Red cabbage (red, blue) cabbage is less popular among gardeners than ordinary cabbage, although it is not inferior to the latter in taste, and even surpasses it in the presence of useful elements. We learn what is remarkable for this kind of cabbage, how to plant and grow it on your site?
Culture Description
This variety of cabbage is characterized by red-violet, bluish coloring of the outer and inner leaves, which is caused by the presence of plant pigments - anthocyanins.
Leaves are large with wavy or even edges and a smooth surface. The root system is weakly branched, fibrous.
A plant of the cabbage family, biennial, forming a head of cabbage in the first year, and a powerful flowering stalk in the next year. On it, seeds are formed. The culture is cross-pollinated. A head of cabbage is formed from an overgrown apical kidney.
The fruit is tightly twisted, depending on the variety, it can be oval, round, or even drop-shaped, such as, for example, the variety Calibos.
Origin
The homeland of this vegetable crop is considered the Mediterranean. Then it appeared in Western Europe (16th century), and subsequently was brought to Russia (17th century), but was not widely used here.
Varieties of red cabbage and their features
Varieties of red cabbage have different ripening times. Mostly mid-ripening varieties are grown.
Popular varieties and hybrids of red cabbage:
- Vorox F1. Mid-early Dutch hybrid (from germination to harvesting - 95 days). The weight of dense, purple heads up to 3.5 kg. The hybrid is resistant to disease and cold. Productivity - up to 9 kg per sq. m
- Approximately F1. An early hybrid of Dutch breeding (80-90 days). Heads are dense, roundish, violet, weighing 3-4 kg. It tolerates transportation well. It is resistant to cracking, cold and disease.
- Gako 741. Medium-late variety (from germination to harvesting - 130-160 days). The head weight is up to 3 kg, the shape is flat-round, the color is purple-gray. It is characterized by high cold resistance, resistance to cracking, diseases and pests. The variety is suitable for long-term storage.
- Rubin MS. Mid-season variety (120-130 days) of Czech selection. The head of cabbage is dense, dark purple, round-flat, weighing 1-2 kg. High-yielding variety - up to 10 kg per sq. m
- Mikhnevskaya. Mid-season variety. Vegetation - 90-105 days. A head of cabbage is dense, round or slightly elongated. It has a purple color with a slight reddish tint. Weight 2.5-4.3 kg. Productivity - 29-34 tons per hectare, on personal plots - from 4-5 to 6.5 kg per square meter. m. Transportability is good, average storage duration. The variety is relatively resistant to disease, drought and cold.
Red cabbage Voroks F1
Red cabbage Approximately F1
Red Cabbage Gako 741
Red Cabbage Rubin MS
Red cabbage Mikhnevskaya
Advantages and disadvantages of growing
The main advantages of this vegetable crop include the following:
- red cabbage has a higher cold resistance compared to white cabbage;
- It is resistant to adverse climatic conditions, diseases and pests;
- less than other varieties, red cabbage suffers from drought due to a developed root system;
- high taste and nutritional properties;
- long-term preservation of commercial qualities (until spring - summer of next year);
- high transportability.
The disadvantages include:
- smaller heads of cabbage than white cabbage;
- slower formation of a fork;
- a limited number of cooking methods: red cabbage is consumed only fresh, in the form of salads and pickled.
Growing conditions
The culture can not be called moody, but it is demanding on the place of growth, soil composition and care.
Site selection and soil preparation
Cabbage does not like shading; it is a long day plant. With a lack of light, the lower leaves cease to develop, the head of cabbage is not tied. For planting, choose the most sunlit places on the site.
Suitable precursors for cabbage are cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, legumes, potatoes and beets. Culture cannot be returned to its former place earlier than after 3 years.
A reasonable solution would be to grow sage, celery, anise, and thyme next to the plantings. These plants scare away the cabbage fly.
The best soil for cabbage is loamy, they retain moisture well, but peaty soils are also suitable. The culture grows well on alkaline and slightly acidic soils. If the acidity of the soil is lower than 5.5, liming is carried out in the fall.
The vegetative period of red cabbage is longer than that of other types of this crop, therefore, the soil is filled with rather large doses of fertilizers. For each sq. m bring in a bucket of rotted compost or manure, and a lot of ash - 2-3 liters. In order to save ash, you can add only to the holes - 1 tbsp.
In the absence of ash, mineral fertilizers are added to the organics:
- potassium chloride - 1 tbsp. l .;
- ammonium sulfate - 1.5 tbsp. l .;
- superphosphate - 2 tbsp. l
Fertilize one week before planting.
Temperature and light
Seeds of red cabbage slowly, but germinate even at a temperature of + 2-3ºС. At + 11 ° C, the appearance of sprouts can be expected on 10-12 days, and at + 20 ° C and above, seedlings will be on 3-4 days. The culture can withstand short-term frosts up to -6ºС, and in autumn, in the head of cabbage phase - up to -8ºС.
Prolonged exposure to temperatures above + 25 ° C negatively affects the formation of heads of cabbage. In addition, hot dry weather contributes to increased accumulation of nitrates. The optimum temperature for crop growth is from 15 to 18ºС.
Good illumination is necessary for cabbage at all stages of development. Daylight hours, especially for early seedlings, should be at least 12-14 hours. Seedlings are illuminated with a fluorescent or special phytolamp.
Planting red cabbage
They cultivate the culture more often in seedlings. In the Central region and in the south of Russia, seedless technology can be used.
The timing
Sowing time depends on the variety of cabbage and the region of cultivation. On average, the period from sowing seeds to transplanting seedlings to a permanent place should be 40-50 days. In cold nurseries and hotbeds, cabbage is sown around March 15-20.
When grown in a greenhouse or on a windowsill, early varieties are sown in early April, and late ones in early March. Planted in open ground at the age of 45-50 days from the end of April to the first decade of June.
Direct sowing technology
Sowing seeds directly into the ground is mainly used in the cultivation of early and mid-ripening varieties and hybrids of cabbage. The advantage of the seedlingless method is that the root system of the plant is not damaged, as is the case in the case of growing seedlings during a dive, planting in a permanent place.
Seed treatment is carried out in advance. They are etched in a strong solution of potassium permanganate, and then washed. Or disinfected in another way: pour hot water (45-50ºC) for 20-30 minutes, then cool in cold water. For hardening, the seed material wrapped in tissue is placed in the refrigerator for a day.
Soaking seeds in an infusion of ash accelerates seed germination. In a liter of warm water pour 2 tbsp. l ashes. Day insist, filter. Seeds for 3 hours are lowered into the infusion, and then washed with clean water.
Sow in well-dug, loosened, moist, and fertilized soil:
- Make shallow holes at a distance of 60 cm from one another.
- Place 3-4 seeds in each and fill it with soil or a mixture of peat with humus.
- Cover the crops with foil. In the phase of the 1st true sheet, be sure to remove it. If this is not done, the stems are bent, the seedlings are stretched.
- When the seedlings grow a little, and will have 2-3 real leaves, thin out seedlings, remove weak sprouts, leave the strongest.
Sowing seedlings and seedling care
It is important to sow red cabbage on time for seedlings. Seeds are treated in the same way as with direct sowing. A universal soil for growing is a composition that includes:
- humus - 50%;
- turf land - 25%;
- lowland peat with neutral acidity - 25%.
Using horse peat is not recommended. It has too high acidity, and cabbage does not tolerate acidic soil.
The soil must be breathable, nutritious and light. Add 100 g of ash and 1 tbsp to the soil bucket. azofoski, mix well, spill with a solution of Fitosporin. Leave for 2 weeks in a knotted bag at a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees, after which the soil is ready for use.
Sowing seeds for seedlings consists of the following steps:
- At the bottom of seedling containers with a depth of at least 7 cm, lay a drainage layer (fine charcoal or expanded clay).
- Fill the containers with prepared soil, thoroughly moisten it, avoiding excess moisture.
- Spread the seeds on the surface of the moistened soil, leaving a distance of 2-3 cm between them. Then press the seeds into the soil about 1 cm deep.
- Sprinkle lightly from the spray gun with a solution of potassium or sodium humate, and sprinkle with dry soil on top (0.5 cm layer). Gently squeeze the palm.
- Cover the containers with foil and place in a warm place.
Do not water the top dry soil after sowing. Water will pull the seeds down, they will not be able to grow through a thick layer of soil and die.
When shoots appear, the film is removed. Observe the temperature regime: during the day - + 15-17ºС, at night - + 8-10ºС. Sprouts are regularly watered, the soil should always be moderately moist.
When two true leaves appear in seedlings, they are dived into large-sized containers. Before planting, in about a week, the seedlings are hardened by exposing the plants to open air for several hours (at + 4-5ºС), gradually increasing the time. If the thermometer + 8ºС, you can leave seedlings in the street for the whole day.
Permanent landing
In open ground, seedlings are planted with a height of 16-20 cm, without damage to the root system, which has 4-6 leaves. Red cabbage forms a relatively small leafy rosette, but it can’t be planted densely, so the scheme follows: 60x50 cm - late varieties, and 50x50 cm - early varieties.
Seedlings are necessarily planted in the afternoon.
Sequencing:
- Abundantly water the seedlings a few hours before planting. This will facilitate the extraction of the plant from the tank without damaging the roots. To stimulate root formation, use heteroauxin solution instead of water (2 tablets per 10 liters of water).
- Pour the wells before planting with warm water with Fitosporin or Trichodermin. Wait until the water has completely absorbed into the ground.
- Plant each plant in a prepared hole with a root lump, deepening to cotyledonous leaves, and squeeze the soil tightly.
- Make sure that the apical kidney is by no means sprinkled with earth.
- After compaction of the soil, pour the wells with warm water from the watering can, using the nozzle, which will avoid blurring the earthen coma with the roots. For each plant - 1-1.5 liters of water.
- A couple of hours after watering, mulch the plantings with dry earth.
- To scare away the cabbage fly, cruciferous flea and other pests, sprinkle the soil around the plants with ash or tobacco dust, per sq. m - 20 g.
- For a few days, shade the area with the cabbage planted with a thin covering material.
Care Rules
After planting in open ground, the culture provides the necessary care, including the timely removal of weed grass, watering, loosening the soil, hilling and feeding.
Watering
The first 5-6 days after planting, the plants are watered daily until they take root. Although red cabbage is a moisture-loving culture, waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed either in the seedling stage or after planting in open ground. The ground under the plants should always be moist.
For irrigation only settled and warm water (20-25ºС) is used. If cold water is used, the risk of bacterial and fungal diseases is increased. It is better to water in the evening.
The alternation of long periods of "drought" with heavy and sparse watering is unacceptable. This will inevitably lead to cracking heads.
The need for moisture increases during the period of intensive growth of the leaf outlet and in the phase of formation of the forks. At this time, watered so that the soil was moistened throughout the depth of the bulk of the roots.
Mulching will greatly facilitate the care of cabbage. Under the mulch, moisture is well preserved, and the soil is maintained in a loose state.
2-3 weeks before harvesting, watering is stopped. This measure will protect heads from rot during storage.
You can read more about the rules of watering cabbage in the open ground in our other article.
Hilling and cultivating
Systematic loosening of the soil is necessary. The first is carried out a week after planting to remove the soil crust. Do this carefully, trying not to sprinkle the apical kidneys.
To accelerate the growth of leaves, the development of the root system and in order to align the stem, carry out a light hilling of each plant. If the outer stump is high, the earthing should be deep.
Top dressing
When the seedlings take root and go into growth, 1 / 3-1 / 2 tbsp. Are brought under each plant. urea or ammonium nitrate. They feed it with infusion of manure, it is bred in a ratio of 1: 5, and bird droppings - 1:10.
1.5-2 months after planting in the ground, when the head of cabbage begins to curl, 1 tbsp. nitrophosks, or replace it with concentrated infusion of manure, ash. It enriches the soil and green manure well.
With excessive nitrogen dressing, the head of cabbage is poorly tied and the susceptibility of the culture to bacterial diseases increases. Nitrogen fertilizers should be given, not exceeding the norm, along with potash.
Major diseases and pests
This variety of cabbage is affected by diseases and pests much less often than white cabbage. The main danger to red cabbage is represented by such pests as:
- slugs;
- cabbage moth;
- caterpillars of cabbage white and cabbage scoops;
- cruciferous fleas.
To combat pests, well-proven biological products are used: Agravertin, Fitoverm, etc.
To repel insects, folk remedies are also used. Cabbage is treated with infusions of red pepper, tops of potatoes and tomatoes.
There is an article on our website that we recommend reading: “How to get rid of a cruciferous flea on cabbage and prevent its reproduction”.
From slugs, the following composition is used: 0.5 l of wood ash is mixed, 1 tbsp. dry mustard, salt and ground pepper. In sunny weather, with this mixture pollinate the soil between plants, and immediately loosen it to a depth of 3-5 cm. In the evening, with the same composition, only without salt, pollinate the plants through a gauze bag.
The most common disease of cabbage is keel, less often plants are affected by vascular or mucous bacteriosis, a black leg, powdery mildew.
Do not wait until the disease affects the cabbage. For the purpose of prevention, plants are watered every 2-3 weeks with a solution of Fitosporin. The same is done with all other cultures on the site. The drug is safe, fruits and vegetables can be consumed on the day of treatment by washing with water.
Zircon biological product fights well with all fungal and bacterial diseases. Measures such as crop rotation, seed disinfection and timely weed removal will help reduce the risk of developing diseases.
Also about the control of pests and diseases of cabbage, read here.
Harvesting and storage
Heading of cabbage begins in August, in September it is proceeding at a more intense pace. Finally ripened cabbage is harvested in mid-October. Heads are cut off in cold, dry weather. It is important to have time to do this before frost.
Despite the fact that red cabbage is not afraid of frost, when it falls below subzero temperature, its shelf life is reduced, and integumentary leaves rot.
Having cut off, the head is cleaned, leaving 2-3 integument leaves. In the storage place lay vegetables dried under a canopy and sorted, without signs of disease and pest damage.
For long-term storage, the most dense specimens weighing 2-3 kg are selected, the length of the poker is not less than 2 cm. Heads with roots hanging well under the ceiling of the storehouse are well preserved.
Early varieties with a ripening period of less than 70-100 days are not suitable for long-term storage. They are intended for summer and autumn consumption. Stored no more than 3 months. Medium (120-150 days) and late-ripening (150-180 days) varieties can be stored until spring, and sometimes until summer, without any loss.
Chemical composition, useful properties and contraindications
Red cabbage is rich in vitamins, so the content of vitamins A and C is several times higher than that of white cabbage - 4 and 2 times, respectively. In addition to vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP, H, K and U, the vegetable contains salts of iron, potassium, magnesium.
This is a source of biologically active components. The presence of folic acid contributes to the normal process of hematopoiesis. Phytoncides help with tuberculosis, and anthocyanins increase the elasticity of capillaries, which is used in the prevention of vascular diseases. They neutralize the effects of radiation and prevent the development of bleeding.
There are some restrictions on the use of this vegetable. In diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, gastric ulcer), the use of the product is undesirable, because coarse, difficult to digest fiber can irritate the walls of the stomach.
Where is the vegetable used?
Red cabbage is used mostly fresh for salads, pickled. It is not suitable for pickling, cabbage soup is not cooked from it, the filling for pies is not prepared.
Reviews
Irina, 40 years old, summer resident, Moscow region Calibos is a beautiful and delicious variety. I have been doing this for a long time: in the first days of May, in the sunniest place, I make a bed, where I sow cabbage into grooves. I cover with a double layer of lutrasil. Seedlings grow sturdy. Red-headed is easier to grow, its pests eat less.
Lydia, 60 years old, retired, Biysk. I love red cabbage. My in July, just started to tie heads. The Topaz variety was liked by the fact that large heads of cabbage also grow (about 2 kg) and are perfectly stored. It's great that in cold weather I can make a salad with red cabbage.
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Frost resistance of red cabbage allows cultivating crops in many regions of Russia, and even a beginner gardener can cope with this task. It is important to correctly determine the variety and perform all necessary actions provided for by the agricultural cultivation technique.