Cabbage blooming with yellow flowers. Ornamental cabbage - features of use when decorating a garden (80 photos). Broccoli seedlings

Kira Stoletova

A head of broccoli grows with many heads. Broccoli blooms after ripening. If the broccoli has bloomed, the gardener made a mistake in care or did not properly harvest the garden.

When cabbage blooms

Immediately after planting the seedlings in open ground, care and fertilizing of the soil around the head of cabbage is organized. Cabbage is unpretentious and can withstand temperature changes; the vegetable rarely gets sick. Broccoli started to bloom in the following cases:

• when the vegetable began to bloom in the garden;
• when the broccoli immediately bloomed in the place where it was stored.

In the first case, the gardener did not have time to harvest the crop, and in the second, the technology for storing vegetables in the house was violated. If broccoli has begun to bloom, it should not be eaten or continued to be stored - flowering is a sign of spoiled cabbage.

The importance of agricultural technology

The flowering of broccoli cabbage is preceded by long-term care: the cabbage is planted as seedlings. Until the first shoots, the seedlings are stored in a greenhouse, and after that they are planted in open ground. For the normal ripening of a vegetable that can be eaten, create the right conditions: watering is carried out 4 times a month after fertilizing the soil. Fertilizing the soil depends on its composition. The soil also affects the ripening period of the vegetable, as well as the occurrence of flowering.

Incorrect harvest mode

The basic rule of harvesting is timely cutting of ripe heads of cabbage. If you miss the moment, the broccoli will definitely bloom.

Its color grows quickly and covers the entire head of cabbage in a few days. Flowering vegetables lose their tender juicy core and become tough and tasteless. Broccoli is grown for its vitamins and micronutrients: if you leave the head of cabbage for open ground, it spoils and is poorly prepared - such a dish will not bring any benefit.

First signs of flowering

An overcooked vegetable gradually changes - this is the first sign by which one can judge that cabbage is not suitable for consumption. In its normal state, cabbage is compressed into dense dark green buds. There should be no stains, signs of rot or dry heads on the head.

Be sure to monitor the condition of the head of cabbage: according to him appearance The harvest time is determined. Immediately before the flowering of the head of cabbage, which extends from the main stem, its shoots begin to turn yellow. First, uneven yellow-brown spots appear. Within a few days, the head of cabbage becomes covered with a characteristic color, which is difficult to get rid of.

If the cabbage is covered in color, it is too late to harvest. The harvest is cut and used for household needs (feeding livestock). Prudent housewives give away heads of cabbage heat treatment, but it is no longer possible to get all the beneficial substances from cabbage. A product that has bloomed rarely causes negative reactions, but it is not recommended to eat it.

Improper storage

A healthy harvest for sale or storage at home is also capable of blooming. Cabbage is stored in 2 ways:

• on short term- within 2-3 days;
• for a long period - several weeks.

If you manage to grow a healthy vegetable without flowering, it should be stored correctly. Even a recently healthy head can become covered with yellow flowers in a few days. In this case, the product loses all its beneficial properties.

Short term storage

To prevent yellow flowers from appearing on the fresh head, the cabbage head is stored like fresh greens. Cabbage for this storage method is cut without dividing into separate parts: the head remains whole and without cuts. To store it, prepare a container with water, where a cut of the stem is placed.

If you keep cabbage in water, it will become covered with yellow flowers. This happens the next day, when the vegetable gains moisture. If the cabbage has gone into color, you cannot cook it. If you freeze cabbage harvested in its normal form, after freezing it does not go into flowering. This is one of the most reliable ways to prevent cabbage from blooming.

Cold storage

Without preparation in the refrigerator under normal conditions, the vegetable will quickly spoil. Signs that cabbage is not suitable for consumption: a changed color of the head of cabbage and flowering that covers most of the head of cabbage. To prevent the appearance of inflorescences, it is necessary to properly prepare the place in the refrigerator.

Place a damp, wrung-out napkin on the bottom of the vegetable storage tray (it should be clean and larger in size than a head of cabbage). The head of cabbage is placed in a bag that cannot be closed, and then left on a napkin. Before putting cabbage in the refrigerator, do not wash or trim it. If the inflorescences have already appeared, this storage method is not suitable. It is important to respect the proximity in the refrigerator: apples or bananas should not be placed next to each other. The shelf life of cabbage without inflorescences in this form is no more than 2 weeks.

Conclusion

Broccoli is a food that can be cooked. It retains its beneficial properties and is easy to care for. In normal condition, no inflorescences should appear on the head. If the head of cabbage begins to bloom, the harvest is completely ruined. High humidity leads to the formation of yellow flowers on the head of cabbage. It is impossible to save such a product.

Cauliflower in the garden and on the table it is second only to ordinary white cabbage. However, popularity does not necessarily mean diversity.

Most gardeners prefer varieties of cauliflower forming white dense heads that are well protected from the scorching sun by the leaves. At the same time, the selection of this type of cabbage is aimed not only at developing stable and productive varieties, but also at creating multi-colored forms. European housewives have multi-colored cauliflower is much more popular than traditional white, because it allows you to create a real celebration of color on the plate. Professional chefs also love this cabbage.

Scientists began actively working on developing rainbow varieties of cauliflower back in the 70s of the 20th century. For this purpose, natural mutations were selected and used, which led to a change in the color of the head. As a result, numerous varieties with orange, yellow, purple, and green inflorescence colors were obtained. European companies such as Thompson & Morgan, Bejo Zaden, Syngenta, as well as the American company Monsanto have been particularly successful in breeding such varieties.

In terms of taste and beneficial properties, cabbage with multi-colored heads differs little from the usual white one, although it is inferior to it in terms of productivity. During cooking, the inflorescences do not lose color, but it still remains brighter if the vegetable is steamed or in batter. When cooking such cabbage, it is recommended to add a little citric acid to the water.

Besides beneficial properties inherent in ordinary cauliflower, varieties of different colors may have a higher content of certain substances, and also have characteristic taste characteristics.

Orange-headed cauliflower was first discovered by an American farmer back in the 1970s. The head of this cabbage was very small and loose, but the color attracted attention and over many years of work scientists managed to develop varieties with large, dense heads, which are valued for their high content of vitamin A and beta-carotene. These substances help maintain visual acuity and eye health. Their concentration in orange cabbage is 25 times higher than in regular white cabbage. In terms of taste, it is no different from varieties with a white head.

The following varieties and hybrids of cauliflower with an orange head are known: Cheddar F1 (Cheddar), Yarik F1, Sunset F1.

These varieties of cauliflower owe their bright color to their high anthocyanin content. These substances contained in varieties of cauliflower with purple and purple heads prevent heart and circulatory system diseases. Purple cauliflower has a more delicate taste than white cauliflower and cooks much faster. This must be taken into account when preparing dishes, since if the heat is cooked for too long, the color may disappear.

Most often you can find the following varieties and hybrids of cauliflower with purple and purple heads: Violet Queen F1, Rosalind, Amethyst F1, Graffiti F1, Purple Ball, Purple, Sicily Purple.

Cauliflower varieties with green heads contain a large number of antioxidants that help maintain youth. Taste qualities varieties of cauliflower with a green head vaguely resemble broccoli, but outwardly the head is as round as that of ordinary cauliflower.

The following varieties of cauliflower with a green head are known: Universal, Maserata green, Shannon, Green Trevi F1

Romanesco cabbage

Form of Romanesco cabbage so unusual that many do not immediately identify the identity of this vegetable. In Italy it is known as Romanesco, in Israel - cabbage-coral, in Germany and Poland – pyramidal cauliflower. Scientists are still arguing about the origin of Romanesco cabbage. It is believed that it originated from crossing ordinary cauliflower and broccoli.

The main feature of Romanesco cabbage is its unusual inflorescence, as if consisting of small pyramids. The heads have a beautiful emerald color. Romanesco is also characterized by certain taste characteristics. Cabbage practically does not have the characteristic cabbage smell that appears when boiled; the inflorescences are denser, do not overcook and have a pleasant nutty flavor.

Such varieties and hybrids have gained popularity like Emerald Cup, Amfora F1, Pinsio F1, Shannon, Silvia, Veronica F1. True, in the State Register this cabbage is listed as one of the varieties of cauliflower.

Whatever varieties of cauliflower you prefer, they will definitely decorate not only your table, but also your garden.

Cauliflower is not an ordinary garden crop. This is a rare case when it is not fruits, roots or even leaves that are eaten, but unopened inflorescences. They are fried, pickled, salted or used as one of the ingredients in winter vegetable salads.

Is it easy to grow such a plant, and caring for this crop involves following certain rules: timely planting, temperature regime, proper watering and periodic fertilization. Cauliflower is light-loving, heat-loving, and with the right agricultural technology you can get an excellent harvest.

However, the following phenomenon is often observed in the beds - cauliflower does not set, that is, inflorescences, which are used as food, do not form. Or unopened buds appear, but they are not united into a dense and dense inflorescence, but look loose and sparse.

So, let's try to answer the question why cauliflower does not set. After all, if there are no ovaries, there will be no harvest. Meanwhile, cauliflower is several times higher in protein, vitamin C and mineral salts than cabbage, so this will be a very significant loss for our diet.

The first reason why cauliflower does not set is the wrong choice of variety. Certain hybrids and some released varieties are too sensitive to even minor fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and under stressful conditions they do not form an ovary.

Another reason why cauliflower does not set is an error in choosing the time of sowing. Despite the fact that this plant is quite thermophilic, ovaries are formed at temperatures no higher than +18C°. More low temperature leads to slower development, but the inflorescences are larger. Therefore, seeds and seedlings must be planted so that the formation of buds occurs before extreme heat ( early varieties) or after it (late varieties).

Another typical one is irregular watering. This culture is moisture-loving, and especially a lot of liquid is required during the period of setting inflorescences and the formation of a leaf rosette.

Contrary to popular belief, a lack of nutrients in the garden does not prevent the formation of buds, but the head of cabbage turns out to be loose and sparse. The same can be observed in case of lack of moisture. But an excess of fertilizers causes much more serious harm - green leaves grow, which are not eaten, and as a result, huge green bushes without heads of cabbage are formed in the beds. One of the common mistakes when growing cauliflower is tearing off the lower rosette leaves. Although they are not eaten, they serve as a storehouse of nutrients for the inflorescences. Therefore, the head begins to form only after the formation of 7-9 rosette covering leaves.

To obtain a large, dense white inflorescence, it is recommended that after the formation of the ovaries, slightly shade the head from the straight sunlight. To do this, you can use any auxiliary materials, but the easiest way is to slightly break and tilt the upper rosette leaves or simply tie them over the inflorescences.

Decorative cabbage - unique plant for many reasons. The rosettes of leaves look modest and even inconspicuous for the first two months after germination. However, in the fall, when everything in the garden has withered, they turn into luxurious and bright flowers that are not afraid of frost. For the winter, the bush can be dug up and planted in a pot. The next season it will throw out an arrow with a beautiful flower at the top. In addition, the leaves of ornamental cabbage are edible and can decorate festive table. At the same time, the plant is easy to grow and does not require complex care.

Types of ornamental cabbage

Ornamental cabbage is the queen of the autumn garden. It will attract and delight the eye in September - October, when almost all crops have finished their growing season. The plant tolerates temperatures down to -8 ⁰C. And the variety of types and varieties gives you room for imagination. You can create flower beds, geometric shapes, pyramids, or randomly place large single bushes throughout the garden. There are compact forms that can grow in flower pots.

Compact ornamental cabbage grows well in pots

On sale you can find cabbages that look like huge roses or peonies, with carved or curly leaves. One rosette can be painted in 2-3 colors. Moreover, the color range is not limited in any way. There are ornamental cabbages with red, pink, burgundy, white, purple, blue, yellow and, of course, green leaves. Rosettes of leaves look elegant, on which bright strokes are applied as if by chance against a light background.

Ornamental cabbage is not inferior in beauty to roses and tulips

Before you go to the store for seeds, decide for yourself what kind of ornamental cabbage you need:

• growing as a tall bush (from 50 cm) with a flower at the top;
• short, with a squat rosette;
• large or compact;
• with openwork, wavy or solid and even leaves;
• yellow, red, blue shades or two or three colors.

For those who cannot decide, they sell variety mixtures of ornamental cabbage.

Video: what types of ornamental cabbage are, cultural features

Varieties of ornamental cabbage

Breeders from all continents are working on the creation of varieties and hybrids. Since the early 2000s, 12 varieties of domestic origin have been included in the Russian plant register. But the most popular are Dutch and Japanese hybrids. In the catalog of a large seed store you can count at least 50 varieties of ornamental cabbage. Almost all of them are mid-season; 120–130 days pass from sowing to the formation of a beautiful rosette.

Princess

This is a compact cabbage of the cabbage type. The leaves are corrugated and form a very dense rosette in the shape of a flower. Plant height no more than 35 cm, decorative from August to frost. The peculiarity of the variety is bicolor leaves: the outermost ones are green, and in the center of the rosette a green border contrasts with the main color, which can be white, yellow, pink, red or purple. In one bag they sell a mixture of seeds of the same cabbage variety, but of different colors.

Princess cabbage has colored leaves decorated with a green border.

Prince

The princess will be lonely in the garden without the Prince. The hybrid lives up to its name and is one of the most expressive among ornamental cabbages. An elegant rosette of serrated leaves forms on a thick and strong stem. Thanks to this shape, moisture does not retain on the leaves. This means that the Prince is not only, like all cabbages, resistant to cold, but also not affected by rot. The height of the bush is up to 30 cm. In summer the leaves are white-green, and in autumn at low temperatures they become bright red.

Prince cabbage consists of lacy leaves that look like feathers

Bright autumn

Cabbage is very similar in color and leaf shape to the Princess, but is even more compact: height - up to 20 cm, rosette diameter - 30 cm. It tolerates transplanting well. You can grow it in a secluded corner of the garden in the summer, and move it to a prominent place in the fall. Suitable for growing in pots.

The leaves of the cabbage Bright Autumn in the center of the rosette are colored yellow, pink, red and framed by a green border

Tokyo

Another compact ornamental cabbage (20–30 cm), striking in its beauty. Within one leaf, the color intensity can vary, for example, from pink to burgundy. Within the variety there is a wide color palette. By purchasing one packet of seeds, you can grow bushes with rosettes in yellow, red, bluish-green, pink-red, and purple shades. The leaves are gracefully cut and curled along the edges and have a bubbly or wavy surface.

Tokyo cabbage produces compact, brightly colored heads

This ornamental vegetable does not grow more than 20 cm in height. It is of the leaf type, so the rosette is loose, but this makes it look even more beautiful, like a bright, fancy flower. The head is round, flattened, green at the edges, and in the center it can be colored in different tones of yellow and red. The leaves are smooth with wavy edges.

Cabbage Autumn potpourri is colored in the main shades of autumn: yellow and red

Fringed-leaved

Cabbage forms a medium-sized rosette - up to 40 cm. From the name it is clear that all the beauty of this variety is concentrated in the shape of the leaves. They differ from ordinary cabbage plants: elongated and pointed. The edges are cut in the form of a fringe. The color of the outer leaves is green with crimson veins, and the center of the head is crimson.

Fringed cabbage lives up to its name by the appearance of its leaves.

Lace mosaic

The variety is different from the previous ones large sizes. Grows up to 60 cm in height. The leaves are curly with corrugated edges, monochromatic, the outer ones are green, and in the center of the rosette they are colored in yellow, blue or red shades, often interspersed with contrasting colors. The head resembles a giant peony flower.

Cabbage Lace mosaic forms large rosettes, the leaves are covered with a two-color mosaic pattern

Kai and Gerda

This cabbage, like the characters from the fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” is not afraid of frost. Withstands temperatures down to -15 ⁰C without loss! The bushes grow tall - 60–70 cm, and consist of fancy corrugated leaves of green or purple color. Kai and Gerda will not only decorate your garden, but will also supply the table with juicy greens for salads, soups, side dishes and other dishes until winter.

Cabbage Kai and Gerda: green and purple colors look good together

Sunrise

This recently appeared hybrid is considered by many to be the most beautiful among all ornamental cabbages. From one stalk grows several stems up to 45 cm high. Each is crowned with a rosette, repeating a rose flower. From the outside it looks like a bush or a bouquet of exotic flowers. Rosettes are two or three colors. The most spectacular ones consist of green, cream and pink leaves. But if you also need cabbage for food, then pair it with Sunrise with a variety with larger and juicier leaves.

Cabbage Sunrise - a bouquet of flowers from one stalk

Russian circle

A mixture of very beautiful cabbage. The plants grow compact - up to 30 cm. The heads are loose, reminiscent of roses. The leaves are round, smooth edges, decorated with colored veins and borders. Primary colors: white, all shades of yellow, red and green.

Russian krug cabbage has classic round leaves, but their luxurious color turns the rosettes into beautiful flowers.

Sowing ornamental cabbage

Ornamental cabbage is sown from late March to mid-April. Optimal temperature for growth: +14… +18 ⁰C. Seedlings tolerate frosts down to -4 ⁰C. The earth should thaw and warm up to +8 ⁰C... +10 ⁰C. Depending on the climatic conditions in the growing region, you yourself must decide where suitable conditions have developed during this period: in a greenhouse, hotbed, in open ground, or you will have to sow seedlings at home.

Video: sowing cabbage in open ground under bottles

Soil preparation and sowing scheme depending on the growing location (table)

For any sowing method, the seeding depth is 1 cm.
Ornamental cabbage, like any other, is afraid of rot and black leg at an early age. The soil and seeds must be disinfected. The soil can be scalded with boiling water or spilled with a purple solution of potassium permanganate. The same products are suitable for seeds. Only the water temperature should not be 100 ⁰C, as for land, but 50 ⁰C. Keep the seeds in hot water or in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, then remove and dip in clean cold water.

Video: preparing cabbage seeds and soil

Seeds in a colored shell do not need to be soaked and disinfected before sowing. They are coated with a glaze that contains fungicides and growth stimulants.

Growing ornamental cabbage

Cabbage seeds germinate in 3–5 days. From the first moments, small sprouts need plenty of sunlight and coolness. Conditions in closed and open ground are different. Therefore, care will be different.

With a lack of light, cabbage seedlings do not acquire a rich green color, become elongated, and grow weak

How to care for seedlings

As soon as the first loops of seedlings appear from the ground, move the box with seedlings to the brightest and coolest place. This could be a glazed balcony or veranda. Perhaps it has become warmer outside, and there is an opportunity to put the seedlings in a greenhouse or hothouse. For the first 3–4 days, the temperature should be at +8… +10 ⁰C, and in subsequent days no higher than +18 ⁰C. When growing on a windowsill, illuminate with a phytolamp, especially on cloudy days. In warm weather and with a lack of light, the stems will stretch out and fall to the ground; contact with it can cause blackleg.

Video: phytolamp effect on the north window

In addition to light and coolness, cabbage needs moisture. Water as soon as the top layer of soil begins to dry out. To prevent diseases, add potassium permanganate or Fitosporin to the water (1 tablespoon of working solution from the paste per 10 liters of water). After watering, ventilate the room with the seedlings.

The seedling period lasts about a month, which means you can have time to do 1-2 feedings:

1. In the phase of the first true leaf, and if you grow with picking, then a week after transplantation.
2. 10–14 days after the first, but no later than 2 weeks before planting in the ground.

If the plants are located in a living room, then use the universal fertilizer Fertika Lux (1 tbsp per 10 liters of water). For cabbage in a greenhouse or greenhouse, you can prepare fertilizer from an infusion of grass (1:5 with water), bird droppings (1:20 with water), mullein (1:10). If you buy bird droppings in a store, follow the instructions on the package.

Classic instructions for store-bought litter: for fertilizing, the fertilizer is diluted 1:100

A week before planting from closed to open ground, begin to harden the seedlings. Take it outside (to the garden, to the balcony) first for 1–2 hours, and by the end of the week - for the whole day.

Caring for cabbage in open ground

Care for seedlings in open ground is the same as for seedlings: water, feed. However, if indoors the main threat to cabbage is fungal diseases, then in open ground it is pests. Cruciferous flea beetles love to feast on young and juicy leaves. But they are easy to scare off by dusting the bushes and the ground around with ash or a mixture of ash and tobacco dust in any proportions. If there is a lot of tobacco dust, then you can only use it.

Cruciferous flea beetles settle in large colonies; they can eat young cabbage shoots entirely in one day

Another danger of open ground is that moisture quickly disappears from the ground, so you need to water more often than in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Mulch can solve the problem; cover the soil in the garden bed with cut grass, straw, and shavings. If you can get a lot of pine needles, then use it as mulch, spread the needles around the bushes. This way you will also protect the cabbage from slugs.

Slug protection from plastic bottle, the top edge must be bent downwards

Provide similar care to newly planted seedlings. Plus additionally: for the first 2-3 days it needs to be shaded and sprinkled. Soil preparation and planting scheme, as when sowing seeds in a permanent place in holes.

With any growing method (seedlings or directly into the ground with seeds), in June you will have young ornamental cabbage growing in your garden bed, with 3–5 leaves. Next, care for it like any cabbage, but take into account its growth characteristics. Tall varieties with stems can be hilled to make them more resilient. If the rosette is formed close to the ground, then this event will be unnecessary.

Video: ornamental cabbage in open ground, sowing and care

In mid-summer, cabbage is pestered by whites. There are several options for dealing with them:

• Collect caterpillars by hand.
• Disorient the whites by masking the smell of cabbage with marigolds or other fragrant herbs planted in the garden.
• Stick in different places Pegs the beds, put halves of eggshells on them. Butterflies see white spots, mistake them for their relatives and fly past the occupied territory.
• Treat with insecticides: Aktara, Aktelik, Karbafos, Intavir, etc. This option is suitable for ornamental cabbage, which is grown only for beauty. If you plan to pick leaves for salads, then follow the waiting periods specified in the instructions for the preparations.

Eggshells are guarding order - it helps some gardeners, not others, but it’s easy to check for yourself

Ornamental cabbage leaves look beautiful in salads. However, their taste cannot be called excellent; there is bitterness. But it disappears in the fall, when the cabbage falls under the first frost. And some people like fresh summer leaves. In any case, they contain trace elements and vitamins, and they contain twice as much protein and fiber as white cabbage. In terms of selenium content, ornamental cabbage is an absolute record holder among other species. Selenium reduces the risk of cancer, normalizes the activity of the thyroid gland and pancreas, restores cells, slows down aging, strengthens vision, increases reproductive function, helps remove toxins and heavy metals from the body.

One of the most important agricultural practices in caring for cabbage is watering.

Don't forget to water the cabbage regularly and well. The top 30 cm of soil under the bush should be saturated with water. IN hot weather Irrigate on the leaves. Splashes of water will also serve as a pest repellent. Keep row spacing loose and free of weeds.
As for fertilizing, over the entire summer it is enough to make two or three infusions of herbs, dung or mullein, that is, once a month. If you overfeed ornamental cabbage with nitrogen, the leaves will be large and juicy, but will not acquire bright colors. Green color will predominate. At the end of August and September, it is better to feed only with ash: powder the soil and loosen it.

How to extend the life of ornamental cabbage

In autumn, with the onset of cold weather, the most beautiful bushes can be dug up and planted in a flowerpot or bucket. There is no need to keep it in the room on the windowsill, next to the heating radiator. This culture does not like dry and warm air. It is recommended to place it on a glazed balcony, in winter Garden or on the veranda, that is, in a cool and well-lit room. If the plot is located under your windows, then leave the plants in the garden bed; you will be able to admire its beauty for a long time. And against the background of snow, decorated with frost, decorative cabbage will look simply fabulous.

Cabbage is a biennial crop. If you save it until spring and plant it again in the garden, it will produce an arrow decorated with beautiful flowers. You can admire it again and collect seeds. To plant in the second year, cabbage must be dug up by the roots before the first frost; frozen cabbage will rot in winter. The soil is shaken off the root and hung in the cellar with the rosette facing down. The leaves will not wither if optimal conditions for cabbage are created in the storage: temperature +1... -1 ⁰C, humidity - 85–95%. Walls, floors and shelves must be disinfected with lime, Anti-Rot preparation, etc.

Video: second life of ornamental cabbage