Almost all summer residents are growing this useful vegetable crop on their plots. The vast majority of them prefer varieties of late cabbage. This choice is easy to explain. It is winter cabbage varieties that are ideal for long-term storage, pickling, and salting.
These varieties are united by one feature - resistance to the first frosts in autumn. Moreover, some of them retain their presentation and taste even with snow. Of course, heads of cabbage for a long time are not stored in such conditions, so it is best not to experiment with the fruits and harvest on time.
Varieties of late cabbage are distinguished by excellent rates of keeping quality and transportability. Forks easily carry storage throughout the winter and even until mid-spring. Today, breeders have bred such varieties of winter cabbage, which lie even before the new harvest.
Growing
Late cabbage is grown from seeds, which are sown in seedlings in mid-March. Naturally, this must be done in the greenhouse. But in April they can be planted in the ground (under a film cover).
Seed preparation
Before planting, dry cabbage seeds must be prepared. Only in this case, you can count on a healthy and plentiful harvest. Cabbage seeds must be placed in water (temperature +50 ° C), stand for 15 minutes. Then, literally for 1 minute, the seeds are lowered into cold water. After that, they are immersed in a solution of trace elements (sold in all stores for gardeners) for 12 hours. After this time, the seeds are thoroughly washed under running water and placed in the refrigerator for a day.
Planting seeds
So, the seeds are prepared, and the time has come to sow them in the soil mixture. As a rule, it consists of equal shares of peat, turf land and sand. Humus in this case (as well as old land from the beds) is not recommended to be used, since the black-foot virus can persist in such soil. It can easily nullify all your efforts, and you will not grow high-quality seedlings.
Before planting the seeds, the soil mixture should be shed well. For this, potassium permanganate must be used . Planting material is sown in narrow rows - between the holes the distance should not exceed one centimeter, and between the furrows - about three centimeters. Sowing depth - 10 cm.
Beginning gardeners need to know that late cabbage seedlings need to be fed. The first foliar top dressing is carried out after two real leaflets appeared on the bush. To do this, dilute 0.5 teaspoon of micronutrients with complex fertilizers in one liter of water and spray the seedlings.
The second top dressing is carried out before hardening seedlings. In this case, potassium sulfate (tablespoon) + urea in the same volume diluted in ten liters of water. For one bush you need about a glass of composition.
Planting late cabbage
At the end of April, but better in early May, you need to start preparing seedlings for transplanting into open ground. Twelve days before planting (usually late cabbage varieties are planted after May 10), seedlings are gradually accustomed to the sun - they open greenhouses for several hours and remove shelters from the film.
If the air temperature is not high at this time, you should not rush to planting - under adverse conditions, late cabbage can release an arrow with seeds, which means that you can forget about the crop. Varieties of late cabbage are planted in open ground when there are at least 5-6 leaves on seedlings. There should be a distance of at least 70 cm between the bushes, 60 cm between rows. And another important rule: late cabbage should not be planted on beds where radishes, beets, radishes, tomatoes and other cruciferous species grew before it. Favorable predecessors include cereals, potatoes, carrots, legumes and cucumbers.
Watering
Late cabbage is very fond of plentiful watering. She especially needs it in August, when the heads of cabbage begin to form. After the seedlings are planted, they are watered every two days. Average water consumption is eight liters per square meter of soil.
Later, cabbage will cost weekly watering at the rate of thirteen liters per square meter. After each irrigation, loosening of the soil (to a depth of 8 cm) under the bushes is necessary.
Hilling
The first time this procedure is carried out twenty-one days after planting. In the same period, the plant is fertilized with a mullein solution. Hilling should be repeated every ten days.
Experienced vegetable growers recommend regular dusting of forks and soil under them with wood ash during cabbage cultivation . This is also an excellent top dressing, and will help scare away pests: slugs, cruciferous flea, white duck, aphid and cabbage fly. At least one glass of ash is used per square meter of soil.
The best varieties
And now we will present you the best varieties of winter cabbage. The first in this list will be the brainchild of Belarusian breeders - Mara. The growing season is 170 days. During this period, the weight of the head reaches four kilograms. Fruits are rounded in shape, saturated dark green in color, with a pronounced waxy coating. This variety is perfectly stored until early May.
In addition, it is resistant to damage and rot. Mara cabbage is ideal for pickling.
Snow White
Late universal variety of cabbage. Harvest, subject to the necessary conditions, stored for at least eight months. Specialists, like, however, many experienced summer residents, noting its healing properties, recommend growing this variety to those who have small children. It is extremely beneficial for a growing organism. It retains useful properties and taste when stored in a room with a temperature of +8 degrees.
Moscow cabbage
An excellent late cabbage variety ideal for long-term storage. Many summer residents note that heads of this variety reach a weight of up to ten kilograms. The head of cabbage is very dense. It is a bit flattened and has an oval shape. It does not require complicated special care during the growing season. Late Moscow cabbage is perfectly stored - up to a new crop.
Valentine
The variety is very popular in the middle lane. A hybrid of Russian breeders. Matures about 180 days. The weight of the head does not exceed four kilograms. It is stored up to eight months. But with these, it would seem, not too high indicators, it has excellent taste. The variety is notable for sugar content, fork density, crunchiness, but this cabbage is especially good in pickled form.
Amager
Amager cabbage is considered the recognized leader among the late varieties, ideal for pickling. Large forks (up to 5 kg), juicy. These are excellent indicators among analogues.
Heads of cabbage have a round, but slightly flattened shape and high density. Their upper part is painted in a greenish tint, the inner cut is snow-white. This variety is perfectly stored in the winter and is well transported. Its main feature is resistance to fungal diseases and root rot. On average, the growing season lasts about 160 days. Amager cabbage loves plentiful watering and complex mineral fertilizers.
Megaton F1
Of the variety of late varieties of cabbage, this Dutch hybrid is one of the earliest. It takes 125-130 days to fully head out. In this short period of time, a dense forks weighing up to five kilograms grows. The variety is resistant to pests and fungal diseases. It is perfectly transported over long distances. It is stored up to five months. During the formation of a head of cabbage, the timing of the introduction of organic matter and watering should be observed. Mineral fertilizers are preferably applied at the very beginning and on the thirty-fifth day after transplanting seedlings.
Aggressor F1
Hybrid, refers to late ripening varieties. It can be grown in all regions. It develops slowly, has a dense structure and a hard head. A feature of this variety is undemanding care. Summer residents sometimes joke that this cabbage grows like a weed, almost by itself. In addition, it develops well in the most adverse weather conditions and retains its shape perfectly, without cracking at all. Breeders did a great job and on the resistance of this variety to many diseases (late blight, black leg, fusarium) and pests (aphids, caterpillars, cruciferous flea).
Storage
And in conclusion of our conversation about the late varieties of cabbage, I would like to dwell a little on the proper storage of the culture. It’s not enough to know how to grow a good harvest. It's a shame if due to improper storage it will be ruined.
Later varieties of cabbage are harvested in the fall, in early October. Cabbage heads intended for long-term storage should not be subject to frost. Frozen forks are not stored for a long time and quickly begin to deteriorate.
Attention should be paid to the method of trimming late varieties: the head of cabbage is cut so that there remains a stump with a length of at least three centimeters, as well as two covering sheets. These forks can be stored in a cool room with a cross-stitch.
The ideal option is to store the cabbage in limbo. In this case, the heads of cabbage are not cut, but pulled out together with the root and the stump. They are tied in pairs with twine and suspended in a cool room. It is necessary to monitor the appearance of sick and fading leaves and get rid of them in time.