Savoy cabbage is cold-resistant and light-loving, it tolerates moisture better, but it has special requirements for the soil. In general, growing Savoy cabbage is similar to growing white cabbage. This plant loves moisture, loosening, feeding, light and space.
In countries with cold climates, savoy cabbage is usually cultivated through seedlings.
Growing seedlings
The time of sowing seeds for seedlings is determined by the variety of cabbage and the climatic characteristics of the place where the cabbage will grow. Early ripening varieties are usually sown in the second decade of March, mid-ripening varieties - from mid-March to mid-April, late ones - in early April. The period before planting seedlings on the beds for this culture is 30-50 days.
The soil for seedlings needs to be soft, but not too loose. The main soil component - peat - should be at least 80%. In addition, sand (about 5%) and sod land (about 20%) should be added to the soil. For each kilogram of soil mixture, it is advisable to add 1 tablespoon of ash - it will serve as both fertilizer and protection from the black leg.
Seeds are planted in containers or individual cups to a depth of 1 cm. Before and after sowing, the soil is abundantly watered and covered with foil. The optimum temperature for seed germination is + 18… + 20 ° C. After 5-7 days, sprouts of Savoy cabbage appear on the surface of the soil, the film is removed and the temperature in the room is maintained at around + 15 ... + 16оC degrees, at night + 8 ... + 10оC degrees. Plants need lighting for at least 12 hours a day. Therefore, before the time comes to dive seedlings, she needs to organize additional lighting. A simple fluorescent lamp can be used for this.
The soil is moistened as the top layer of the soil dries up in small portions. The water temperature for irrigation should be 2-3 degrees higher than the soil temperature. Neither overdrying nor flooding the earth is allowed - the soil must be stably moist. After each watering, the soil needs to be loosened a little so that the water does not stagnate.
After the first shoots have appeared, they are thinned out so that the distance between them is at least 2 cm. After 7-8 days, when the seedlings grow and get stronger, they are dived and planted in cassettes with a distance of 3 cm from each other. You need to deepen the seedlings up to the cotyledons. After another 2 weeks, the seedlings must be transplanted into separate containers with preliminary treatment with a weak solution of copper sulfate or another drug that will help protect the seedlings from fungal diseases. When growing seedlings without picking, the seeds are immediately planted in cups or small pots.
Hardening of seedlings begins 8-10 days before planting in the beds: in the first two days, it is enough to open the window for 3-5 hours in the room where the seedlings are located; then for several days you need to take it out into the street, covering it with gauze from direct sunlight; on the 5-6th day, the frequency of watering should be reduced, but the soil should not be allowed to dry out, and the seedlings should be exposed to the street for the entire time before planting.
Savoy cabbage seedlings need feeding. After picking, ammonium nitrate (2 g), potash fertilizers and superphosphate (4 g), dissolved in 1 liter of water, are used. 2 weeks after picking, feeding is carried out with the same elements, only their concentration increases by 2 times. 2-4 days before planting in open ground, use potash fertilizers (8 g), superphosphate (4-5 g), ammonium nitrate (3 g), diluted in 1 liter of water. You can also use ready-made dressings for vegetable crops.
Agrotechnics
Choosing the right place for growing Savoy cabbage is very important, as it will not only make it easier to care for, but also get a good harvest. Savoy cabbage will grow well in areas where grain or legumes were previously grown, as well as cucumbers, onions, potatoes, beets, and tomatoes.Savoy cabbage should not be grown immediately after turnips, radishes, turnips, radishes, rutabagas, watercress. Also, do not grow Savoy cabbage in one place for more than three years in a row.
Loamy, sandy loam, neutral, soddy-podzolic soils are best suited for growing this crop. Not suitable for growing soil with a high clay content. The place where the cabbage will grow should be well lit and spacious enough. A favorable soil for Savoy cabbage should be low acidity (pH 5.0-5.8). If necessary, dolomite flour is added to the soil in the fall to reduce acidity.
In the fall, it is necessary to prepare the soil for planting: plow deeply, add organic (compost, manure) and mineral (superphosphate, potassium chloride) fertilizers. In the spring, to get a good harvest, the land must be fed with ammonium nitrate.
Savoy cabbage seedlings are usually planted in open ground in May after the threat of return frosts has passed. It is better to plant in cloudy or in the evening. Seedlings by the time of planting in the ground should reach 15-20 cm in height, be dark green, have well-developed roots, not dry stems and 4-7 leaves.
Experienced gardeners recommend sprinkling the plot with dry soil or organic compost (for example, chopped weeds) before planting Savoy cabbage seedlings. This method helps moisture retain better in the soil, and also provides young cabbage with nutrients, protection from weeds and the formation of a hard earth crust.
The holes for planting seedlings are placed at a distance of 40 cm from each other, preferably in a checkerboard pattern to provide future heads of cabbage with more space. The depth of the hole should correspond to the height of the walls of the container in which the seedlings grew. Seedlings are planted, sprinkling with soil to the bottom leaf. At the first time after planting on the beds, young plants need shading.
Watering and hilling
Abundant watering is necessary for Savoy cabbage in June, if the varieties are early ripening, and in August - when growing late-ripening hybrids. Savoy cabbage is watered every day in the first 2-3 weeks after planting, per 1 sq. m. 7-8 liters of water. In the future, the rate is reduced by 1.5 times, and the interval between procedures is maintained at 5-7 days.
To improve air exchange at the roots of Savoy cabbage, the soil must be carefully loosened after each watering. After the head of cabbage has tied up, watering should be carried out exclusively at the root. The ingress of moisture on the inflorescences can cause slimy bacteriosis, which will lead to loss of yield. During dry periods, it is advisable to humidify the air by spraying cabbage several times a day during hot hours. It is not recommended to water the Savoy cabbage at the end of the growing season.
Hilling carried out 3 weeks after disembarkation of seedlings, and then again - after 10 days. Regular weeding is also necessary.
Top dressing. To get a good harvest, Savoy cabbage needs top dressing. Organic substances (manure, compost, humus), as well as wood ash are used as top dressing. Top dressing is applied throughout the growing season. During planting, 1 teaspoon of ash and urea is added to the hole. 2 weeks after planting the seedlings on the beds, they are fed with mullein and urea, which are diluted in water (0.5 l of mullein and 1 teaspoon of urea per 10 l of water). Then, 12 days after the last feeding, a solution of nitroammofoska is introduced (2 tablespoons are diluted in 10 liters of water).
Nitrogen compounds affect the growth of cabbage, helping to gain vegetative mass and form a head. The lack of nitrogen is signaled by yellowed lower leaves, which then die off. Potassium deficiency affects the color of the leaves and causes them to dry out at the edges. The lack of potassium is replenished with potassium fertilizers during watering.In no case should you overfeed Savoy cabbage with phosphorus fertilizers, as this stimulates early flowering.
Protection from pests and diseases
The main pests of cabbage: caterpillars, scoops, cabbage fly, fleas, aphids. In order not to lose crops, you should regularly inspect Savoy cabbage for their appearance and immediately take measures to eliminate pests using appropriate drugs and methods. To prevent the appearance of diseases and pests, savoy cabbage is powdered with wood ash at the rate of 1 glass of ash per 1 sq. m. Against fungal infections, planting should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. However, the main danger for Savoy cabbage is over-watering, which contributes to the development of diseases such as blackleg. For its treatment, you can fertilize the soil with a solution of "Fundazol".
Harvesting and storage of crops
Early varieties of Savoy cabbage are harvested in late June - mid-July, mid-season ones - in August, late ones - in mid-October until frost.
Savoy cabbage is stored somewhat worse than white cabbage. Shelf life in the cellar of the harvest at a temperature of + 1 ... + 3 ° C is 3 months, but only late-ripening varieties are suitable for these purposes. They store it on shelves or in boxes, arranged in one row.
Because Savoy cabbage does not tolerate transportation well, it is not as common on the market as cabbage or red cabbage. But you can easily grow it yourself on your site. It is enough just to remember about the peculiarities of this plant, to grow seedlings competently and to carry out regular care in the open field.
