Reasons why cabbage is not tied
Causes
In order to eliminate cabbage looseness, you need to understand the reasons for this phenomenon.
There may be several of them:
- You were wrong with the planting time - early varieties should be planted no later than March 10th.
- We purchased low quality seeds. If you cross a seed plant with its brothers in the family, you get a hybrid from which cabbage will grow, which will not be tied into heads of cabbage. Therefore, you should be careful when purchasing seeds. The presence of a beautiful picture or photo on the package is not an indicator of high quality.
- Vegetables suffer from a lack of sunlight. This can explain why they strive for the sky, and do not tie heads of cabbage. Of course, you cannot dig up and transfer the cabbage to a different, more illuminated place. But you can thin out the beds so that it is not cramped.
- Given this factor, next time you should be more responsible when choosing a planting site. After all, if corn or sunflowers grow near the cabbage, they will cast a shadow on the undersized heads of cabbage. Here you have to decide for yourself which vegetables are more expensive for you.
- Cabbage lacks trace elements. If you want to get a rich harvest, then remember that vegetables need a lot of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and trace elements. Remember that plants can only assimilate them when dissolved. Therefore, if the summer turned out to be hot and poor in the rains, then feed the vegetables not with dry approvals, but dissolve them and serve them liquid. But in this matter, the main thing is to observe the measure. After all, an overdose of fertilizers also adversely affects the formation of heads of cabbage. Too rich feeding will provoke abundant growth of tops, and the heads themselves will not form.
- Unfavorable weather conditions. Why? If the air temperature is too high, then a huge amount of water comes out of the leaves. Thus, vegetables cool themselves and save them from death. But this process slows down the formation of heads of cabbage. The reason for the discrepancy can also be a sharp change in the weather. Of course, frosts will not contribute to the emergence of heads of cabbage either. The optimum temperature for the development of vegetables is 17-18 degrees.
- Excess or lack of moisture. You should know that vegetables need moisture most of all when the rosette of leaves forms. Remember that cabbage is a cold-hardy crop. That is why vegetables do not feel good in hot summer. Water the soil abundantly to help the cabbage grow into the head.
- Soil type. If you planted vegetables on acidic soils, then the head strings may not wait. Remember that the soil in which you plant your plants must be well calcareous. Before planting seedlings, it must also be fertilized.
- Loosening of the soil - this factor also affects the set of heads.
Tips
What to do if the cabbage does not stick to the head of cabbage? Some gardeners advise to break off the lower leaves. It is believed that then the process of head formation will accelerate. But this method cannot be said to guarantee a 100% effect. Moreover, many argue that this is not worth doing at all, because you can harm the plant. Why? The fact is that cabbage leaves nourish the whole vegetable, and the future cabbage head is no exception.
Maybe your cabbage just doesn't have enough nutrition? Then fertilization with calcium nitrate can solve the problem with loose heads. It can also help when planting vegetables in acidic soils.
Remember that in August it is highly undesirable to use nitrogen fertilizers for feeding.
But such drugs as "Ovary" and "Mikrassa" can give an impetus to the formation of heads of cabbage, as they easily eliminate the deficiency of useful elements in the soil.
If the summer is hot, then you can tie cabbage leaves "in a bud". Then the head of cabbage will be born much faster. The cabbage may not be tied simply due to lack of moisture. After all, one plant per day can evaporate a bucket of water. Therefore, a lot depends on how you water the cabbage. For every ten square meters of the garden bed, up to 35 liters of water should be poured using the sprinkler method. In this case, one and a half times more water must be poured into the furrows. On hot days, you need to water the vegetables frequently. But remember that if your plans include storing cabbage for the winter, then from the beginning of autumn watering should be limited.
As you can see, if you arm yourself with knowledge and perseverance, you can easily solve the problem of not tying heads of cabbage. And then your efforts will not be in vain.
Video "How to grow cabbage"
Why cabbage heads crack and why cabbage heads are not tied.