Brussels sprouts are popular with experienced gardeners, growing it is quite simple. Of all the known cabbage varieties, this one stands apart. However, in our gardens, it is considered a rarity because of its peculiar capriciousness and low yield. But this is far from the case.
You can grow a vegetable in the country in the open field in the suburbs, plant directly from seed or plant seedlings first.
Table of contents
What is Brussels sprouts
The plant is two years old, it is distinguished by a thick stalk reaching a height of one meter. It is located long-leaf foliage, having a multi-colored blistering surface. The top of the stem is crowned with a leaf rosette.
By the autumn season begin to form small fluffy or dense kochanchiki, resembling a fork of cabbage. Their diameter is two to five centimeters, grows on one stalk from 30 to 70 pieces.
The plant is unpretentious, resistant to frost, the vegetative period is 4-6 months, so that it is recommended to grow the culture by the seedling method.
History of origin
Culture is considered variety of white cabbage, in the wild in nature does not come across. Its predecessor is kale, which grows in the Mediterranean. The Brussels vegetable was bred by Belgian selection specialists, which was the reason for this name.
Over time, the vegetable began to grow in Western Europe, and to the east it fell in the middle of the nineteenth century, but did not catch on because of the difficult climate. But Canadians, Americans and Westerners began to plant culture in industrial quantities.
Beneficial features
This cabbage variety contains:
- cellulose;
- folic acid;
- squirrels;
- vitamins of various groups;
- phosphorus, potash, magnesium, iodine, sodium salts;
- amino acids.
Cabbage is recommended for diets prescribed for children and the elderly. It helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Cabbage juice has a diuretic, choleretic, hematopoietic, anticancer, anti-toxic, anti-inflammatory effect, stabilizes the performance of the pancreas, recommended for diabetics. Cabbage helps with wound healing after surgery.
Vegetable count gourmet food. It is used in the preparation of salads, first courses, side dishes, can marinate and even freeze.
The most popular varieties for growing
The most famous include:
- Garnet bracelet. Excellent against cold weather, yields good yields, ripens four months after transplanting seedlings. The stem grows to seventy centimeters, forms about forty rodents of delicate taste;
- Dolmic. Hybrid Dutch breeders, grows to fifty centimeters. Heads of yellow-green, their weight is about twenty grams. After cooking, become delicate taste;
- Boxer. The high-yielding hybrid plant, perfectly resists diseases and harmful parasites. Heads of rounded shapes, green tint, quite tasty;
- Funny company. Sredneroslaya culture, heads of cabbage dense and very tasty, purple hue;
- Curl. The best and most productive variety bred in the Czech Republic. The height of the stem reaches ninety centimeters, forms a large number of five-centimeter heads.
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- Garnet bracelet
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- Boxer
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- Funny company
How to grow from seed
To obtain strong plants it is recommended to take care of planting material. For prophylactic purposes, the seeds should soak for about 30 minutes in hot water, then cool quickly.
Planting dates
Sow best From mid-March to early April.
Seedling care
After three to five days, the first shoots appear. At this time it is necessary to remove plastic wrap from the boxes, rearrange them to more illuminated places. To seedlings not stretched out, it is recommended to arrange doshodyvanie.
Cabbage Saplings need abundant watering, but do not get carried away, so that the roots do not begin to rot. Soil should be constantly loosento provide oxygen access to the root system.
Feed sprouts should be in the phase of the second - third leaves, using Kemira-Lux. It is necessary to ensure that the composition does not fall on the leaves. The second feeding is done a couple of weeks before transplantation. Urea, copper sulfate, potassium sulfate, and boric acid are used for this.
Picking
It is performed for seedlings that form one true leaf. Picking scheme - "Six by six" centimeters. Before transplantation, seedlings are spilled with a weak manganese solution, then carefully arranged in cups.
Seedling deepened up to a cotyledon leaf. The containers are placed in a shade for a few days, the air should be humid.
Planting Brussels sprouts in open ground
Replant seedlings should be after that when the shoots appear fourth - fifth leaves. As a rule, this moment falls on mid May - mid summer season.
The soil should be fertile, loamy. Preparation of beds should be done in the fall - dig, add lime if necessary. In spring, the place should be fertilized by adding a bucket of compost or humus to the square of the plot.
For planting seedlings, wells are prepared, in each of which a small spoon of urea is laid, two canteens - superphosphate, a pair of glasses of wood ash.
Landing scheme is "Sixty to sixty" centimeters. The sprout rolls over with a lump of earth, powdered, compacted and watered.
Care rules
Cabbage should be fertilized urea and potassium chloride. Feed boric acid, molybdenum and a solution of manganese should be foliar. During the beginning of the formation of the ovary infused bird droppings with the addition of ash in it.
To accelerate the ripening of fruits and increase their weight at the end of the vegetative period, it is recommended to pinch the tip parts of the shoots. One month before harvesting rosette leaves are pruned.
Spud the plant should be careful that the lower heads did not begin to rot. At the same time weeds should be removed. These are the basic rules for care.
Diseases and pests
Spring from the beds is necessary remove weeds cruciferous family, so as not to attract her pests. To scare a cabbage fly beds you can sprinkle with tobacco mixed with ash or lime.
Harvesting and Storage
In autumn, when the leaves turn yellow and fall off, kochanchiki begin to shine characteristically. This suggests that you can start harvesting.
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- Characteristic shine heads - a signal to harvest
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- If you remove the cabbages in the package - they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months
The stem is cut down at the surface of the earth, the remaining leaves are removed. If such a stem with heads are wrapped in a bag, it can be stored in a cool place for about two months. Frozen cabbage lasts up to four months.
It turns out that there is nothing difficult in the cultivation of Brussels sprouts. It remains only to choose the most suitable climate for your region, and you can begin sowing, plant this amazing and tasty plant, which will also look unusual.