What is good about Kalibos cabbage, how to grow it and where to use it
Kalibos cabbage attracts the attention of vegetable growers not only with its original cone-shaped shape and bright color of the heads, but also with its high productivity, unpretentiousness and pleasant sweetish taste.
The article will tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of the variety, the rules for its cultivation and the requirements that Kalibos makes for planting and care.
What type of cabbage is this?
Red cabbage Kalibos belongs to the Czech line of selection and is recommended for cultivation in garden plots, household plots and small farms. The forks are characterized by an unusual cone shape, sweet taste, suitable for pickling and fresh consumption.
Brief history of origin and distribution
Calibos is a variety of red cabbage bred by Czech breeders of the Moravoseed company. Included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia in 1997 with permission for cultivation in all regions.
Characteristics and description
This is a mid-season variety of red cabbage. The crop reaches technical maturity 140-150 days after the emergence of full shoots. Marketable yield is 580-640 c/ha.
Appearance and taste
Kalibos cabbage is a tall plant with a semi-vertical leaf rosette 30-40 cm high and 50-70 cm in diameter. Covering leaves are medium in size, concave, slightly vesicular, medium wavy, dark red in color and broadly elliptical in shape, covered with a medium waxy coating.The height of the outer stalk is 25-35 cm, the inner one is 15-20 cm.
The variety produces partially covered, medium-dense cone-shaped heads that reach 25-35 cm in length, 50-70 cm in diameter at the widest part and weigh 1.5-2 kg. In cross-section, the fork is red-violet in color.
Calibos is characterized by juiciness, sweet taste and delicate texture.
Temperature resistance
Seeds germinate even at temperatures of +2...+3°C, but at +11°C seedlings appear after 10-12 days, and at +20°C – after 3-4 days.
Seedlings can withstand short frosts down to -6°C, heads of cabbage - up to -8°C. Prolonged exposure to temperatures above +25°C negatively affects the formation of heads.
Moisture and drought resistance
Hot weather and prolonged drought lead to increased accumulation of nitrates in cabbage. Calibos tolerates excessive moisture better - excess moisture does not provoke rotting or cracking of vegetables.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The variety is resistant to most diseases and pests characteristic of the crop, but it can be attacked by whiteflies, cutworms and aphids.
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Application area of this cabbage variety
Kalibos cabbage is consumed fresh, used for preparing salads and hot dishes, fermented, preserve. Heads of cabbage are stored for no more than 4 months.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantages of Kalibos cabbage:
- abundant yield;
- moisture and frost resistance;
- high taste qualities;
- possibility of universal use;
- amicable maturation;
- immunity to characteristic diseases;
- original appearance of the heads;
- high commercial qualities;
- unpretentiousness.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- demands on soil composition, watering and fertilizing;
- short shelf life;
- possibility of manual harvesting only;
- poor transport tolerance.
Growing technology
Kalibos cabbage is grown by seedlings and without seedlings; the main thing is to take into account the climatic conditions of the region, choose the right site, observe planting dates and care requirements.
Optimal conditions
For planting, choose a well-lit place, protected from gusty winds and drafts, with soil that has slightly alkaline (pH 7-7.5) or neutral (pH 6.5-7) acidity. The best option is clay or loamy soil.
The area is prepared in advance - cleared of weeds and plant debris, dug up on the bayonet of a shovel and 2 kg of humus and 2 tsp are added. nitroammophoska for every 1 sq. m.
The best predecessors are legumes, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, beets, tomatoes and perennial herbs.
Important! Cabbage can be planted in the same place no earlier than after 4 years.
Landing dates and rules
Seeds for seedlings are sown in early April. More precise dates are determined based on the fact that seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the age of 40-45 days.
To disinfect, planting material is pre-soaked for 25-30 minutes. in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then to improve germination, immerse in hot (no more than +50°C) water.
Sowing technology:
- Place a drainage layer of expanded clay or fine charcoal in prepared containers with a depth of at least 7 cm.
- Pour a substrate suitable for seedlings on top (humus, turf soil and lowland peat with neutral acidity in a ratio of 2:1:1) and water it.
- Place the seeds on the surface of the soil at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, deepening them by 1-1.5 cm.
- Spray a solution of potassium or sodium humate on them using a spray bottle, sprinkle with dry substrate (layer thickness - 0.5 cm).
- Cover the containers with the crops with polyethylene and put them in a warm (about +20°C) place.
After the emergence of seedlings, the polyethylene is removed, and the temperature is maintained at +15...+18°C during the day and +8...+10°C at night. The duration of daylight for seedlings should be at least 8-10 hours. If necessary, use fluorescent lamps for additional lighting.
Watering with a spray bottle is carried out as needed, without allowing the substrate to dry out completely, using settled water at room temperature.
In the cotyledon phase, the seedlings are planted in individual containers, and a week before planting in open ground they begin to harden them, exposing them to the open air for several hours at a temperature of +4...+5°C and for the whole day at +8°C.
The seedlings are fed twice: in the phase of 2 true leaves and 7-10 days before transplanting into the ground, using a solution of nitroammophoska (15 g per bucket of water) at the rate of 15 ml per plant for the first time and 50 ml for the second.
Transplantation of seedlings into the ground is carried out at the end of May, when the seedlings reach a height of 19-21 cm and form 4-6 true leaves.
Landing rules:
- In the prepared area, form beds at a distance of 60 cm from each other.
- Make planting holes about 15 cm deep every 50 cm.
- Pour 1.5 liters of water into each and add 150 g of wood ash.
- Place the seedlings in the holes together with a lump of earth, sprinkle with soil and water at the rate of 1-1.5 liters of water for each plant.
When growing without seedlings, the seeds are sown in a greenhouse or greenhouse in early May.
Further care
Watering is carried out as needed, without allowing the soil to dry out completely: it should be moistened to a depth of 2-2.5 cm. On average, cabbage is watered 8-12 times per season, focusing on the amount of precipitation and climate of the region - the more rain, the less often the plantings are watered.
Reference. Watering is carried out by sprinkling, using settled warm (+20…+25°C) water.
After each watering or rain, the soil is carefully loosened to a depth of 4 cm to improve its moisture permeability, aeration and to prevent the formation of a dry crust on the soil surface. At the same time, the soil is weeded, getting rid of weeds, which take moisture and nutrients from it and create favorable conditions for the development of diseases and pests.
Fertilizers are applied twice:
- 10-12 days after transplanting the seedlings into the ground - 10 liters of nitroammophoska solution (2 tsp per 10 liters of water) per 1 sq. m;
- before closing the rows - 10-12 g of nitrophoska for each plant.
Hilling is carried out 2-3 times with an interval of 5-7 days at the initial stage of formation of heads of cabbage, until the leaf blades close.
Possible problems, diseases, pests
Pests that can attack Calibos are presented in the table.
| Pest | Signs | How to get rid |
|---|---|---|
| Whitefly | The pest larvae suck out plant juices and leave behind a sweet liquid on which sooty fungi settle. | Plantings are treated with Zeta, Rovikurt, Fufanon, Fitoverm, Aktara, Konfidor, Tanrek.
Among the folk remedies, infusions of dandelion, garlic, tobacco and soap solution help get rid of pests. |
| Scoop | During the seedling growth stage, the pest's caterpillars gnaw the stems of the seedlings and the plants fall.
During the ovary of heads of cabbage, pests eat the pulp of the leaves, leaving only thick veins. |
Treatment with the preparations “Dendrobacillin”, “Bitoxibacillin”, “Lepidocid”, “Fitoverm”, “Agravertin”, “Fury” or decoctions of wormwood, tomato tops, hot red pepper. |
| Aphid | The leaves become faded and brittle, yellow spots and a sticky, dirty coating appear on the plant. | Cabbage is treated with insecticidal preparations, for example, Pyrethrum, Karbofos or Iskra. |
Features of cultivation depending on the region
Kalibos cabbage is successfully cultivated in all regions of Russia. The variety tolerates low air temperatures and high humidity levels well, so its basic care requirements do not change depending on the climate of the region.
Some nuances include the need for more frequent watering in the southern regions, which are characterized by an arid climate, and the timing and method of planting the crop. Thus, in the middle zone, the seedling method is more often used, in the south - seedless technology.
Reviews from summer residents
Farmers respond positively to the variety.
Elena, Moscow region: “This is a very tasty cabbage - sweet, juicy, tender, crispy. Ideal for salads, but even pickled, it’s simply delicious. Previously, I only planted white cabbage all the time, now I can’t imagine how you can do without Calibos.”
Lyudmila, Moscow region: “I saw this cabbage from a neighbor and at first became interested in the variety only because of the unusual shape and bright color of the heads. But Calibos surprised not only with its appearance, but also with its amazing sweet taste. Even children eat this cabbage with pleasure.”
Olga, Bryansk region: “The variety is excellent - the heads of cabbage are beautiful, unusual in shape, very tasty, suitable for salads and pickling. Care is very simple, the yield is high. It’s just a pity that the heads of cabbage don’t last long – only a few months.”
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Conclusion
Calibos is a mid-season red cabbage. The variety is characterized by unpretentiousness, abundant yield, moisture and frost resistance, pleasant sweet taste and ease of care. Disadvantages include demanding soil composition, watering and fertilizers, a short shelf life and the impossibility of mechanized harvesting.