Cabbage is a garden vegetable, widespread throughout the world and in demand on almost every dining table. Of all its varieties, I want to highlight the dark green leaves of the cale as much as possible.
Cabbage Kale: useful properties
Cabbage kale (aka gruenkol, or braunkol) is a unique product of vegetarian and diet food with a mass of useful trace elements in its composition, which carry a huge portion of health and youth to the body. It:
Vitamin A. 200% of the daily dose is found in just one cup of cale leaves. Cabbage is a natural source of health - you just need to pay attention to it and appreciate such a unique product.
Vitamin C, which makes cabbage kale a good natural antioxidant.
Easily digestible protein with many amino acids, the daily dose of which is contained in only 200 grams of leaf cale. Cabbage for such a feature is popularly called "vegetable beef."
Calcium, which in 1 gram of product contains about 1.35 mg. For comparison, in milk this indicator is 1.13 mg. Moreover, the digestibility of plant calcium is 25% higher than that of an animal. If we take into account that some people cannot tolerate milk protein, cabbage kale can be considered an important source of calcium for the body.
Magnesium, beneficial for bone growth, lowering blood pressure and coordinating heart rate.
Omega-3 acids, sulforaphone and indole-3, the high concentration of which in this product makes it a good tool for the prevention of cancer.
At the same time, kale kale helps in the fight against extra pounds, because its calorie content per 100 grams of product is only 50 units. The leader among vegetables in its usefulness, cabbage kale is recommended for inclusion in the daily diet in order to prevent various diseases and for general strengthening of the body.
Varieties of Cale
Kale cabbage does not form a head of cabbage, so very often its openwork-fringed leaves are mistaken for a salad. Of the available varieties, the most popular are:
Curly, characterized by a sweeter and softer taste compared to other species. Outwardly it looks very decorative due to its curly wrinkled leaves.
Siberian. Very resistant to low temperatures and pests.
Prime. Frost-resistant fast-growing cabbage kale.
Tuscan. Seeds are very small, many times smaller than ordinary cabbage. Has oblong thin leaves of a shriveled structure.
Red Russian. It stands out against the background of the others with expressive winding red leaves.
Reedy. It has a thick powerful stalk resembling a cane, and is able to grow up to 2-meter height.
Cale on the dining table
Young leaves of the plant are used for food, which are recommended to be consumed exclusively in fresh form. So they will save all the useful substances that will convey to each department of the human body. Dill, onion, parsley, tomato - products with which the leaves of the cale are optimally combined. Cabbage is tasty in salads, and its decorative effect promotes the use of this product as an ornament for ready-made dishes. It is recommended to store freshly picked leaves in the refrigerator, they will preserve their qualities and presentation for a week.
Kale cabbage cultivation
The cabbage, unpretentious in cultivation, is resistant to temperature differences, which allows it to be grown in various climatic zones and on different types of soils. The most comfortable garden plant feels in peaty, sandy and medium clay soil. The best precursors are legumes, potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers. Mostly cabbage is grown from seeds, which are planted in open ground. Since autumn, the soil needs to be prepared, making 1 square meter. 3-4 kg of humus or compost and about 100 grams of mineral fertilizers. Landing area should be located in a sunny place. Kale cabbage, the seeds of which are characterized by high germination, is sown in April, preferably under a film. From the emerged seedlings, one should choose the strongest sprouts, which later thin out, leaving a distance of 40 cm between them. After good care, cabbage bushes can grow more than a meter in height.
Care Features
In the care of feces, cabbage needs to be fed every 6-8 weeks. Watering is regular, as the top soil layer dries. Also an important factor of care is loosening and hilling the soil - several times during the summer. To prevent discoloration and rotting of dark green leaves, mulch the soil. Leaves need to be collected as they mature, otherwise they will become bitterness and stiff with time. You can cut them throughout the summer, the plant has the ability to quickly update.
Kale cabbage is also grown as a forage crop, used for decorative purposes, decorating and complementing garden compositions.