Cabbage picking is carried out when it is necessary to defuse the plantings so that each of the seedlings receives a sufficient amount of nutrients, air and water. Cauliflower sprouts, broccoli, white cabbage and Savoy varieties often need picking.
What is a cabbage pick for?
A pick of plants is a transplant of seedlings in different containers. Accordingly, each sprout will continue to develop to open ground in a new individual place.
Placing a plant in different capacities has a number of pluses and minuses, we will analyze them in order.
The advantages of picking cabbage seedlings:
- plants get more components necessary for life;
- the old soil mixture is changing to new soil;
- landing area is saved. Only strong and healthy seedlings grow on the site;
- picking helps get rid of diseased specimens.
Is it possible to grow seedlings of cabbage without a pick?
Some summer residents argue that any plant can be grown without this event. It is only necessary to immediately plant the plants away from each other, so that during growth they do not interfere, and fully eat.
Disadvantages of picking:
- Damage to the root system. Even the most minimal and harmless operation with the roots can harm them. Sprouts are then restored for a very long time, and sometimes they simply die. Pikivka accordingly inhibits the growth of seedlings.
- Side roots develop. During an incorrectly made pick, the root is damaged, and unnecessary side shoots begin to appear from it. The main pivot in development stops, and transplantation is necessary as often as possible.
- Expensive and long. It is expensive to purchase individual cups and special soil for pickled cabbage, and it takes a lot of time. Especially this item applies to cabbage, which is grown in a warm climate. In these areas, plants do not need transplants, and you can do without growing seedlings. Planting material is sown directly in open soil.
When to dive cabbage seedlings?
Any variety of this vegetable crop is dived when real leaves form on it. For example, color is transplanted after 7-10 days after sowing seeds, by this time 2 sheets will appear on it. The same applies to white varieties. Kohlrabi and broccoli are planted in pots when 3 leaves appear on them.
The real benefit is only the correct and timely pick-up, since seedlings are often damaged and die during this process.
Follow the lunar calendar, vegetables are recommended to dive in the 1st or 2nd quarter. Do not carry out this procedure under the sign of Aquarius.
Soil preparation
Plants can be transplanted only after pre-treatment of planting material. For this purpose, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Soil before transplanting seedlings is prepared in 2 weeks. Excellent results are obtained by this mixture: black soil and wood sawdust. Its properties are improved with the help of such elements:
- ammonium nitrate (5 g per 5 l of water);
- superphosphate (6 g per 5 l of water);
- lime (12 g per 5 l of water);
- potassium nitrate (3 g per 5 l of water).
These funds are dissolved in water and watered beds: 150-200 ml per plant.
If you don’t have the opportunity to process cabbage in this way, then just pour it with water before picking. Moisture “connects” the roots a little, they will be shrouded in earth and will not be damaged during transplantation.
Dive methods and step-by-step recommendations for them
After watering the plants, it is necessary to prepare all the necessary tools for the procedure. You can use a simple spoon or a small spatula. Gardeners have been familiar with picking for many years, so there are many methods for its implementation. Consider the main ones.
In one capacity
You can transplant a culture in one container. Use a wooden crate or a small basin. Pour the soil so that about 2 cm remain to the sides of the container. Prepare the mixture with your own hands, take the earth from the garden, ash and river sand. If there is no opportunity to do this, then buy ready-made soil for cabbage seedlings in the store.
In the ground, there may be spores of pathogenic organisms so that they do not harm your plants, treat it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It will completely disinfect the soil.
Take the seedlings very carefully from the first container and carefully transfer the cabbage into the small recesses in the new container. Soil around transplanted plants. The main requirement for a new container is to make a distance of at least 8 cm from the edges of the box and other seedlings, then the cabbage will feel good and in the future will begin to receive the amount of useful elements that it needs.
In plastic cups
In order for the seedling to feel comfortable, it is necessary to choose a container of at least 5 cm in diameter, otherwise the roots will begin to develop incorrectly. For this purpose, gardeners use ordinary plastic cups or very thick bags. At the bottom of the container, make holes to release excess moisture. The composition of the soil mixture does not differ from the previous method.
The only, but significant drawback of the method is that during plant transplantation into open soil or a greenhouse, it is very easy to damage the roots. Therefore, if possible, then choose a larger container. If there is no possibility, then during the transplant, cut the cups and remove the sprouts without damage.
You can clearly see how cabbage seedlings dive into plastic cups in the following video:
In peat cups
It is considered one of the most common methods of picking cabbage. The difference from plastic is that the peat tank disintegrates very quickly, so you can plant seedlings in the same glass in the same cup, then you will not only protect the sprouts of cabbage, but also feed the soil.
Peat containers choose the same small size (about 7 cm). Sprinkle the soil mixture and leave a little free space. Water the soil in which you will plant seedlings, and dig in the recesses so that the soil reaches the lower leaves of the plant.
Peat cups are the best capacity for picking vegetables.
In polyethylene
This method is applicable not only for seedlings of cabbage, but also for other plants. Take dense polyethylene and cut it into pieces with dimensions of 0.1 * 0.15 m. Summer residents like this method because it is not particularly difficult to carry out, and also saves a lot of space that sprouts of cabbage occupy.
The algorithm for transplanting seedlings into polyethylene:
- Lay out the polyethylene.
- Place some fertilized soil in the upper corner.
- Lay a sprout of cabbage on top of the ground so that the lower leaves are higher than polyethylene.
- Sprinkle the root system of seedlings with soil.
- Make an envelope from polyethylene: put the lower corner on the sprout with the ground and fold it.
- Fasten the envelope with tape.
Fold all envelopes in one big box or box and place in a sunny and warm place, you can use the windowsill. If there is not enough natural light, install additional fluorescent lamps.
In the "diaper"
There is a method of growing seedlings that does not require further diving. First you need to grow seedlings in a certain way. The algorithm for growing cabbage seedlings using film and paper is as follows:
- Cut the film into strips about 0.1 m wide.
- Place newsprint on top.
- Spray it a little with water.
- Place the seeds, 4 cm apart, on paper.
- Cover the seed with a layer of paper, then with a film.
- Twist the structure with a roll and place in a glass of plastic with water at the very bottom.
- Cover with a cloth and place in a warm place.
The method helps to quickly grow sprouts from seed, a sufficient amount of space remains between the plants, and after the appearance of 2 sprouts, the plants can already be transplanted into open soil, but if cabbage is grown in the southern region.
This method can also be used by residents of the northern climate, however, after 2-3 real leaves appear on the seedlings, they still need to be dived into individual containers.
The method of using the "diaper" has several advantages:
- space is saved;
- no need to prepare special land for seed germination;
- with a secondary pick, the roots are not injured;
- seedlings are 100% protected from bacteria;
- at the initial stage, you can get rid of weak seeds, which in the future would not bring a crop.
Cons of picking in the film:
- very slow growth of seedlings;
- re-picking is often necessary.
How to sow cabbage seeds in a “diaper”, so that then you can dive seedlings without problems, is described in the video below:
Care for cabbage seedlings after a dive
Growing plants after picking has a number of nuances and features. First of all, this concerns the care of seedlings. Cabbage can get sick and die.
The main thing that seedlings need at the moment is fertilizing. The first top dressing is carried out after the appearance of the first leaves on the plants. To do this, dilute 15 g of urea in 5 liters of water.
The second fertilizer application is carried out approximately 2 weeks before the seedlings are planted in open soil. Use chicken droppings and water (1: 2). You can replace this tool with a solution of potassium chloride (5 g per 5 liters of water). After a dive, the plants should grow and develop quickly, if the seedlings wither, then feed them again with a weak solution of urea.
Features picking different types of cabbage
Cabbage picking is carried out for the same purpose, it is carried out almost identically for all types of culture, but some features can be highlighted.
White varieties
Duration of picking directly depends on the time of sowing seeds, it is impossible to pull over time, otherwise the sprouts will take root worse in open soil. Before sowing, planting material must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate in order to avoid the appearance of pathogenic organisms.
Before the first shoots appear, maintain the temperature at + 20 ... + 22 degrees Celsius, regularly water the seedlings. Perform picking after forming 2 true leaves on plants. Do not transplant weak copies, leave only strong and healthy.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is almost always grown using seedlings. Until the shoots appear, withstand the temperature at +20 degrees Celsius. After their appearance, gradually reduce it to +9 degrees so that crops are strengthened. After a week, increase again to +12 degrees and keep it at that level for 1.5 weeks.
Pike in a week after sowing the seeds. Use peat pots as containers, since cauliflower has a weak root system and can be damaged in a couple of incorrect movements during the transplant.
During this process, place the seedlings in the ground until the cotyledon leaves, then add the mulch in the form of wood ash. Planted in open soil in rows, keeping a distance of at least 0.7 m for varieties of early ripening and 0.9 m for varieties of late ripening. Leave about 0.3 m between the plants.
Broccoli
Summer residents recommend not picking this type of cabbage, since the roots are very fragile. It is better to grow plants in a large box so that seedlings can be transplanted directly into open ground (2 months after sowing).
Transplant seedlings in the evening on a rainy day. Make holes in rows, between which leave a distance of at least 0.5 m.
Kohlrabi
Sow seeds for seedlings no later than March 15. Lay planting material in a prepared substrate of earth, sand and peat. Before the formation of the first sprouts, keep the temperature at +20 degrees Celsius, then reduce to +10 degrees. After 1.5 weeks, set the indicator at + 16 ... + 18 degrees. After the formation of the 1st leaf, you can pick.
Cabbage picking is not a mandatory event, but it is better to carry it out. After transplanting the plants into individual pots, the seedlings will feel better, they will begin to receive enough nutritional components, and in the future they will thank you with a rich and tasty crop.