Although cabbage is generally considered a cold-resistant plant, it is highly adaptable and can survive in environments ranging from minus 6 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius. Cabbage has a gorgeous color and is known to be rich in vitamins and minerals in the cabbage family. Here’s how to grow kale in your own garden.
Illustrated tutorial on growing cabbage. This DIY tutorial includes: preparation, sowing, transplanting, care and harvesting. If you want to learn how to grow cabbage, check out this illustrated tutorial on growing cabbage. Learn the tutorial!
Preparation
- 1Choose varieties suitable for the local climate. Cabbage is usually classified according to the shape of its leaves. Although the growing season may be long or short, most cabbage can be harvested 45-75 days after transplanting into the soil.
- Curly Kale, with a slightly sweet taste, is one of the most common varieties of cabbage, with curled and wrinkled leaves.
- Dino Kale (Lacinato/Dino Kale) has slender leaves and wrinkles on the surface.
- Premier Kale is famous for its strong cold tolerance and ultra-fast growth rate.
- Siberian Kale, as its name suggests, is the most cold-hardy of all varieties and is also extremely insect-resistant.
- Red Russian Kale has curled, purple-red leaves, and its insect resistance is comparable to that of Siberian green cabbage.
- Purple kale (Redbor Kale), a brightly colored purple-red cabbage, is very suitable for side dishes.
- Walking Stick Kale The stems are up to 183 cm tall and shaped like a walking stick, hence its name.
- 2Find a flower pot or a garden plot.No matter where you plant, each plant Cabbage requires a space of 15 cm square. When planting cabbage in autumn, it should be placed in a place with sufficient visibility. When planting cabbage in spring, it should be placed in a slightly shaded place.
- Don’t plant in a low-lying area where water can accumulate. If you can’t find land with good drainage, build a garden bed in your garden.
- Use cedar wood to build planting beds because cedar wood will not rot when exposed to moisture.
- 3Test the soil. The optimal pH value of the land for growing cabbage should be between 5.5-6.8. Make sure the soil you use to grow cabbage meets the requirements. Sand or clay soil detracts from the taste of the cabbage and can also reduce its immunity.
- If the soil pH is below 5.5, sprinkle some compost or combine with potting soil to increase the alkalinity.
- If the pH is above 6.8, sprinkle some granular sulfur to increase the acidity.
- 4Understand the appropriate planting time. If you plan to plant indoors, sow seeds 5-7 weeks before the last frost; if planting outdoors, plant seeds 2-4 weeks before the last frost in the fall or the first frost Sow seeds within the first 10 weeks.
- When cabbage seeds germinate, the temperature must be above 4 degrees Celsius.
- Cabbage will be healthier if it germinates in an environment above 21 degrees Celsius.
Sowing
- 1Mix fertilizer and soil in a flower pot of at least 15 cm square. Try to use organic fertilizer and vegetable fertilizer.Cale especially likes fish essence and liquid fertilizer.
- 2In addition, you can also apply fertilizer and mix the soil while sowing. Remember, if you are planting outside in the garden, be sure to sow seeds 2-4 weeks before the last frost.
- If you sow seeds directly, make sure they are buried 1 cm deep and the seeds should be about 7 cm apart.
- If the seeds are sown too tightly, the kale will be crowded together as it grows. So try to spread them as sparsely as possible. If you find that the spacing is too large, you can plant a few more trees in the middle.
- 3The seeds should be buried 1 cm deep in the soil. After planting, gently pat the soil flat and cover the seeds.
- 4Water thoroughly. While the seeds are growing, wait for the surface soil to dry before each watering.
- 5You can transplant the cabbage when it reaches a height of 7-10 cm. At this time, the cabbage has grown at least 4 complete leaves. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for the cabbage to grow to this stage.
Transplanting
- 1Spread a thin layer of fertilizer evenly over the planting area. Depending on the type of fertilizer, the amount required varies. For mulch and compost, you need to spread it a few centimeters thick; for seaweed powder or rock powder, only a thin layer is enough.
- 2Transplant the kale from the pot to the garden. If its a plastic pot, simply tap the edge of the pot. If you buy ready-made kale sprouts, just peel off the plastic covering.
- 3Dig several 30cm*38cm holes with your hands or a small shovel. How deep should the pit be? Generally, after putting the cabbage seedlings in, the soil should be able to reach the first layer of leaves. If you are planting several rows, make sure there is 45-60cm between each row.
- 4Plant the cabbage seedlings into the hole, and the soil should just cover the first layer of leaves. Pump the soil firmly, no matter what shape the roots are, make sureKeep the cabbage seedlings vertical to the ground.
- 5Water thoroughly.
Care and Harvest
- 1The soil should be kept moist. The frequency of watering should be determined according to the sufficient amount of light. Sometimes watering is required every day.
- 2During the growth period of cabbage, fertilize every 6-8 weeks. Fertilization helps kale grow healthily and produce strong, sweet-flavored leaves.
- 3If you find that the leaves begin to rot or fade, be sure to apply a little mulch fertilizer. However, when applying mulch fertilizer, the cabbage must be 15 cm high. Mulch prevents leaves from getting moldy due to wet soil.
- 4Faded, withered leavesPrune them as soon as they appear. This reduces the chance of pest infestation.
- 5It can be harvested 70-95 days after sowing or 55-75 days after transplanting. The cabbage should be at least 20 cm high at this time. Remember, the harvest time depends on the variety of cabbage, so be sure to check the time before harvesting.
- If you are only picking a few leaves, peel off the outermost layer first.
- If you want to pick a whole cabbage, you need to cut off more than 5 cm in one go, so that the cabbage can continue to grow.
- After the cabbage grows, do not leave it unharvested, otherwise the cabbage leaves will grow bitter and hard as they grow.
- 6Enjoy!
Tips
- Homegrown cabbage is particularly resistant to fungi and bacteria.
- Cale can be eaten raw, steamed, stewed, boiled, sautéed, roasted or even fried.
- Kale can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.
Warning
- Don’t plant kale next to beans, strawberries, or tomatoes.
- Pests that infest cabbage include: diamondback moth larvae, gray cabbage aphids, cabbage butterfly larvae, snails and slugs.
Extended reading:
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