Brussels sprouts cannot be confused with any other. At the end of ripening, the long, meter-long stem is tightly covered with small heads of cabbage, which are convenient to stew or pickle whole. Since the crop is very specific, gardeners naturally wonder how to care for it, including whether to pick off the leaves of Brussels sprouts or not.

General information about Brussels sprouts agricultural technology

This species has a very long growing period, about 180 days. But Brussels sprouts are the most frost-resistant - standing adult plants can easily tolerate frosts down to minus 6–7 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the time for sowing seeds for seedlings is the end of March - the beginning of April. And not in room conditions, and in greenhouse soil: seedlings do not develop well in the house.

Transplant seedlings to permanent place maybe in two months. Plants are planted according to a pattern of approximately 60x60, 60x70 cm, deepening to the lower leaves.

Caring for cabbage is quite simple. The first feeding is carried out after the seedlings have taken root, on the 10–20th day, with nitrogen fertilizers. It is important not to overdo it so that the cabbage does not disappear into the leaf. The second feeding is when tying heads of cabbage, you can use potassium fertilizers.

Brussels sprouts love moisture; in hot and dry weather they need to be watered especially often. Loosen after watering. The culture is also quite light-loving and does not tolerate wind well. It is advisable to tie up the grown stems.

Important! There is no need to hill up the plants.

The crop is harvested in the fall, at the end of September - November. In this case, they focus on the ripening of the heads of cabbage and weather conditions: the collection must be carried out before the onset of cold weather - minus 10 degrees. It is permissible (most often this is what is done) to pick off the heads of cabbage gradually, leaving the top ones to ripen. A sign of ripeness of the head is density, reaching 3 cm in diameter. Complete cleaning is carried out if the tops themselves begin to fall off.

You can store cabbage for a long time in the cellar by digging in very closely planted plants without tops, without leaves, but with roots. In this case, the heads of cabbage even gain additional weight. Stems cut from the bottom (at the root collar) without the top bud and tops can be stored for up to three months.

Individual heads of cabbage with stalks are kept in a bag in the refrigerator or in boxes of 3-4 pieces for up to 1.5 months. For longer storage, freezing is required.

The period of formation of heads of cabbage: to pick off or not to pick off leaves?

Why do cabbage need lower leaves?

Tops play a special role in the development of this crop, especially in the early and middle growth phases. Leaves, including the lower ones, perform important functions:

• provide photosynthesis, nutrition and respiration of plants;
• protect emerging heads of cabbage from pests;
• shade the ground, saving water in it and preventing the soil from overheating.

Attention! If you remove the leaves early, you may disrupt the formation of the heads. There is a risk of cabbage becoming infected through wounds and further rotting.

When is removal of lower leaves justified?

The leaves of the tops do not become lower immediately, but only as they grow. However, gradually they useful features disappear and additional risks arise if the tops are not removed. This should be done when the leaves:

• began to touch the ground, serving as a shelter and “ladder” for aphids, slugs, and caterpillars;
• mechanically damaged or infested with pests;
• grow old, turn pale, turn yellow, fade;
• make it difficult for air to reach the heads of cabbage;
• shade other plants;
• develop too much to the detriment of the heads of cabbage;
• interfere with free passage.

Important! Brussels sprouts only need to cut off the lower leaves a month or half a month before harvesting, if the above factors are not present. In favorable conditions, the tops do not even turn yellow until the last moment.

Leaves can be torn off, cut with pruning shears or a knife. It is advisable that the weather be clear on the day of removal and the day after: so that the wounds have time to heal.

Should I cut the tops off my Brussels sprouts?

Unlike the lower tops, the apical growth point of Brussels sprouts must be pinched. But the top leaves are left behind.

It is important to do this in a timely manner, when the heads of cabbage are already actively forming. This pinching will stop the formation of new ovaries. If you pinch too early, you will get a broom of tops instead of heads of cabbage.

The second pinching period occurs at the end of September - beginning of October. At this time, the entire top with underdeveloped axillary buds is cut off.

As you can see, care Brussels sprouts In many ways it’s even easier than eating white cabbage. And any cabbage loves moisture.

Many gardeners practice removing the lower leaves of cabbage in order to reduce the risk of diseases and facilitate planting care. Undoubtedly, such a procedure injures the plant, so the method has many opponents, but in some cases its use is justified. No less important is how pruning is carried out: the quality of the “operation” determines whether the benefits from it outweigh the harm caused to the plant.

Lower or outer leaves- a full-fledged organ of the cabbage bush that performs a number of functions, so their removal can negatively affect the condition of the plant and the volume of the harvest.

1. All parts of cabbage are involved in photosynthesis; the loss of any of them disrupts metabolic processes.
2. The lower (green) leaves are necessary for cabbage to accumulate nutrients, coming from the roots, which are later redirected to the internal (white) ones, forming the head of cabbage.
3. Covering leaves perform the function of thermoregulation; forks deprived of this protection may suffer from both overheating and hypothermia.
4. The green “shell” enveloping the cabbage head is covered with a coating that protects against the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into their tissues and damage by pests.
5. In case of drought, the middle and central parts of the cabbage can receive moisture from the peripheral parts for some time. Besides, lower leaves shade trunk circle, slowing down the evaporation of water from the soil. Cabbage is a moisture-loving crop, so water shortages quickly affect the development of cabbage forks.

When to prune

The loss of lower leaves is always stressful for cabbage, but in some situations the pruning procedure can be considered advisable.

Removal may be necessary:

1. If bottom part The cabbage bush begins to rot. The plant must be freed from dying organs that will no longer be able to provide it with nutrition, while in their decomposing tissues a favorable environment is created for the development of pathogenic microflora.
2. If the leaves prevent the flow of water to the roots when watering, they interfere with the hilling procedure, which is important in cabbage farming.

Advice!

Drying or dry leaves can be removed entirely, since the plant has already selected useful substances from them. But the yellow ones, which have not yet dried out, continue to give the head of cabbage nutrition from the petioles; if necessary, it is recommended to partially cut off such leaves.

1. When the cabbage head has formed and began to ripen, the old leaves lying on the ground should be cut off as a preventive measure for fungal diseases. With the arrival of autumn rains, they are highly likely to begin to rot.
2. If the plant is affected by aphids, removing the lower leaves on which the insect is located can be an alternative to harmful chemical treatments. It is worth resorting to this method in extreme cases when they do not help folk remedies And mechanical methods removal, and pest damage threatens the harvest. The cut material must be burned.

1. Before tying, fork the cabbage. To form a head of cabbage, you need at least seven leaves in a rosette. In addition, pruning at the initial stage of development will delay the formation of the ovary, since the plant will spend part of its energy on healing the “cuts”. As a result, by the time of harvesting from the garden, the cabbage “head” will grow smaller than it could.
2. Healthy green and even yellow leaves. Heads of cabbage continue to intensively select nutritional elements from them, due to which their weight rapidly increases at the last stage of development. It is especially important to preserve the lower tier of cabbage varieties of medium and late date maturation.
3. Do not remove strong green leaves from heads of cabbage even after harvesting. Even cut cabbage forks continue to consume nutrition from them, due to which the weight of the cabbage head removed from the stem can still grow up to 15% of the total weight.

Controversial reasons for pruning are the following situations:

1. Cracking of heads of cabbage, characteristic of cabbage early varieties. In this case, any way to reduce the plant’s moisture consumption will be effective - cut the root or, pulling the head of cabbage, tear it. But without experience in carrying out such manipulations, removing leaves will be an easier task.
2. Fighting cabbage fly or cutworm. Partly rational, but in the fight against these insects, pruning alone will not be enough. Treatment of the soil and the plant itself will be required, so each gardener evaluates the advisability of causing additional stress to the plant himself.
3. Looseness of heads of cabbage. If a month before harvesting (around mid-September) the central part of the cabbage has not acquired density, you should cut off all the leaves from the stem. The measure is effective, but it deprives the forks of some nutrition, preventing him from gaining weight. It is more advisable to feed the plant with phosphorus and potassium.

Note!

An effective prevention of looseness will be reasonable moderation in nitrogen fertilizing.

Correct removal procedure

If you nevertheless decide to prune cabbage, care should be taken to minimize stress for the plant and prevent possible negative consequences procedures.

Gardeners often encounter various problems. Sometimes they are far-fetched. Trying to care for the planted plants as best as possible, they do everything they hear from neighbors or friends. But are such actions always justified? Summer residents often wonder whether it is necessary to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage. It is impossible to answer this question in one word.

The role of the leaf in the formation of the head of cabbage

All development of cabbage is aimed at the formation of a head of cabbage. The leaves are not intended to decorate the plant. They have their own function. During the process of photosynthesis they form substances that are building material for cabbage. Nature has arranged it so that the covering leaves (large lower ones) accumulate a supply of nutrients necessary for its formation. When they are cut off, the plant begins to look for this supply and begins to grow them again. Is it possible to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage when their role is so great? The head of cabbage begins to form when there are at least seven covering leaves. The yield largely depends on how many of them a cabbage rosette contains. And the weight of the plant should not decrease during growth. In addition, these leaves are covered with a waxy coating, which protects the head of cabbage from diseases and pests. In summer, they regulate the temperature and prevent overheating and hypothermia of the inside.

The lower leaves contain twice as much vitamin C as the inside of the head. During the ripening process, the vitamin passes into the tender white parts. Do I need to pick off the bottom leaves of cabbage? If pets eat them, at least they will benefit from it. But the head of cabbage will already contain less vitamin C.

Should I pick off the bottom leaves of cabbage?

The lower leaves are usually broken off. Gardeners explain this by saying that the head of cabbage becomes clean without them and the leaves do not rot. Useful substances are used not for the growth of these leaves, but for the formation of a head of cabbage. When can you pick off the lower leaves of cabbage?

U young plant Each torn leaf delays the ripening of the head of cabbage by one day. Juice flows through the cut site, removing beneficial substances from the plant. This means that you cannot pick off the leaves of young plants, even the lower ones.

But is it possible to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage in mature age, or should you not do this under any circumstances?

But in practice, deletion often occurs. Now many websites have recommendations on why and when you can pick off the lower leaves of cabbage.

Some gardeners believe that tearing off leaves helps air flow between plants. And this, in turn, reduces the risk of rotting and other diseases.

But in fact, aphids and cabbage whites flock to the smell of flowing juice.

Proponents of this method explain the tearing of leaves by the fact that cabbage growing on poor soils has loose heads. And after removing part of the foliage, the head of cabbage becomes denser. But this is done not in the summer, but in the fall, when it is already formed, and all that remains is to grow it.

If you do this while the head is forming, the roots may begin to die, which will negatively affect its size and quality.

When deciding whether to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage, look at their condition. If they are green and strong, then you shouldn’t do this. Often the lower leaves of cabbage turn yellow not in the fall, but in the summer, during drought. The rains are finally passing, but these leaves are no longer green. Therefore, they can be removed carefully.

Why do they do this?

Some, when explaining whether it is necessary to tear off the lower leaves of cabbage, refer to the fact that various pests often settle on them. It could be slugs. They appear on plants in autumn. By this time, the head of cabbage is already quite well developed. Then maybe it makes sense to pick off the leaves. Although, what will stop the slugs from getting through the stalk?

In summer, cabbage suffers from cabbage bean caterpillars and flea beetles. But here you won't achieve anything by tearing off the leaves. Plants are sprayed with chemicals or sprinkled with ash and tobacco dust. The number of pests is reduced if the area where the cabbage grows is free of weeds.

Marigolds or calendula, celery, dill and other aromatic plants planted between the rows protect cabbage well.

Combating vascular bacteriosis

Cabbage can be affected by vascular bacteriosis. If the edges of the leaves become yellow, lifeless, and black veins appear on them, then this is a sign of a disease. Sometimes the lower leaves are torn off to prevent the plants from getting sick. Is it necessary to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage in this case? This operation will not save the infected plant. It needs to be completely removed. This must be done carefully so that neighboring plants do not become infected.

To prevent disease, when preparing seeds for germination, you need to harden them by immersing them alternately in hot and cold water. Sick and weak seedlings It's better not to plant.

How to extend the life of early varieties of cabbage

Are the lower leaves of early varieties of cabbage torn off? Sometimes this is done in order to delay the process of cracking of heads of early varieties for as long as possible if they cannot be processed in time.

But experts do not advise doing this. Instead, you can lightly pull the head of cabbage, or rotate it around the trunk, so that the roots are pulled out a little. Moisture will stop passing to the head of cabbage, and it can remain in the ground for quite a long time without cracking or withering.

Will tearing off leaves protect against cutworms and cabbage flies?

But cabbage has pests that are difficult to get rid of without removing some of the leaves. This cabbage scoop and cabbage fly. Should the lower leaves of cabbage be removed when affected by these pests?

The armyworm, emerging from the ground where the pupae from which it develops overwinter, places eggs on the bottom of the leaves. Usually these are the lower leaves. Therefore, their removal in the event of the appearance of these pests may be justified. But you can treat the plants with Agrofit, and the cutworms will disappear.

The cabbage fly, hiding under the lower leaves, lays its eggs in the ground. To find them, remove the soil from the stem. The lower leaves may interfere with this. During processing, they will either come off on their own or you will break them off first.

When to pick off the bottom leaves of cabbage

In autumn, the lower leaves, having given up useful substances to the formation of a head of cabbage, turn yellow and wither. They can no longer participate in the process of photosynthesis, and therefore are not needed.

If the lower leaves rot, wither or are severely damaged, they are removed. After all, they can infect other leaves and heads of cabbage.

But they will rot when the soil is too wet. In this case, you need to reduce watering or drain the water.

There are experts who see nothing wrong with removing the lower leaves. Although they note that this depends on the properties of the particular variety. They believe that the lower leaves in the fall no longer release useful substances, but only take them from other parts of the plant. A lot of moisture evaporates through them. If the covering leaves shade the head of cabbage too much, they can be removed. It is recommended to do this in such a way as to break them off completely.

Preventing rot

It may be justified to tear off the lower leaves of the cabbage if the head of cabbage is very loose. This is done a month before harvest. After this procedure, the head of cabbage often becomes tight.

But this usually happens when fertilizers are applied incorrectly. There is too much nitrogen, and not enough phosphorus and potassium. By properly providing these elements, you can get a dense head of cabbage, and the leaves will help it become larger and heavier.

At the end of summer and autumn, cabbage of late and mid-season varieties, under favorable conditions, gains up to one hundred grams of weight per day. Immediately before harvesting, all lower leaves can be removed. But if you cut off the heads of cabbage along with them, the growth will continue until all the beneficial substances are transferred to the inner part. Sometimes the weight after such growing increases to 15 percent.

Use of leaves

IN household almost nothing is wasted. Torn leaves used to feed poultry, rabbits, and goats. Moreover, by autumn there is usually a small choice of green food for them.

Growing white cabbage not without problems, sometimes far-fetched. Many gardeners, trying to provide the planted plants good care, do everything that friends and neighbors recommend. Some summer residents ask whether it is necessary to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage. It is impossible to give a monosyllabic answer to this question.

The final result of the development of cabbage should be a formed head of cabbage. Leaves are not a decoration of the plant; they fulfill their assigned role: during the process of photosynthesis they form substances that serve as building materials for cabbage.

Large lower covering leaves, as nature intended, accumulate the supply of nutrients necessary for laying a head of cabbage so that it grows better. If these leaves are torn off, the plant tries to replenish this supply and begins to grow them again.

If the role of the lower leaves is so great, is it possible to tear them off? The formation of a head of cabbage begins if there are at least 7 covering leaves. Productivity largely depends on how many of these leaves the cabbage rosette contains. During the growth process, a decrease in plant weight is also unacceptable.

In addition, the lower leaves are covered with a waxy coating, which protects the head of cabbage from pests and diseases. IN summer period They provide temperature regulation, preventing hypothermia and overheating of the interior.

The lower leaves contain twice as much vitamin C as the inner part of the head. When ripe, the valuable vitamin is transferred to the white tender parts of the plant. So is it necessary to rid cabbage of the lower leaves? If pets eat them, at least they will benefit from it. But the head of cabbage will already contain less vitamin C.

By breaking off the lower leaves, gardeners often claim that the head of cabbage becomes clean without them, the leaves do not rot, and the beneficial substances go to its formation, and not to the growth of these leaves. When should you pick off the lower leaves of cabbage?

Each torn leaf of a young plant delays the ripening of the head of cabbage by one day. The juice flowing through the cut site removes beneficial substances from the plant. This means that cutting off leaves, even the lower ones, is contraindicated for young plants.

Should cabbage leaves be removed when mature? Not a single manual on agricultural technology contains recommendations for removing leaves. During this procedure, the stem is damaged and through the resulting wounds access to various pathogens is opened.

In practice, deletion occurs frequently. Plucking, according to some gardeners, improves the passage of air between plants, reducing the risk of disease and rot. In fact, the smell of flowing juice attracts aphids and cabbage whelks.

Proponents of this method explain the removal of leaves by the fact that cabbage growing on poor soils has loose heads, and after removing part of the foliage they become denser.

This is done in August or autumn, when all that remains is to grow the formed head of cabbage. If this procedure is carried out during the formation of a head of cabbage, the roots may begin to die, which will negatively affect its size and quality.

When deciding whether to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage, you need to look at their condition. If they are strong and green, then you shouldn’t do this. They often turn yellow in the summer, during the dry period. When it rains, they no longer turn green. Therefore, you can remove them carefully.

Why delete?

When explaining whether it is necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage, some make reference to the fact that various pests, including slugs, often settle on them.

They appear on plants in the fall, when the head of cabbage has already developed quite well. Then cutting off might make sense. Although in this case, nothing prevents the slugs from getting to the head of cabbage along the stalk.

In the summer, cabbage is attacked by flea beetles and cabbage whelk caterpillars. In this case, you won't achieve anything by cutting it off. Plants are sprinkled with ash, tobacco dust, and sprayed with chemicals.

The number of pests is reduced if the area where cabbage grows is cleared of weeds. Calendula, marigolds, dill, celery, and other aromatic plants planted between rows will serve as good protection for plants.

Combating vascular bacteriosis

Cabbage can be affected by vascular bacteriosis. A sign of the disease is yellowing of the edges of the leaves and the appearance of black veins on them. To prevent plants from getting sick, sometimes the lower leaves are cut off.

This operation will not save an infected plant. It must be carefully removed completely to avoid infecting neighboring plants. For prevention vascular bacteriosis It is recommended to harden the seeds before germinating them by alternately immersing them in hot and cold water. It is better not to plant weak and diseased seedlings.

Extending the life of early varieties of cabbage

Sometimes the lower leaves of early varieties of cabbage are torn off in order to delay the process of cracking of heads of cabbage if there is no possibility of processing them. Experts do not advise doing this.

The head of cabbage can instead be pulled lightly or turned around the trunk to slightly pull out the roots. As a result, moisture will no longer reach it, and it can remain in the ground for a long time without withering or cracking.

Plucking against cutworm and cabbage fly

Some cabbage pests are very difficult to get rid of without removing the leaves. These include cabbage fly and cabbage cutworm. Cutworm pupae overwinter in the ground. As she emerges from them, she places the eggs at the bottom of the sheets. Therefore, removing the lower leaves may be justified against these pests.

The cabbage fly lays its eggs in the ground, hiding under the lower leaves. They can only be found by removing soil from the stem. The lower leaves may interfere with this. They will have to be broken off first or they will come off themselves during processing.

When to cut off?

The lower leaves of cabbage, which give up useful substances to the formation of a head of cabbage, turn yellow and wither in the fall. They can no longer participate in the process of photosynthesis, so they become practically unnecessary.

It is recommended to remove rotten, limp or severely affected leaves so that they do not infect the head of cabbage and others. They will rot even if the soil is waterlogged. Then it is recommended to reduce watering or divert water.

Some experts consider removing the lower shoots acceptable, although they note that this is influenced by the properties of each individual variety. In their opinion, in autumn period the lower leaves no longer give away nutrients, but only take them from other parts of the plant

Their large area leads to the evaporation of a significant amount of moisture. Covering leaves that shade the head of cabbage too much can be removed. Experts advise breaking them off completely.

How to prevent rotting?

If the head of cabbage is very loose, tearing off the lower leaves of the cabbage may be justified. If you do this a month before harvesting, the head of cabbage will have time to become tight. This usually happens when fertilizers are applied incorrectly, when there is not enough potassium and phosphorus, and too much nitrogen. When establishing proper provision These elements make the head of cabbage dense.

Under favorable conditions, mid-season cabbage and late varieties at the end of summer and autumn, it gains about 100 grams of weight every day.

All lower leaves can be removed immediately before harvesting. The heads of cabbage cut along with them continue to grow until all the useful substances are transferred to the inner part. Sometimes such rearing leads to an increase in weight by 15%.

Use of leaves

Taking into account all the pros and cons, everyone decides for themselves whether or not to break off the lower leaves of cabbage so that it grows better, and when to do it. In their reviews, many gardeners say that they did not notice any difference between plants treated in this way and those that were not touched.

In households, the torn sprouts are used as food for rabbits, goats, and birds in the autumn, when small selection green food.

Gardener 24

When growing cabbage (white or red), gardeners have various questions about planting and caring for this vegetable. Are the problems they face always that serious? It turns out that one of the questions that causes controversy among these people is the following: is it necessary to cut off the lower foliage of cabbage? And if necessary, when is the best time to do it?

Do cabbage really need lower leaves?

The entire growth process of cabbage is aimed at forming and growing a large head of cabbage. And the role of the lower leaves, which are the first to appear on the plant, is extremely important. It is this foliage that participates in photosynthesis, converting sunlight into nutrients that help grow a healthy head of cabbage.

However, supporters of breaking off the lower cabbage leaves have their own arguments in favor of this action. These gardeners claim that the lower leaves of this vegetable are so large that moisture constantly accumulates under them, which creates favorable conditions for the breeding of pests. In addition, because of this foliage, it is inconvenient to loosen and weed the cabbage.

Similar arguments are true in many respects, however, cabbage left without lower leaves is more convenient to care for. But these leaves serve as a reservoir of nutrients necessary for the ripening of the head of cabbage, so removing them deprives the cabbage of most of these reserves. And the cabbage grows upward, grows new foliage, but the head of cabbage practically does not grow.

In any manual garden work there are no specific recommendations for removing lower foliage. Since it is believed that when they are removed, the stem is damaged, and various pests can penetrate through the wounds. Here's what more leaves for cabbage - the larger the head of cabbage will grow in the future, and the tastier it will be.

Usually, it is better to leave the lower leaves and remove them when they begin to turn yellow and dry. Diseased leaves also have to be removed. This usually happens at the end of summer, when the head of cabbage is already formed, but still needs to be grown. In this case, even if they are loose, after removing the foliage it becomes dense. Typically, a similar procedure for cutting foliage is carried out approximately 30 days before harvesting the heads of cabbage.

Why do you need to pluck leaves?

Some gardeners claim that pests such as slugs make their way along the lower leaves to the head of cabbage. Therefore, it is necessary to pick it off in a timely manner in order to save the cabbage from being eaten by these pests. But slugs can easily make their way to the cabbage itself and along the stem. And although these pests appear on this vegetable only at the end of summer, tearing off the leaves will not help save you from them anyway.

And in the summer, when this vegetable is overcome by other pests, that is, the lower foliage or not, it makes no difference to them. These “harmful” insects are usually saved from either special chemicals or sprinkled with sifted ash on the cabbage.