When and how to harvest cabbage for storage for the winter

For long-term storage for the winter, late-ripening varieties of cabbage are used. By following the rules for harvesting and preparing heads of cabbage for storage, you will provide yourself with vitamins and fiber for the whole winter.

When to harvest cabbage for the winter

In October, cabbages of medium-late, late and hybrid varieties are harvested, which are suitable for long-term storage.

Mid-season and early varieties are harvested in the second half of September. Some prefer to clean it already at the end of June or July. You can not overdo it, otherwise it will crack and rot. If the head has become dense and formed, the vegetables can be removed. The shelf life of such cabbage is up to 1 month, as a result of which it must be used first. If you store it until spring, then it will simply deteriorate and become unsuitable for cooking.

Cabbage is a frost-resistant vegetable, but exposure to frost should be minimal. If you remove cabbage from under the snow at temperatures below -6 ° C, then they will be stored worse. If the vegetable is slightly frostbitten, it is recommended to wait until the cabbage thaws on the vine. At the same time, cabbage should not be harvested at temperatures above 7-8 ° C.

The optimal period for harvesting cabbage is when the night air temperature approaches zero, and during the day it rises to 8-10 ° C, no more.

The degree of maturity of cabbage can be determined by its appearance. If its lower leaves turn yellowish, and the head of cabbage hardens and no longer grows, then you can start harvesting the vegetable.

How to remove cabbage from the garden

Properly removing cabbage, you will ensure its maximum shelf life. The best time to harvest is a cool, dry autumn day. You can also harvest heads of cabbage in a light drizzle, but in this case, before moving them to the cellar, they must be completely dried. Heat is not suitable for harvesting: in this case, late-ripening varieties rot faster and wither.

Axes, shovels and knives should not be used. The cabbage is pulled out by hand in order to preserve the integrity of the stalk. If it is damaged, then the storage time of the vegetable is reduced, since in this case the fungus will multiply on the cabbage.

Right there in the open air it is necessary to sort the heads of cabbage. If the heads are broken, they should be used in cooking immediately. They should not be thrown away, as they are suitable for making salads and borscht.

Large, solid forks without inclusions and spots are suitable for long-term storage.

Heads of cabbage should not be peeled to white leaves. If there are 2-3 covering leaves on its surface, then the cabbage will be better protected from adverse external factors. The stalk remains in the region of 2-3 cm — this will prevent the penetration of harmful microorganisms into the vegetable.

Preparing for storage

Cabbage must be immediately moved to the premises for permanent storage. If any of the fruits turned out to be affected by bacteria, it is thrown away.

Suitable conditions for storing cabbage:

1. air temperature — 1-2 ° C;

2. humidity — 80-85%.

It is advisable to store cabbage in a dark room — for example, in the basement. However, 3-4 forks can also be kept in the refrigerator by wrapping each head in newspaper and packing it in a plastic bag. After a while, the newspaper will get wet, so it should be changed regularly.

If light enters the room, then the growth points can be activated, and then the germination of cabbage will begin.

Folk ways to store cabbage

There are 4 ways to store cabbageoften used by gardeners:

1. In slatted boxes. Such containers allow vegetables to breathe. Cabbage must be laid with the stumps inside.

2. In the form of a pyramid. Heads of cabbage must be laid out on a bed of spruce branches, reeds or straw (the bed should be thin). The initial layer of cabbage is laid out with the stalks up, and the next layer with the stalks down, as a result, four stalks at the bottom will support one at the top.

3. In clay. The clay is mixed with a small amount of water until a creamy consistency is reached. A head of cabbage must be tied with a rope and the vegetable must be lowered into clay, and then dried and hung to the ceiling in the cellar.

4. Upside down. To do this, it is necessary that the cabbage be with roots. You will need to tie the heads of cabbage in pairs and hang them from the crossbar so as to prevent them from touching.

Some store cabbage in ditches: they dig a trench on a hill with a width and depth of one head of cabbage, and a length of 10 heads. Cabbage is laid with the stumps up, and the covering sheets must be tucked down. Next, the cabbage is covered with earth, and as soon as frosts come, it is necessary to cover the beds using peat, straw or leaves. This option is suitable for those who do not have a cellar.

To prevent rotting you can pollinate cabbage heads with chalk or slaked lime (2-3 kg of product per 100 kg of vegetable).

In some regions of Europe, extreme methods of storing cabbage are used:

1. Residents of the Ural villages store heads of cabbage under a layer of snow without removing them. When cabbage is needed, it is simply dug up and used. The taste of the vegetable does not deteriorate at all.

2. Sometimes cabbage is left in any unheated room — for example, on a veranda. Cabbage forks freeze in the cold, and after defrosting, the leaves can be used to cook cabbage rolls — you just need to fill them with stuffing. But if the vegetables defrost earlier, then you can no longer use them in cooking, you will have to throw everything away.

Checking cabbage storage conditions

Check the condition of the vegetables from time to time. You will have to throw out the head if the leaves turn yellow and dry, with black veins. Such cabbage has undergone vascular bacteriosis — this disease is quickly transmitted to nearby heads of cabbage.

If the cabbage shows signs of gray mold, ventilate the room well. Reduced temperature and humidity will prevent the growth of bacteria.

When storing a vegetable in a basement or cellar, make sure that the cabbage does not come into contact with the ground. Otherwise, the risk of mold and decay increases.

What to do if a keel is found on the site

Kila is a common fungal disease of cabbage, which manifests itself in the form of yellowing, wilting, stunting of the vegetable. When a keel is found, it is necessary to get rid of it immediately, otherwise the entire crop may be in jeopardy.

Vegetables affected by clubroot must be removed from the garden, dried, and then burned on a metal disc. Before burning, douse the cabbage with gasoline. At the same time, it is important that the fire is bright and without smoke, since the fungus cysts can spread throughout the area with smoke. And so that the infection does not spread around the garden on shoes, separate shoes should be allocated for walking in the infected area.

If only single specimens of cabbage are infected with clubroot, it is enough to destroy them, remove a little earth from the holes where heads of cabbage grew from the garden, and moisten the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

To treat the soil, plants can be planted in infected places that are resistant to fungal infection and at the same time destroy pathogens: potatoes, garlic, onions, beets, spinach. As a result, the spores of the fungus will be removed in 2-3 years.