How to feed cabbage seedlings
Content:
Cabbage is an unpretentious and well-known vegetable garden in many countries. It contains a rich complex of trace elements and vitamins that arouses great interest in this culture. Therefore, many strive to get a fairly large harvest in their gardens. However, this requires compliance with the necessary agricultural technology for growing this crop, as well as compliance with the feeding and watering regimes. The correct application of the necessary dressings is just the topic of our article. We will briefly and easily consider how to feed cabbage seedlings, how to organize the entire care process at the stage of seedlings and already an adult plant.
How to feed cabbage seedlings: drugs and methods of folk origin
For the full development and excellent growth of a plant, a set of nutrients is needed - macronutrients:
Phosphorus - it is necessary for the plant from the appearance of the first shoots to the formation of real leaves on the plant;
Potassium and nitrogen - cabbage is very necessary when there is an activation of growth and abundant formation of a leaf cover;
Calcium - its lack is expressed in a weakened growth of seedlings, it is much smaller;
Copper - this is the most important, vital element, without which the plant practically dies.
Many gardeners try to initially use all available folk methods and means for feeding. For example, chicken manure is used in the form of an infusion - mullein, always in liquid form. Or an infusion of simple wood ash.
Eggshells will also be an excellent fertilizer and source of many essential elements.
It is very difficult to obtain a set of mineral fertilizers by folk methods in a short time. But you can use complexes bought in a special store.
How to feed cabbage seedlings for growth. Soil preparation
Self-made potting soil used by gardeners is a very common feeding method. Let's take a closer look at such a process.
The composition of such a mixture is quite simple, there are only three components: high-quality soil, humus and, of course, river sand.
To enhance the effect of usefulness, you can add to the mixture potassium sulfate, powdery, a small amount, up to 50 grams, chicken egg shells. All this must be crushed to a powder state, about one glass in quantity.
If you prefer to add superphosphate, then you need to use only dissolved in a small amount of water. With a solution of superphosphate, pour abundantly the soil prepared for moving the seedlings.
Peking cabbage requires a careful approach to the selection of humus. It must be of good quality. A plus to it will be peat and sand in equal amounts. Wood ash is used as a fertilizer, in the amount of one and a half glasses per 10 liters of prepared soil mixture.
Proper soil preparation for seedlings - and Peking cabbage no longer needs feeding before planting in open ground.
Schematic schedule for feeding seedlings
If you want to draw up your own system of feeding according to the ripening periods for your plantings, you need to decide whether you will carry out the pick, or do without this moment.
How you prepared the soil for sowing seeds depends on the amount of cabbage dressings you need at the time of growing seedlings.
If ash has not been added to the prepared soil mixture, then for good quality seedlings it is necessary to irrigate with fertilizer, which includes the entire composition of microelements.
With good preparation, the first feeding of seedlings is carried out after the appearance of real 3-4 leaves.
If the soil was well fertilized before sowing, then you just need to add nitrogen-containing additives, such as urea.
Folk methods can come to the rescue again. Mullein, in the amount of 1 kilogram per liter of water, or chicken droppings, infusion, 1 kg per liter of water.
Watering is carried out at the rate of 1 liter of finished fertilizer for 10-20 plants. The soil, a very important point, is well moistened before applying top dressing, moisture helps to avoid scalding the root system, which is still very weak.
Varieties: Broccoli and Cauliflower. They ask for a slightly different composition of feeding: 10 liters of water + potassium salt 10 grams + 10 grams of carbomide + superphosphate 15 grams. All formulations prepared by yourself can be replaced with complexes purchased at the store. For example, Effekton.
The second feeding period begins on the 11th day after the first feeding. Let's prepare a mixture for varieties of white cabbage: ammonium nitrate 35 grams + 10 liters of water (the amount of necessary elements has increased as the plant grows). If you use an infusion of mullein, then the proportion is 1: 5, the ratio of chicken manure to water is more - 1:10.
How to feed cabbage after planting seedlings in open ground
After transplanting into an open space, the seedlings feel quite uncomfortable, young plants endure stress. In such a period, seedlings need increased attention. Simple, regular watering is not enough.
There is a need to add an additional part of the important elements for nutrition. In the period after transplanting, the increased growth of the plant, its green cover, is activated. Right now, important fertilizers containing nitrogen are required.
These can be mullein infusion or urea solution. If you prefer folk remedies, you can use a fresh herb infusion. There is enough of it in every garden. For example, use the well-known nettle.
The results of using such an infusion give an amazing effect, because it contains a large content of useful elements. And in terms of safety, nettle meets all the requirements for fertilizers.
How to prepare the infusion? Grind nettles and any weed grass, put in a container, large enough (it is better to take a barrel). Fill one third of the container with chopped grass, fill it with water so that all the grass is covered. You can use some weight on top of the grass so that it does not float.
For about two weeks, such a mixture ferments and infuses. Already ready-made liquid (readiness can be felt by the characteristic smell), it is necessary to dilute it with clean water in a ratio of 1: 9, where 9 parts are water. The consumption of the infusion is about a liter per one bush, not less.
The above examples of the most suitable feed and fertilizer mixtures can be applied to all varieties of cabbage. Requirements for all are practically the same: macro- and microelements. Even Chinese cabbage will be pleased when it receives such a dose of the substances it needs.
At the time of fruiting, tying heads of cabbage and when cauliflower heads are formed, it is recommended to feed the plants with nutrients again.
The mixture is completely copied from the original feeding, but the amount of nitrogen-containing fertilizers takes priority over the rest. There are late-ripening cabbage varieties used mainly for pickling.
It is for such varieties that you can prepare the last top dressing for the season. It is introduced no later than two weeks before harvesting. The aim of feeding is to prepare the cabbage over a long period.
Example of a mixture: Mix 40 g of potassium sulfate with 10 liters of water. Watering rate for each bush is about 2-4 liters. Another composition - 10 liters of hot water is mixed with 500 grams of wood ash, be sure to insist for a day, strain when ready, and feed.
We can summarize our conversation. Gardening business in itself is laborious, time-consuming, and various difficulties arise. Now you know how to feed cabbage seedlings.
We emphasize once again - the clearest, consistent observance of all the rules of agricultural technology, the choice of seed material, soil for planting in open ground, the correct selection of fertilizers and, accordingly, their correct use.
All these points will allow you to take off a large enough, long-awaited, healthy crop. Please take into account the fact that not only a deficiency, but also an excessive amount of all the necessary substances can cause irreparable harm to cabbage.
Yes, too much is also bad for any culture. In no case do not allow the use of fertilizers "by eye". This use promotes the production of nitrates in the plant. Then is it worth spending so much time and effort?
All solutions are strictly according to the instructions. Taking care and taking care of your plants is the most important thing in gardening.