long time.But the collected heads of cabbage can gradually lose moisture, which reduces their taste. To prevent this from happening, some gardeners pull out the cabbage along with the roots and dig it into a box with wet sand.
In this way, its presentation is extended. With proper storage conditions, this variety of cabbage can be stored for 5 months.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive characteristics of Nadezhda cabbage consist of the following factors: high yield, ability to transport, good presentation, resistance to cracking of heads, suitable for pickling, good taste, resistant to diseases, and has a wide distribution area.
This variety has very few disadvantages - it can be damaged by bacteriosis and clubroot.
Diseases and pests
The caterpillar is often considered the main danger when growing cabbage. A net stretched over the beds helps protect the crop from this cabbage pest. In addition, the following drugs are effective: Fitoverm, Iskra.
Caterpillars can also be removed by hand and washed off with a stream of cold water. And as a preventive measure against diseases and pests, the soil in the beds is dusted with ash or dolomite flour.
Clubroot disease begins with damage to the root system. The growths that form on the roots prevent the plant from eating normally. In this case, the ovary does not form.
To prevent the disease from spreading throughout the entire area, diseased plants should be identified and removed in a timely manner. And sprinkle the place where it grew with lime.
Another disease that can affect Nadezhda cabbage is bacteriosis. Its danger is that the disease can develop at all stages of cultivation, and even during storage of the crop.
This problem can be dealt with by following preventive measures (deep digging of the soil, using high-quality and disinfected seeds, culling weak plants at the stage of growing seedlings, treating with copper-containing preparations, fertilizing with potassium fertilizers).
Reviews
Anastasia Dmitrievna, Buryatia: “I have been planting Nadezhda cabbage for several years in a row. I really like its resistance to diseases. We collect the heads of cabbage that are tight and strong. Some specimens can weigh up to 7 kg. It is very tasty when salted. The collected 40 heads are enough for the winter for my large family.”
