Three Signs You're Planting Cabbage Too Early

The seedlings have withered, the leaves have turned yellow, and you are wondering what went wrong?

Most likely, you rushed with planting, and the cabbage fell into a cold trap.

There are three sure signs that will tell you that the time has not yet come. Let's look at them in detail so that you no longer lose your harvest due to haste.

Wet and icy ground

If you stick a shovel into a bed and it pulls out a lump of damp, cold soil, it's best to postpone planting. The University of Minnesota advises waiting until the soil warms up to +10°C at a depth of 10 cm (extension.umn.edu).

In cold soil, cabbage roots cannot develop normally - they either rot from excess moisture or “fall asleep” from low temperatures.

For example, if it rains in April and the temperature stays around +5°C, the seedlings simply will not take root.

How to check? Buy a soil thermometer or use the old-fashioned method: bury your hand in the ground to the depth of a palm - if after a minute your fingers are frozen, the soil is not ready yet.

Wait until the soil dries out and warms up so that the roots begin to grow immediately.

Night frosts

The second warning sign is unstable weather with night frosts. Mature cabbage can withstand temperatures down to -3°C, but young seedlings die at -1°C.

Even if the sun shines during the day and the air warms up to +15°C, the night cold can be fatal. The leaves become brittle, the roots stop working, and the plant either dies or is significantly stunted.

The solution is simple: watch the weather forecast for 7-10 days ahead. Plant seedlings only when the night temperature stays above +5°C for at least a week. If frosts do occur after planting, cover the beds with spunbond or plastic bottles with the bottom cut off - this will save the young plants.

Seedling wilting

The third hint is the condition of the plants after planting. If after 5-7 days the leaves have not straightened out and the seedlings look drooping, then the cold has frozen their development.

This is not always due to watering or diseases - most often, too early planting is to blame. In such conditions, cabbage spends energy not on growth, but on survival, and the heads of cabbage turn out weak.

What to do? Do not rush to plant the seedlings immediately after sowing. Let them get stronger at home or in a greenhouse for 25-30 days until 4-5 true leaves appear. Before planting, harden the plants by taking them outside for an hour, then for half a day.

And most importantly, wait for stable warmth so that the cabbage will immediately start growing.

How to determine the perfect time

• Region : In the Moscow region this is usually mid-May, in the south – the end of April, in the north – the beginning of June.
• Weather : Wait for 3-4 sunny days in a row with air temperature of +15°C and above.
• Lunar calendar : Many gardeners plant cabbage during the waxing moon - it is believed that it takes root better this way.

Don't be tempted to plant ahead of time. Wait until it's warm and the weather is stable, and your heads of cabbage will grow as strong as nuts, without unnecessary losses!