Early maturing cabbage hybrid Krautkaiser F1, suitable for long-term storage
The name of the hybrid Krautkaiser f1 translates as “cabbage king.” This name is justified by the excellent commercial and taste qualities of the heads of cabbage, the high yield of the hybrid, and its unpretentiousness to climate and soil. The article will tell you in detail about the pros and cons of Krautkaiser cabbage, care requirements and agricultural practices.
What kind of cabbage is this
Krautkaiser is a hybrid of white cabbage, characterized by its ability to adapt to different climatic conditions and any type of soil.
The harvest is harvested in September by digging up the cabbage with a shovel. After this, the heads of cabbage, which have no damage or signs of disease, are dried under a canopy, wrapped in cling film, placed in wooden or plastic boxes and placed in a well-ventilated room with a temperature of 0...+3°C and an air humidity of 80-90%. Under such conditions, the vegetable is stored for 4-7 months.
History of origin and distribution
The Krautkaiser hybrid was bred in Holland by breeders of the agricultural company Bejo Zaden B.V.
Included in the state register of Russia in 1993 with permission for cultivation in the Northern, Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, Lower Volga, Ural, West Siberian, Far Eastern and East Siberian regions.
Characteristics and description
This is a medium-late ripening hybrid - 127-161 days pass from the moment of seedlings to the ripening of the harvest. The average commercial yield is 574-1055 c/ha.
Reference. The maximum yield was recorded in the Krasnoyarsk Territory - 1284 c/ha.
Appearance and taste
This is a vigorous, non-lodging plant with a sparsely foliated, compact, raised rosette of leaves. The leaves have smooth edges and a slightly wrinkled surface, are medium in size, obovate and slightly concave, blue-green in color and covered with a waxy coating of medium to strong intensity.
The heads of cabbage are oval or flat-rounded, leveled, partially covered, dense, white in cross section. They weigh on average 3.2-4.8 kg, some specimens grow up to 6.5 kg. The outer stalk is short, the inner stalk is of medium length.
Reference. Due to rapid growth, heads of cabbage weighing about 2.5 kg are harvested already 100 days after emergence.
The cabbage is juicy and sweetish in taste.
Temperature resistance
Hardened seedlings tolerate a short drop in air temperature to -2...-4°C, adult plants can withstand frosts down to -4...-6°C.
Moisture and drought resistance
This is a moisture-loving crop - if there is a lack of moisture, the heads of cabbage grow small and loose. At the same time, excessive watering and waterlogging of the soil lead to rotting of the root system and death of plants. The optimal level of soil moisture is 80%.
Read also:
Resistance to diseases and pests
Krautkaiser is relatively resistant to gray and white rot, vascular and mucous bacteriosis, Fusarium wilt, and spot necrosis.
With improper care and constant temperature changes, the hybrid can be affected by clubroot and downy mildew.
Dangerous pests include flea beetles, aphids and cabbage flies.
Scope of application of this cabbage hybrid
Krautkaiser cabbage is consumed fresh, added to salads and hot dishes, pickled and fermented.
Reference. Due to the high concentration of vitamin C, Krautkaiser leaves are used in folk medicine to prevent and treat colds.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of the hybrid:
- friendly harvest formation;
- large fruit;
- unpretentiousness to soil composition;
- ability to adapt to different weather conditions;
- high productivity;
- good commercial qualities and excellent taste of heads of cabbage;
- transportability and keeping quality;
- long-term (4-7 months or more) storage;
- no tendency to crack.
Disadvantages of Krautkaiser cabbage:
- average degree of frost resistance;
- low resistance to a number of diseases;
- requirement for watering.
Growing technology
When planting Krautkaiser cabbage, it is necessary to correctly select and prepare the place and planting material, observe the sowing dates and provide the crop with proper care.
Optimal conditions
Despite his unpretentiousness in soil composition, Krautkaiser prefers nutritious, light, loose soil with a medium or neutral acidity level.
The best option is loam or black soil. In the fall, the area is loosened, dug up with a shovel, and fed with mineral fertilizers, humus or compost.
The planting site should be sunny, open, protected from drafts and cold winds. The best predecessors are legumes, cucumbers and potatoes.
Important! You cannot plant cabbage in lowlands - stagnant moisture leads to rotting of the root system.
Before sowing, the seeds are wrapped in gauze for 20-25 minutes. lowered into a warm place (+45…+50°C), and then for 2-3 minutes. into cold water.After this, the planting material is soaked for 12 hours in a solution of a growth stimulator (Kornevin, Epin), after swelling, it is again wrapped in gauze and put in the refrigerator overnight. For 2-3 days, the seeds are kept at room temperature during the day and placed in the cold at night.
To grow seedlings, use a substrate consisting of equal parts of humus and turf soil with the addition of wood ash. To disinfect it, it is calcined in advance for half an hour in the oven at a temperature of +180°C or spilled with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Landing dates and rules
Seeds for seedlings are sown in mid-April. The prepared substrate is poured into containers with a layer of 7-8 cm, depressions of 1-1.5 cm are made on the surface, seeds are placed in them, covered with soil on top and watered generously with a spray bottle.
Cover the container with polyethylene and put it in a bright place at a temperature of +18…+23°C. After 5-7 days, when shoots appear, the shelter is removed and for 13-15 hours the seedlings are transferred to a cooler place with a temperature of +15...+19°C.
When two full-fledged leaves are formed on the seedlings, the seedlings are planted, burying the cotyledon leaves into the soil.
15 days before transplanting seedlings into the ground, they begin to harden them. To do this, containers with seedlings are taken out onto the street or balcony every day, first for 5-6 hours, gradually increasing this time.
30-35 days after sowing the seeds, the seedlings are planted in open ground. Depending on the climate of the region, this time falls at the beginning, middle or end of May.
Landing rules:
- Form rows on the prepared area at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
- Dig planting holes in them every 40-50 cm.
- Water them generously with settled warm (+18…+20°C) water.
- Remove the seedlings from the container along with a lump of earth and place them in the holes.
- Cover the plants with nutritious soil and water generously.
The optimal planting density of Krautkaiser is 30-35 thousand per 1 hectare.
Further care
Within 2-3 weeks after transplanting the seedlings into the ground, it is watered 2-3 times a week. Then watering is carried out once every five days, in case of hot and dry weather - every three days.
The soil must be constantly moistened by at least 80% - this is necessary for the formation of large heads of cabbage. During the period of ripening of the heads, watering is stopped to avoid their cracking.
The soil is loosened weekly. For the first time to a depth of 4-5 cm, then 7-8 cm. This improves access of oxygen and moisture to the roots, enriches the soil with nutrients, activates the growth of greenery and avoids the formation of a dry crust on the soil surface.
Cabbage is hilled twice a season - after the formation of small heads and 2-3 weeks after that. The procedure is carried out after rain or watering, raking the soil up to the trunk to the level of the first full-fledged leaves. The soil between the rows is sprinkled with wood ash.
Reference. Krautkaiser is able to suppress the growth of weeds, which reduces the need for weeding to a minimum.
Fertilizers are applied at least twice per season:
- 15 days after transplanting the seedlings - a solution of ammonium nitrate (10 g per 10 liters of water);
- period of setting heads - 8 g of potassium sulfate, 5 g of double superphosphate and 4 g of urea, diluted in 10 liters of water.
Possible problems, diseases, pests
Cabbage can be affected by:
- Clubroot is a fungal disease that affects the roots of plants causing growths to appear on them;
- peronosporosis (downy mildew) - white spots appear on the underside of cabbage leaves, which over time spread over the entire surface of the leaf blades.
To prevent diseases, the soil on the site is limed, regularly loosened and weeded, the level of soil moisture is monitored and treated with fungicidal preparations - “Fitosporin”, “Oxychom”, “Abiga-Peak”.
Pests dangerous to Krautkaiser are flea beetles, aphids and cabbage flies. To get rid of insects, plantings are treated with ash decoction and insecticides, for example, “Bazudin”, “Iskra-M”, “Senpai”, “Fufanon”, “Inta-Vir”.
Features of growing this hybrid depending on the region
The requirements that Krautkaiser cabbage places on cultivation and care do not change dramatically depending on the climatic conditions of the region. Only the timing of transplanting seedlings into open ground differs, so they are guided by weather conditions - there should be no risk of recurrent night frosts, and the minimum permissible soil temperature is +5...+7°C.
The frequency of watering plants also depends on the weather - the hotter and drier the weather, the more often irrigation is carried out.
Reviews from summer residents
On specialized forums, gardeners speak positively about the Krautkaiser hybrid:
Vladimir, Voronezh: “For pickling and pickling, I always plant three varieties of cabbage: Krautkaiser, Atria and Krautman. I like them all, but Krautkaiser will benefit from the fact that he is undemanding to the soil, and even fights weeds himself; there is practically no need to weed the ground. I can’t say anything about storage, because I always process the harvest right away - no one in our family eats raw cabbage. But I think that the heads of cabbage will definitely lie in the cellar for six months.”
Valentina, Bryansk: “Last year I planted Krautkaiser for the first time and, compared to other varieties that I grew before, it performed just fine. The productivity is high, the heads of cabbage are very beautiful, juicy and sweet. At the same time, I can’t say that caring for this cabbage is difficult; in general, everything is as usual. I tried fermenting several heads of cabbage and liked the results. Now I will plant more Krautkaiser so that I have enough for fermentation and salting.”
Marina, Krasnoyarsk: “I have no complaints about Krautkaiser - the harvest is rich, the heads of cabbage are large, dense and sweet, they ripen together. If I were to look for shortcomings, I would note that the cabbage is very “sprawly” and takes up a lot of space on the plot.”
Read also:
Conclusion
Krautkaiser f1 is one of the best mid-late hybrids of white cabbage. It is characterized by unpretentiousness to care, climatic conditions and soil composition, high yield and large heads of cabbage with juiciness and a pleasant sweet taste. The harvest is well stored, and the heads of cabbage are suitable for universal use.