In most regions of our country, cabbage can be grown only through seedlings. The reason for this is one of the properties of this garden crop - its demand for light. Cabbage - both white and red - is a plant of a long light day. For successful fruiting it needs lighting for at least 13-14 hours. And since planting cabbage, especially early maturing, in an open ground to satisfy this requirement does not work, the ideal solution is to sow it on seedlings.
Dates of planting of early cabbage on seedlings
First of all, the right choice of variety is important. Decide what you need this vegetable for - pickling, drinking in winter fresh or preparing summer vitamin salads? Thus, choose which sort of cabbage you better plant - early- or mid-season or late. The first is good for the prevention of spring avitaminosis - grown by May-June in a greenhouse, such a cabbage will weigh no more than 1.5 kg. Late varieties are optimal for long-term storage, and medium-ripening varieties are for eating and pickling.
If you chose the early cabbage, know that it is very important to plant it on time. Seedling should be able to germinate and grow stronger before landing in the ground, otherwise the whole sense of such early growing is lost. So, the planting dates for early and early-spring cabbage for seedlings in the middle belt range from March 1 to 28. It is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions in your region, as well as the probability of late (recurrent) frosts. It is better to slightly overexploit the seedlings, but do not allow it to freeze, or plant before, but under cover.
Another way to determine the planting of early cabbage for seedling in the apartment is to plan the date of its subsequent landing in the ground. Proceeding from this, expect that the seeds usually shoot after 10-12 days after sowing, and sprouting usually takes no more than 50-55 days.
Many truck farmers pay attention to the lunar calendar, according to which there are favorable and unfavorable days of planting of early cabbage on seedlings and in the ground. The sowing calendar varies from year to year, depending on the phases of the moon in specific periods.