Many inexperienced vegetable growers do not know whether to pick lower leaves at the cabbage. The opinions of summer residents on this matter differ. Some of them claim that people eat the heads, not the leaves, and therefore they can be cut off.

Others say that the lower leaves are needed to form young cabbage bushes. It is quite difficult to find information on this matter in the specialized literature, so each gardener will have to decide everything on his own.

Landing in the ground

Before you think about whether you need to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with tips for planting it. It is recommended to plant when the seedlings have more than five leaves and their height is about 15 cm. Quite often it grows to this size in mid-May. Some mid-season varieties have to be planted in early June.

To begin with, it is recommended to select a suitable site. Great suitable place, which will be illuminated by the sun throughout the day. It is advisable that the site have sandy soil, which is better suited than others for growing cabbage. Before planting, the acidity of the soil must be checked, the value of which should not exceed 7 pH. Site preparation should be done in the fall. At this time, you should carefully dig up the soil so that in the spring it can better absorb moisture.

The soil also needs to be leveled using a rake. This is done so that the soil retains water longer. Before planting, weeds may appear on the site, which should be removed immediately.

At the end of spring, holes are made on the site for seedlings. Their size depends on the size of the root system of young seedlings. 100 g of ash, a handful of sand and humus are placed in each hole. Then a spoonful of nitrophoska and a glass of water are added to them. Having prepared all the holes, you can begin planting. The seedlings are lowered into the ground and sprinkled with dry soil on top. Seedlings that are too tall are planted so that the cabbage leaves below are flush with the surface of the ground.

Features of cultivation

The first few weeks it is necessary to carefully care for the young seedlings. Young seedlings are not yet accustomed to the sun's rays, so during the day they need to be covered with newspapers or cloth. Further care for cabbage is as follows:

1. Watering. It is recommended to water the plant on cloudy days or in the evening so as not to harm the bushes. It is enough to do this once a week. In summer, the amount of watering can be increased several times so that the cabbage has enough moisture. To keep water in the soil longer, it is recommended to create a peat mulch layer.
2. Feeding. The first feeding is carried out 10-15 days after planting the seedlings in the soil. During this period, a mixture prepared from nitrate, potassium, superphosphate and water is added to the ground. Fertilizers should be applied only to moist soil so as not to accidentally damage the plant. The second is applied a few weeks later and consists of the same fertilizers as the previous one.
3. Processing. To protect the bushes from diseases and insects, it is recommended to treat them. First, the cabbage is treated with ash, which can protect young seedlings from fleas and slugs. Then you can use an infusion of tomato tops or onion peels. There are also special preparations that can be used to protect cabbage from most diseases.

Is it worth plucking the lower leaves?

Not all vegetable growers know whether it is possible to tear off the bottom leaves of cabbage when growing. Most gardeners prefer to trim them. They claim that this helps to accelerate the growth of the plant, since now it does not need to waste its energy on the lower shoots. Also, many people prefer to remove the lower leaves because over time they begin to rot and the bush loses its attractiveness.

It must be remembered that tearing off leaves is quite a serious stress for the bushes. Because of this, the ripening period of the head of cabbage can seriously increase. Therefore, picking off leaves on very young seedlings is not recommended. Many people immediately wonder whether the lower leaves of cabbage are removed if the head of cabbage is almost ripe.

Agricultural rules prohibit doing this, since open wounds remain on a bush with a torn leaf, due to which the plant can become infected with various diseases.

However, there are still a lot of supporters of breaking off shoots. The main thing is that the head of cabbage is fully ripe and the procedure is performed correctly. Also, before carrying out work, you need to pay attention to the condition of the sheets. If they are green and fresh, then there is no need to prune them. They are torn off only if they begin to rot and dry out.

When to tear off leaves

Not all gardeners know when to pick off cabbage leaves. There are several most common reasons why you have to do this.

Vascular bacteriosis

Determine if the plant is sick vascular bacteriosis quite simple. The bushes immediately begin to turn yellow below, and black spots appear on the leaves. In this case, you need to pick off not only the leaves, but also get rid of the entire bush. If you do not trim them in a timely manner, the disease will quickly spread to neighboring cabbage.

Cracking of heads of cabbage

Kochany early varieties They often begin to crack if the lower leaves are not cut off in a timely manner. If we tear them off, the development of the head of cabbage slows down and it stops cracking. However, some experts argue that this method is not very effective. Instead, they advise pulling the plant out of the ground a little and turning it. With the help this method You can also slow down the growth of the plant so that the heads of cabbage do not crack.

Pest protection

Not everyone knows why to remove the lower leaves of cabbage. Quite often, cabbage plants need to be removed to protect the bushes from insects. For example, cutworm or cabbage flies most often settle in the lower part of the bushes. Insect pupae overwinter in the soil and, after warming, move to the lower leaves, where they will lay eggs in the future. If pest eggs were found on their surface, the leaves should be removed.

However, this does not always help get rid of dangerous insects. Sometimes you have to use special protective equipment which are more efficient. To do this, you can treat the cabbage bushes with Agrofit or any other anti-insect preparation.

Increasing the mass of heads of cabbage

Many gardeners prefer to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage when they need to increase the weight of the cabbage heads. It is recommended to do this at the end of summer or early September. It is during this period that rapid growth of young heads of cabbage is observed. Most often, people plan to tear off the lower leaves before harvesting. However, it is recommended to collect the heads of cabbage along with them. In this case, the cut crop will continue to develop until the supply runs out nutrients in the leaves.

Conclusion

It is quite difficult to determine unambiguously whether leaves need to be plucked. However, every gardener must make this choice for himself. To do this, it is enough to familiarize yourself with what positive and negative aspects this procedure has. You should familiarize yourself in advance with situations where you simply cannot do without removing leaves. It is also recommended to familiarize yourself with when you can pick off leaves and when you should not do this.

Kira Stoletova

Whether or not to pick leaves from cabbage is a controversial issue. Some harvest and get a high-quality harvest. Others do not, but the quality of the heads of cabbage remains good.

Vegetable leaf covering function

The entire development of culture is aimed at the formation of a head of cabbage. The purpose of the leaves is not to make the plant beautiful. They perform their functions:

• During photosynthesis, they produce nutrients and trace elements that are building material for a vegetable.
• Head formation begins when 7 and more leaves. The future harvest depends on their number on the rosette.
• Weight should also not decrease during growth. The wax coating on the leaf part will protect against diseases and pests.
• In hot weather, they act as a temperature regulator: they protect the inside from overheating.
• The content of vitamin C in the hard ball of the cuttings is 2 times higher than that characteristic of the inner part of the head of cabbage. When ripe, the vitamin is distributed throughout the vegetable.

It is undesirable to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage at the initial stage of growth: this will further injure the plant. Instead of full growth, it spends energy on healing the affected areas.

The leaves form a shadow for the tree trunk circle. At the same time, the soil retains coolness and water for a long time. This is important aspect, because broccoli loves moist soil and wilts if there is a lack of moisture.

At the end of summer there is rapid growth, at this time you should not break off the leaves. It is recommended to collect the vegetable together with the lower ball: like this harvested will continue to develop as long as the leaves retain nutrients.

Why are leaves plucked?

When the head of cabbage is fully formed, the need for more green tops decreases. Indications for which you can pick off the lower leaves of cabbage:

• Wilting or drying of cuttings. A decrease in the transfer of nutrients throughout the plant and a lack of microelements coming from the soil through the roots also ends up being an indication for pruning.
• Removing leaves that are too close to the ground. Carrying out pest prevention measures becomes difficult. When processed, the cuttings can come off on their own.
• Hilling. You can tear off the lower leaves of cabbage, which interfere with the development of the plant and proper watering. The cabbage is hilled up so that additional roots appear in the lower part of the plant, which can give stability.
• Watering. A spreading crop can interfere with watering. To ensure that water reaches the trunk circle, cabbage leaves are torn off from below. The reason for removal is sometimes the significant looseness of the head of cabbage. Proper watering prevents rotting.
• Cracking of heads of cabbage. This is a feature of early varieties. If the leaves are not picked off in a timely manner, the head of cabbage will crack. When cuttings are removed, development slows down and cracking stops. Alternatively, the plant is slightly pulled out of the ground. With this method, its growth also slows down.
• Weight gain. Gardeners prefer to use cutting off the lower layers when they want to increase the weight of the vegetable.

Pest and disease control

Among the diseases of this culture are vascular bacteriosis. When the leaves turn yellow, take on a lifeless appearance, or acquire black veins, measures are taken. Some take cuttings from neighboring plants for preventive purposes. Unfortunately, this does not help in the fight against the disease. If affected by vascular bacteriosis, the plant is carefully removed from the garden so that neighboring heads of cabbage are not infected.

Termination process

It is better to harvest crops in warm and dry weather. The cutting begins one at a time. Each subsequent cutting is cut off after the wound of the previous one has healed and dried. The process is carried out at intervals of at least a week. It is worth plucking the lower leaves of cauliflower immediately before harvesting when the head of cabbage is fully ripened. If the plug is loose, the stem is left bare. The pruning is used as livestock feed or poultry.

Do I need to pick off the leaves of cabbage?

Garden head. Why you shouldn't pick leaves from cabbage

Do I need to pick leaves from cabbage? Features of growing cabbage.

Completion

It is difficult to determine unambiguously whether the lower leaves of cabbage need to be torn off. You should familiarize yourself with all the positive and negative results of this procedure. In some cases, removal is carried out based on the properties of a particular vegetable variety.

Growing white cabbage is 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 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.

Is it worth removing leaves from cabbage? mature age? 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 for 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 tearing off the 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 the cabbage grows is cleared of weeds. Good protection for plants will be calendula, marigolds, dill, celery, and others planted between rows. aromatic 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. To prevent vascular bacteriosis, it is recommended to harden the seeds before germinating them, 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 scoop. 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.

At 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.

Torn sprouts in household used as food for rabbits, goats, and birds in the autumn, when small selection green food.

Beginning gardeners often ask the question: Do they need to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage? There are different opinions. Some summer residents say that we eat the heads of cabbage, not the covering leaves, which means they are not needed at all, they only interfere with caring for the cabbage in the garden. Others object, arguing that nature would not have created them without some role in the formation of the plant. Special literature describing the cultivation of cabbage does not say anything about whether it is necessary to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage; they are not discussed at all. Therefore, each owner has to rely on his own opinion and experience in this matter.

All types of cabbage start out as small plants with wide leaves. Growing white cabbage, we plant seedlings in the garden, consisting of several dark green leaves. They grow, new ones are formed, and the process of photosynthesis occurs in them. The head of cabbage begins to form no earlier than we see a rosette with seven wide green leaves, which continue to grow along with the white head of cabbage. They stop growing shortly before the vegetable ripens; the lowest ones often lie on the ground, no longer as beautiful and fresh as in summer, while others continue to cover the head of cabbage.

Cabbage leaves, from which its growth begins, consuming solar energy, are constantly engaged in the formation of proteins, fats, vitamins, carbohydrates, and gradually give them to the head of cabbage as it is formed. If in summer they contain much more vitamin C than the developing head of cabbage, then in the fall, shortly before harvesting, the situation changes dramatically.

The covering leaves are covered with a waxy coating; they protect the entire plant from the penetration of pests and pathogens. They also provide thermoregulation, protect against overheating or hypothermia, and conserve moisture.

Video “Should I cut it off”

From the video you will learn whether it is necessary to pick off the leaves of cabbage, what is the benefit or harm.

Should I cut it off?

Is it necessary to pick off the leaves involved in the formation of the head of cabbage? It would seem that there can only be one answer, but there are gardeners who are convinced that without the lower leaves a denser head of cabbage will form. They lie on the ground, risking attracting pests and becoming a bridge between pathogens and cabbage. Without them, it is easier to weed the garden bed and loosen the soil around the plant. But in fairness, it is worth noting that weeds do not grow under drooping leaves, and pests attracted by the juice of the cut off part of the plant are more likely to attack it, and the wound will become open gates for infection.

Tearing off the leaves slows down the formation of the head of cabbage and may even cause the roots to die. Without covering leaves, the yield is much smaller. Experience has shown that if at the beginning of September you remove them from some plants, then by the time of harvest the head of cabbage with leaves will grow much larger and will be tighter compared to those from which they were torn off.

Why do they do this?

Some vegetable growers believe that it is necessary to pick off the leaves of cabbage so that they do not attract pests. But most likely, these parts of the plant organism protect against pests, and you need to scare off unwanted neighbors in other ways.

For example, it is good to plant aromatic plants in the garden among the cabbage: a little dill, celery, a few calendula bushes, marigolds. If flea beetles or cabbage bean attacks, it is better to sprinkle the plants and the ground around them with crushed wood ash and tobacco dust. The most radical remedy is chemical treatment, but removing leaves is unlikely to help.

Combating vascular bacteriosis

Is it possible to pick off leaves when they are affected by vascular bacteriosis? Naive beginners hope that the yellow border along the edge, black veins, and the death of the leaf blade will not advance further. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If the disease manifests itself in this way, then the entire plant is affected, it must be removed from the garden as soon as possible in order to protect the rest.

The only way to prevent this unpleasant disease is by hardening the seed, for which the seeds are alternately placed in hot and cold water.

The quality of the seeds, even the quality of the seedlings, affects the appearance of the disease, but not the presence of the lower leaves; the disease simply appears on them first of all.

How to extend the life of early varieties of cabbage

Sometimes gardeners are interested in when to pick off the lower leaves of cabbage in order to keep them in the garden early cabbage. Since the growth and formation of the head of cabbage depends on the presence of covering leaves, their removal can prolong the process, according to inexperienced gardeners. This is wrong. If you remove the leaves, growth will simply stop, and the risk of disease and damage by pests will increase for the crop.
If the crop is ripe, but the owner is not yet ready to process it, you just need to pull the plant or twist it slightly around an imaginary axis. Then the connection between the roots and the ground will be interrupted or at least reduced, the head of cabbage will not consume moisture, but can simply be stored in the garden for a long time without the threat of cracking.

Will tearing off leaves protect against cutworms and cabbage flies?

You won’t be able to get rid of such persistent pests as cabbage flies and cutworms by simply tearing off the lower leaves. To get rid of them you will have to use special means For example, they fight the cutworm with Agrofit. Cutworm pupae and fly eggs are in the ground, from where pests enter the plant.
The armyworm lays its eggs on the underside of leaves. The absence of a lower one will not prevent her from laying eggs on the next one. And in order to destroy the fly eggs, you will have to get to the ground under the leaves; they may simply suffer during the fight against pests, but cutting them off will not help this fight.

When to cut off

The plant needs every leaf, so all the covering elements perform their functions until the harvest ripens. In the fall, before harvesting, they had already lost all their useful substances, turned yellow, and dried out. Many vegetable growers cut them off before harvesting, since they have already served their purpose. If they look completely healthy, without rot or damage, then experts recommend cutting off the head of cabbage along with them. Even a cut head of cabbage continues to grow as long as there is something to take substances from.

Often the lower leaves that fall to the ground rot shortly before the head of cabbage ripens. Of course, they need to be removed so that the rot does not go further. But this is also their task - to preserve the plant and show that the ground is too wet. Watering should be stopped as soon as the first signs of rot appear.

Three to four weeks before harvesting, the leaves are removed if the head of cabbage is too loose. They say this helps make it tighter. But, most likely, the looseness is explained by an imbalance of minerals - excess nitrogen, lack of phosphorus and potassium lead to such results. It is necessary to fertilize the plant with potassium and phosphorus to improve the quality of the crop.

Some vegetable growers have experimented with removing leaves from different stages growing season. Results confirm the need for leaf cover for growth and maturation good harvest. There is only one condition - they must be healthy all the time, only in this case they can fulfill their task - to raise, nourish, protect, preserve.

Video “Pros and cons of the method”

From the video you will learn whether you can or cannot pick cabbage leaves.