Brussels Sprouts: Growing Seedlings, Care, Fertilization And Feeding

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

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Growing seedlings of Brussels sprouts

Seedlings of Brussels sprouts are grown in the same way as white cabbage. Before sowing seeds on a school, it is recommended to treat them with microelements (boron, copper, manganese). To do this, they are soaked in solutions of preparations of these elements or sprayed from a spray bottle with solutions of boric acid - 0.1-0.5 g / l, copper sulfate - 0.01-0.05 g / l, manganese sulfate - 0.5-1 g / l.

Seeds for seedlings are sown on March 25-April 10 in greenhouses, small-sized film shelters or greenhouses. In the beds, the distance between the rows is 5-6 cm. Seedlings are grown in a pot method or without pots, with or without a pick. When picking, laborious work - thinning of seedlings - disappears. In addition, low-quality plants are discarded during the pick. In addition, seedlings can be grown in a warmer environment by using a well-lit, cool windowsill.

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The thickness of the soil poured on top of biofuel in a greenhouse or greenhouse when growing potless seedlings should be at least 15 cm, and preferably 18-20. When installing pots for picking on the surface of the beds, the soil layer can be 6-8 cm. Obtaining high-quality seedlings is associated with observing the correct temperature and humidity regime when growing it. The microclimate parameters for growing seedlings of Brussels sprouts are the same as for white cabbage. The preparation of seedlings for planting: hardening, pre-planting watering, selection and rejection of low-quality plants is carried out in the same way as in white cabbage.

Seedlings are planted in the second or third decade of May. In the conditions of the North-West, it is placed on flat ridges or ridges. This reduces the effect of waterlogging and improves the thermal regime of the soil. In more southern areas, a flat surface is used. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 70x70 cm. A more thickened planting is done in very fertile areas using irrigation. The rules for planting seedlings are the same as for white cabbage.

Brussels sprouts care

A week after planting the dead plants in the field, they make manual replanting of seedlings from the one that was left in reserve, with preliminary loosening of the holes and watering. One of the most important measures for caring for the plantings of Brussels sprouts, like other types of cabbage, is inter-row cultivation. Its purpose is to control weeds and maintain a loose soil in order to create a favorable water and air regime for the growth and development of plants.

Up to six loosening is carried out over the summer. It is very important to carry out the first loosening in a timely manner, because when planting, the soil is usually very compacted (you need to mark the bed, water it, spread the seedlings, close it up). Delay in loosening leads to stunted growth of cabbage and to increased plant loss, especially on heavy soils. The first loosening is done immediately after planting potted seedlings, when planting potless - no later than 3-5 days. Hilling of Brussels sprouts is not carried out, because this plant forms the largest heads of cabbage in the axils of the lower leaves, so they cannot be covered with soil.

Fertilizers and fertilizing of Brussels sprouts

If, when planting seedlings, fertilizers were applied from the hole, then post-planting (after 10-15 days) feeding is not recommended. Top dressing has a positive effect on increasing yields, which is timed to the phase of the beginning of the formation of heads of cabbage. On well-fertilized soils, you can limit yourself only to post-plant nitrogen fertilization, and at the beginning of the formation of heads of cabbage - potash fertilizers. On soddy-podzolic soils, where fertility is relatively low, usually in the first feeding of Brussels sprouts, the following amount of nutrients per 1 m2 is applied according to the active principle: nitrogen - 2-3 g (5-10 g of ammonium nitrate or urea), phosphorus -1, 5-2 g (7-15 g of superphosphate) and 2-3 g of potassium (5 g of potassium chloride or sulfate).

At the first top dressing, fertilizers are placed on the sides at a distance of 8-10 cm from the plants and to a depth of 8-10 cm. The second top dressing is applied: nitrogen 2.5-3.5 g / m2 (7-12 g of ammonium nitrate or urea), phosphorus - 2-2.5 g (7-15 g superphosphate) and 3-4 g / m2 potassium (7-10 g of potassium chloride). They are placed in the middle of the row spacing to a depth of 10-15 cm. For top dressing, you can use complex mineral fertilizers: azofoska, ekofoska, nitrophoska, Kemira and others, and then add the missing nutrients with simple fertilizers. When manually sowing dry fertilizers, they should be immediately embedded in the soil with a hoe, therefore, fertilizing is done before loosening the row spacings.

For the first feeding, you can successfully use an aqueous solution of mullein (1:10), slurry diluted (1: 3) with water, bird droppings (1:10) or weed leaves fermented during the week (1: 3). 1-1.5 l of the nutrient mixture is poured under each plant. After liquid feeding, the plants must be washed with clean water so that there are no burns on the leaves. After the liquid has been absorbed from the soil, loosening must be done in order to retain moisture. On individual sites, it is useful to do liquid dressing.

Brussels sprouts, even in the North-West, should be watered 2-3 times over the summer, and in the central regions of the Non-Black Earth Zone, the number of irrigations is increased to 3-5.

To stimulate the growth of heads of cabbage, to increase their marketability, to accelerate the harvest of Brussels sprouts, the apical bud is removed. Carrying out apex is especially important when growing late-ripening varieties. Although in cold years it gives positive results everywhere even in early maturing varieties. In late August and early September (one month before harvest), the apical bud is removed. Then the nutrients are directed to the lateral buds, the heads of cabbage ripen faster, and their size increases significantly. If punching is carried out at a later date, then, in addition to the apical bud, the upper part of the stem with poorly developed axillary buds is removed.

Harvesting Brussels sprouts

It begins when the heads of cabbage reach economic suitability. More early ripening varieties of Brussels sprouts with amicable ripening of heads of cabbage can be harvested at one time, and later ones are harvested in 2-3 times. To do this, about a week before harvesting, the leaves are removed from the cabbage, and they are completely removed from the once harvested plants, trying not to damage the heads of cabbage. If harvesting is done in several stages, the leaves are removed each time from that part of the stem on which harvesting is supposed to be done, starting from the base of the stump. With a single harvest, the stems with heads of cabbage are cut down at the base. The formed heads of cabbage are cut out or broken out. In favorable weather, the entire harvest in September-October is done in the field.

Under unfavorable conditions (with the onset of constant frosts of about -5 ° C), cut plants are removed for temporary storage in cool covered rooms, where they are stored for 2-3 weeks. Cutting of heads of cabbage is done from these plants gradually, as needed. To prolong the consumption of fresh Brussels sprouts, you can remove the plants from the roots and, after trimming the leaves (except for the top ones), dig them into greenhouses or greenhouses, from where you can gradually remove and cut the heads.

You can dug Brussels sprouts into the sand in the basement to cover the roots. In stored plants, dying leaf petioles should be removed promptly. The temperature in the room where Brussels sprouts are stored is maintained at about 0 ° C with a relative humidity of 92-98%. In such conditions, it is stored until January. You can keep the cabbage heads in the basement for 20-30 days. To do this, select the hardest, with tight-fitting leaves, healthy heads of cabbage, place them in small boxes (with a capacity of 2-3 kg).

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