Kale cabbage: care and cultivation

European summer residents have been cultivating this vegetable for a long time. If we turn to history, then its roots go back to the past. In the 17th century, the attitude towards this vegetable changed, as more fertile varieties appeared, which are less affected by pathologies.

Description

In Russia, this variety was in demand in the 18th century in cold areas. Cabbage was in demand due to its resistance to cold and its ability to produce natural vegetables in harsh conditions.

The vegetable is considered an annual herbaceous inflorescence with a short stem. Inflorescences are on cuttings in several layers.

The cabbage variety has a beautiful appearance. The leaves themselves are wavy, the edges are wavy. This cabbage is called wavy cabbage. Only leaf plates without stems and cuttings are added to food. Animals can be given the inflorescence completely.

The color shade of the leaves is different: green, gray, lilac, it all depends on the variety. That is why Keil is often used as a decoration. The height of the vegetable is 50 cm. After cutting half of the leaves, the cabbage does not cease to bear fruit. But stumps are not created.

Characterization

A characteristic feature of Kale cabbage is the ability to cultivate in the same place for a couple of years, but only in warm places. Under appropriate conditions, with good shelter, the variety winters well and gives early useful leaves.

Advantages:

  1. Vegetable foliage is low in calories. They have 9 amino acids found in meat. Many herbivores call this new beef.
  2. The rapid growth of a leafy vegetable gives early fruits.
  3. Due to the presence of lutein and zaexanthin in the composition, constant intake of the plant protects the eyes from ultraviolet radiation.
  4. Trace elements eliminate toxins from the body.
  5. The components that are in kale are not only well absorbed, but also allow you to get a high vital activity of the body.
  6. Potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus can prevent the formation of malignant tumors.

Disadvantages

Alas, despite such significant advantages, leafy varieties of Kale are contraindicated for people with personal intolerance. Moreover, with pathologies of the kidneys, cabbage cannot be eaten, since oxalic acid is present in the leaves.

Useful Properties

Cabbage also has wild ancestors. It was from them that she acquired and retained useful qualities. If you read the reviews about cabbage, you can find a lot of interesting things. It is difficult to overestimate the uniqueness of cabbage.

It is nutritious, much better than meat in many ways. It contains proteins that the human body assimilates faster than animal proteins.

Why is it important to pursue this variety:

  1. The vegetable contains a lot of calcium. It is absorbed four times faster than this trace element in milk. The constant intake of leafy greens provides the human body in full.
  2. There is a daily dose of protein in 200 grams of leaves.
  3. Any variety of Kale cabbage is a natural antioxidant.
  4. The vegetable has positive reviews from nutritionists.
  5. Calorie content is low – in 100 grams of a vegetable there is no more than 50 Kcal.

Enriched with vitamins and minerals, cabbage occupies a leading place among Russian summer residents.

Kale Kale

Features of cultivation

Unlike representatives of the cabbage family, the Calais variety does not like being transplanted. Therefore, most often it is bred by planting seeds in the ground. Although it is possible to grow seedlings in separate boxes. If you follow all the rules of cultivation, then you can get a tasty and healthy vegetable without any effort.

Seedlings – a guarantee of success

Let’s celebrate the cultivation of cabbage using the seedling method:

  1. Seeds are planted 50 days before planting in an open area.
  2. Individual boxes are filled with nutrient soil.
  3. 3 seeds must be added to each container.
  4. The seed is immersed in the ground by 1 cm; with deep planting, shoots do not form for a long time.
  5. To obtain simultaneous sprouts, favorable conditions are created for future seedlings: when cultivating in an apartment, the temperature should be +25 degrees.
  6. A film is applied to the containers, which is removed as soon as the inflorescences begin to appear.
  7. In the future, +16 degrees is suitable for the full formation of seedlings. But light should be present at all stages of cultivation to the maximum.

The seedlings will be ready in 6 weeks and can be sown in the ground. Already at this point, the waviness of the leaves is clearly visible. Transplanting seedlings from the container must be done carefully so as not to damage the roots.

Planting seeds in the ground

Fertile land is required to cultivate the leaf. It is better to use the beds after legumes, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes. The soil is prepared in autumn, manure, compost, and mineral complexes are added. The acidity of the soil should be 6,5.

It is difficult to check it yourself without chemical analysis. But you can see which weeds take root well in the beds. If wood lice fill them, then it is necessary to use granular sulfur.

With low acidity, more fertilizers are added to the soil. The site should be in an open area, although a semi-shaded area is also suitable. It is necessary to plant in April, when the earth heats up to +5 degrees.

The indentations for planting seeds are at a distance of 43 cm. In each of them, 2 seeds are folded, irrigated and covered with a transparent film or glass. After 4 days, the shelter must be removed, since the formed sprouts require a lot of light.

Caring for cabbage in the ground

You don’t need any special knowledge to cultivate Keil cabbage. If a site without wind, with excellent lighting, is correctly selected, a positive result is guaranteed. The variety does not like when other crops are with it.

Groundwater has a detrimental effect on the formation of collard greens. Therefore, if you cannot find another place, then the bed must be raised, filled with more drainage layer and fertile soil.

Kale Kale

In the future, it is necessary to irrigate, loosen the soil or mulch at a height of the bushes of 15 cm, to do top dressing. As far as feedings are concerned, they are carried out every 8 weeks. You do not need to overdo it with top dressing, this will cause rotting of the leaves.

You can add infusion of mullein, chicken droppings, wood ash. It is useful to sprinkle the plants with dry ash after irrigation.

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Keil pests

Collard greens are most affected by fleas, cabbage fly, sawfly, flower beetle. Such a number of pests to feast on leaves speaks only of the high gastronomic and beneficial properties of varieties of Kale cabbage.

Many summer residents, with great pleasure, having tried to plant this variety once, grow it all year round.

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Anna Evans

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