Cabbage Maintenance and Nutrition Guidelines for Gardeners: Essential Advice for Growers
Cabbage Cultivation 101: A Summer's Guide to Fertilizing
Growing cabbage is a favorite pastime among gardening enthusiasts, yet understanding the simple rules of summer fertilization is vital for a mountainous harvest. Let's dive into the fascinating world of providing nutrients to these marvelous plants.
Summer Nutrition Goldmine
In the hot summer months, cabbage craves not just broth, but a blend of macro and microelements. These essential nutrients play a significant role in creating heads, amassing sugars, and lengthening the storage life of the yielded crop.
Fertilizing with Purpose
With a knack for knowing the right stuff, we've compiled an expert guide to fertilizing cabbage during the summer months.
All-Star Nutrients
Nitrogen:A power player in leafy growth, nitrogen is crucial at the beginning of the summer season. However, as the head starts to form, dial back on the nitrogen to halt the production of loose heads.
Phosphorus:Phosphorus fuels root development like a sports car and helps form densely packed heads.
Potassium:Potassium helps create dense heads by inducing the leaves to curl inward. It also ramps up sugar accumulation and improves the crop's storage life.
Boron:Boron packs a punch in boosting head density, reducing the risk of hollow stems, and setting the stage for fewer rot issues.
Calcium:Calcium lends a helping hand in enhancing the taste, storage life, and yield of your cabbage bounty. It also plays a crucial role in enzyme activity and photosynthesis.
Magnesium:This element plays a vital role in enzyme synthesis, nutrient transportation, and taste enhancement.
Vitamin D: Wait, what?Well, not quite. But in the world of plants, it's a vital component called Magnesium, which shares some similarities with Vitamin D in humans.
Signs Your Cabbage Needs a Snack
Lacking one of these essential nutrients can create a tangled web of developmental issues for your beloved cabbage plants. Here's what to look for:
Nitrogen Deficiency:Results in stunted growth and yellow, sometimes blue or red leaves. In severe cases, growth will be slow, and the heads will be underdeveloped.
Phosphorus Deficiency:Causes delayed growth and head formation, with reddish leaves on the underside and dark green leaves with a purple tint on the top. The edges will start to develop dark borders which eventually die.
Potassium Deficiency:Causes leaves to have bronze edges that start to dry out, with brown spots forming on their inner surface. The color of the plant will change to a greenish-blue hue, and the leaf plates will become wavy or wrinkled. Heads will be small and of poor storage quality.
Magnesium Deficiency:Causes the lower leaves to become wrinkled and spotted.
Calcium Deficiency:Results in "burn" at the tips of young leaves, appearing as necrotic spots.
Making Cabbage a Star Performance
To ensure your cabbage shines in the garden spotlight, follow these simple steps:
First Fertilization:This first feeding takes place 10-14 days after transplanting seedlings. Use nitrogenous fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate (20-30g per 10L of water) or urea (15-25g per 10L). Organic options include manure (1:10) or bird droppings (1:15). Apply 0.5L of solution per plant.
Second Fertilization:10-14 days after the first feeding, use complex fertilizers with high nitrogen content or nitrogenous fertilizers with added calcium. For example, use calcium nitrate (10-20g per 10L of water). Apply in the same proportions as in the first feeding.
Third Fertilization:10-14 days or three weeks after the second feeding, use complex preparations containing potassium. Prepare 20-35g of potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, or 10-14g of monopotassium phosphate in 10L of water. If you're growing late varieties, repeat this feeding two weeks later.
Key Rules for Summer Fertilization
- Choose the Right Time: Apply fertilizers during overcast days and evening hours when solar activity is minimal. Make sure the beds are well-watered before application.
- Branching Out: After applying the feed, remove weeds and avoid creating a hard crust on the ground by loosening the soil.
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