Valentine cabbage

Valentine's cabbage is gaining more and more popularity among gardeners. This hybrid can be stored for a long time after harvest. The heads of cabbage are quite dense and heavy, resistant to infections.

The Valentine's hybrid was bred by breeders Monakhos G.F., Kryuchkov A.V., Patsuria D.V. at the Timofeev N.N. station of Timiryazev University. It was officially registered in 2004. This variety was created for cultivation in the territory of central Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia.

Valentina cabbage is popular with farmers and gardeners because of its high yield and density of cabbages. About 40 kg of cabbage grows from 10 planted seeds. You can plant 4-5 plants per meter. The weight of each head of cabbage is approximately 3.2-3.8 kg. Properly stored, good quality can last up to 8 months.

The ripening time of cabbage is six months, from sowing the seeds to full ripening. Cabbage is planted with seedlings grown indoors.

The upper leaves of the head are directed upwards, they are grayish-green, with a visible waxy bloom. There is a noticeable leg. In the context of the head of cabbage is white, dense and juicy, does not crack when ripe, the diameter is from 50 to 60 cm. The taste is sweetish, without bitterness. The inner stump is short. The crop is easy to transport.

White cabbage of the Valentine variety can lie for a long time, retaining its taste. The high sugar content gives a pleasant sweet taste. Even after long-term storage, it is used fresh for making salads.

Sauerkraut is healthier than fresh cabbage: it contains more vitamins and minerals. It retains useful properties for up to 10 months. Valentine's hybrid with dense juicy heads of cabbage is better than others for preparing a fermented product.

Growing Valentine's cabbage, you need to understand that the time from planting to ripening can be up to 180 days. This is a late variety.

On the packages with seeds, the sowing dates are indicated on March 13-15, but in fact, the seedlings are planted in April. Seedlings are planted in open ground in a month and a half. Good quality shoots have dark green rosettes. At first, the seedlings can be covered at night, but they can withstand slight frosts. Cabbage fully ripens in the second half of October.

Under good natural conditions, the yield of this variety from one hectare can reach up to 800 centners per hectare, the average yield is 680 centners / ha. If grown in a garden, then after simple calculations it turns out about 16-18 kg / m2. For a good harvest, you need a lot of light and an air temperature of +18 and above.

The seeds of the variety do not always germinate well. Before germination, you can treat them with means that stimulate growth: a weak solution of potassium permanganate, melt water, plant hormones, humate. You can germinate seeds before planting in the ground. They must be spread between two layers of thick cotton cloth, and then wet. You need to check regularly to prevent the appearance of long roots, which will be damaged during planting.

The soil for seedlings needs loose and fertile soil. You can buy it, or you can do it yourself: mix the earth with humus, add mulch and wood ash.To protect against diseases and fungi that persist in the soil, it must be ignited or spilled with boiling water. You need to sow to a depth of 1 cm, with a distance between seeds of 5 cm or in special pots. After planting, the container should be covered with foil, placed in a warm room.

When shoots appear, the containers need to be rearranged to a cooler room. The air temperature should not exceed +15. If the seedlings are left warm, they will stretch out and become unstable. Watering is necessary every three days, but only if the topsoil is dry: Valentina does not like waterlogging. Feeding can be done, but this is not necessary. 7-10 days before transplanting into open ground, the seedlings are exposed to the sun, provided that the weather is warm.

Cabbage cannot be grown in one place every year. Two years in a row are still allowed, but after that a break of three years is needed. The place should be sunny, in the shade the cabbage does not ripen. Three hours before transplanting, the seedlings are well watered. They are planted directly from the ground, being careful not to damage the roots. The holes must be dug, spilled and fertilized in advance, at a distance they must be placed 70 cm from each other.

The first days after transplanting seedlings, it is better to cover cabbage from direct sunlight, watering once every three days. Then you can water once a week. Once the plants have taken root, the hybrid does not require much maintenance.

• Regular watering. However, in the heat, you cannot water a lot at once, the heads of cabbage may crack. Watering is stopped about 20 days before harvesting.
• Hilling occurs when the outer stump is exposed.
• Loosening and weeding: After each watering, the soil must be loosened so that it does not dry out. It is worth cutting out the weeds right away.
• Top dressing is carried out two or three times during the summer. The first time they feed when the heads of cabbage form. You need to feed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers: superphosphate, ammophoska. Potassium helps to form a strong head of cabbage, and phosphorus promotes long storage. Valentina is not fed in the fall.

Valentine cabbage prefers neutral soil. The soil must be checked before planting. If there are signs of increased acidity, liming is necessary. Dolomite flour can be used.

For a good harvest in autumn or spring, it is worth adding manure or compost with ash (1.5 buckets per 1 m2) to the cabbage planting site.

Immediately after transplanting into open ground, the seedlings should be sprinkled with ash or tobacco dust, you can pour it with a solution of garlic. This will help protect the plants from cruciferous flea beetles.Remove any debris from under the cabbage that might hide the slugs. Dry needles under the heads of cabbage also help from them. Caterpillars and butterflies must be collected by hand. To protect against diseases, it is enough to prevent soil oxidation and do not water with cold water.

Harvesting is best in sunny weather. Dig up the plant with the root, you can cut it off, leaving a 3 cm leg. Tear off the lower leaves and spread the cabbage to dry in the shade for 5 days. Only undamaged heads of cabbage can be stored.