The benefits and harms of Chinese cabbage

Wonderful, amazingly tasty and tender sprouts unusual elongated shape. Excellent cold-resistant vegetable that came to us recently, but without it, it is difficult to imagine a table. So, meet - Chinese cabbage! The story of Chinese cabbage known since the middle of the 1st millennium BC. Collect the cabbage in the Yangtze River Delta, and was used not only as a vegetable, but also as an oilseed. But its popularity it owes healer imperial dynasty Ming Lee Shidzhenyu - he drew attention to its amazing medicinal properties and began to be used for medical purposes. This is interesting in Slavic languages this name comes from the Latin caput, which meant his head, and into it from the Greek. According to legend, the gods created the earth, they had to work hard. And on those places where the gods have fallen from his forehead sweat grew cabbage head. Interestingly, it was originally cultivated in China, then briefly disappeared into disuse there, triumphantly walked the whole of Indochina and Japan and has returned to his homeland.

Until the twentieth century, it was virtually unknown in Europe and America. Grow it was quite difficult due to the fastidiousness varieties. But in the second half of the twentieth century in Japan brought frost-resistant varieties, and those that have good yields and ripen quickly. It became possible to cultivate on a commercial scale. And cabbage won the gourmet hearts all over the world. And since the 90s it began to grow and in the post-Soviet countries. Now it can even grow on a balcony in the boxes. Varieties Just a century ago was known only to one kind of cabbage. He was considered an exotic novelty, was expensive and little accessible. Now breeders have brought a lot of varieties - of different sizes and shapes. All these varieties are adapted to our climate. There is a completely new hybrid varieties of Chinese cabbage, which are sufficiently resistant to bolting. Such varieties have both foreign and domestic. They are distinguished by their size and the speed of ripening. For example, a grade Vesnyanka - early maturing. His mature cabbages in a month after emergence. But cabbage miniature sizes - less than half a kilo. In comparison, the sort of monument looks like a giant - the average weight of one head of cabbage is rarely less than 2.5 and even 3 kg. But also keep up with it much longer - about two months. Virtually no different from him and sort of Nick. These late-ripening varieties is very high-yield, they are suitable for pickling, but for a long time remain fresh can not. For middle-grade glass can be attributed, and Barrel. The form they are similar to the above mentioned items, hence the name. These varieties ripen in about 60-70 days and weigh around 1.5-2 kg. They are very dense. Suitable for fresh and for pickling. This is interesting in Chinese, its name means "big white vegetable". In Japan, it is called "Nappa". And another name for Chinese cabbage - petsay. How to grow Chinese cabbage? Its cultivation has its own characteristics. She has a very short growing season - only about a month. And you can grow crops directly or through seedlings. Cole only good fertile soil is required. Dirt way to sow the seeds in the soil to a depth of 1-2 cm. The distance between plants should be 25-30 cm. It is easier to grow in the garden of a narrow, because you need thinning. It is possible to try and this method - cabbage planted in small groups to the wells, 4-5 plants per well. Then remove weak plants, eventually leaving the strongest. This cabbage needs short daylight hours and cool enough - then it will not bloom, but zavyazhutsya good cabbage. Therefore, it is recommended to be sown in early spring, just the first exit to the garden, or in late July-early August. If it is planted, when the day is long, it is recommended to cover the shoots sprouted in the early evening. Tip Do not prick in a hot season. These seedlings will quickly begin to "shoot arrows" and form pods with inferior seeds. If it is planted for seed, the seedlings should cover common fishing net - appeared to not have regaled bird seed. After the seedlings need peat-compost pots, planting 1-2 pieces of seeds in early spring. Seedlings planted in the ground at the age of 3-3.5 weeks. The distance between plants 30-40 cm. Watering Rules Before planting the land must be well loosen and abundantly watered. Regularly watered early in the growing season. Land on the surface should be damp. Later watered as the drying of the soil.