Ornamental cabbage: types, cultivation and care

Every gardener wants his summer cottage to be beautiful at any time of the year. Often the garden and the garden make out familiar to all flowering plants. We recommend you to pay attention to the decorative cabbage, which is valued for both beauty and taste.

The ancient Greeks knew about this plant, it was popular with the senators of ancient Rome and the Japanese overlords. The first gave it to animals as food, the second she was interested only from a gastronomic point of view. But the Japanese first drew attention to its beauty and began to be used for decorating landscape design.

Over time, breeders have bred more than eighty varieties of ornamental cabbage. Among them are large leaf, represented by low-growing plants, and small palm trees, and even multi-colored "pyramids" on thin tall stems. Openwork, corrugated, solid and strongly dissected leaves of plants produce an amazing impression.

Each of the varieties can be eaten, pre-frozen: the plant has a bitter taste, and freezing helps get rid of it.

To understand what is the beauty of planting this plant on the site, let's get acquainted with its main characteristics:

• Ornamental cabbage is a one or two-year-old herbaceous plant, reaching from 20 to 130 centimeters in height and up to one meter in diameter, depending on the variety.
• With regard to the number of roots, ornamental cabbage has a strong core root system. This diversity allows you to create compositions of any complexity on any landscape.
• The size of the cabbage leaves also depends on the variety. Therefore, their length ranges from 10 to 60 centimeters, and the maximum width - 30 centimeters. All leaves are “united” by a rosette.
• The edges of the ovate, obovate and elliptical leaves are repeatedly toothed, which makes them "lace". Openwork makes it possible to talk about the presence of festoon-like coarse-curled, scalloped-like-thin-curled and moss-like curly leaves.
• Decorative cabbage amazes with its richness of colors! Habitual green plants can be “revived” by planting cabbage with white stripes on green leaves or bluish green leaves among them. And you can give the site an exotic look, "settled" on the beds of yellow, cream or purple cabbage. The original combination of leaf flowers and shades will allow to decorate not only a separate flower bed, but also the whole area.
• In the first year of life in the open field cabbage pleases the owners only with its beauty. During this period, she has the formation of a basal rosette and the formation of leaves. But in the second year it blooms from hot July days until October frosts, forming large inflorescences.
• The plant is frost-resistant, easily tolerates a decrease in temperature to 12 degrees below zero. Interestingly, with a decrease in temperature, it becomes even more beautiful. Even the peak of flowering occurs in the autumn frosts. All this allows you to land it in regions with harsh climatic conditions.

Breeders have identified tall and rosette kinds of ornamental cabbage. The first is represented by plants whose height reaches 50-120 centimeters. They are distinguished by high stem and corrugated leaves. The second ones with a short stem and a loose rosette resemble peony flowers, chrysanthemums and the “queen of flowers” ​​- roses.

As a result of a long breeding work, scientists have brought out a lot of perennial and annual varieties of these wonderful plants with the most bizarre names. "Robin" is a loose head, resembling a huge red-purple rose.This mid-season variety reaches 40 centimeters in diameter and one and a half meters in height. Rosette is leafy with drooping whole leaves.

"Boheme" forms a semi-leafy rosette. The height of an adult plant is 25-40 centimeters with a diameter of 35-55 centimeters. Carved, wavy or curly leaves on the edges are painted in gray-green color, gradually turning into red-purple in the center. "Bohemia" can be used for both single and group planting. It can also be used as a casing. The plant retains a presentable appearance until late autumn, and if you transplant it into a container, then it will be until the New Year. Cabbage leaves can be chopped into a salad or decorated with ready-made dishes.

"Pearl" is also a rosette grade, which reaches a height of 30 centimeters. The leaves of the bottom of the cabbage are green, and in the top they whimsically blend white and pink foliage. The variety adorns the site until severe frosts.

“Kai and Gerda” are not afraid of the cold and feel great even at 15 degrees below zero. This variety is a tall plant, reaching 60-70 centimeters with green or purple corrugated leaves. It will be a year-round decoration and a kind of supplier of fresh juicy greens on your table.

"Tokyo" is one of the compact varieties (only 20-30 centimeters in diameter). Each leaf of this cabbage is gracefully cut and curled, colored by a smooth transition from pale pink to burgundy. But this color is not limited.

From one bag of seeds you can grow cabbage with yellow, red, bluish-green, pink-red or purple leaves, the additional decoration of which is a bubbly or wavy surface.

The Russian Circle possesses leaves of a classic round shape, and the luxurious coloring, colored streaks and fringe transform them into gorgeous flowers. These compact plants (only 30 centimeters in height) with loose heads, resembling roses, will fit both for bouquets and for creating original compositions. The color scheme is represented by white, red, green and all shades of yellow.

"Lace mosaic" is one of the overall varieties: grows to 60 centimeters in height. The cabbage resembles a giant peony with curly and corrugated leaves at the edges. The lower leaves are green and the central leaves are yellow, blue or green. Often, the "middle" is animated by contrasting shades.

“Nimble little turtle” - decorative cauliflower has deserved such a funny name. The heads of these compact plants look like a dome painted in a light green color. They are suitable for planting borders, and for creating various drawings. To heighten the effect of "Turtle" is permissible to combine with other varieties. It is light-requiring and cold-resistant at the same time: seedlings can withstand up to -4 degrees, and adult plants feel great at 8-12 degrees below zero.

"Sunrise" is considered perhaps the most beautiful variety. From one stalk grows several stems, each of which reaches up to 45 cm in height. The top of each stalk is crowned with a rosette resembling an enlarged rose. As a result, cabbage takes the form of a small bush or an exotic bouquet. The most spectacular combination is considered to be a mixture of the color of greens with cream and pink.

"Nagoya" is characterized by intensely colored and highly corrugated leaves. White, red or pink rounded leaves form a large outlet, the diameter of which reaches 60 centimeters. With the onset of autumn frosts, the plant will give you a burgundy, dark crimson or yellow color.

"Purple Dove" is a tight rosette of leaves of bright purple color, which becomes saturated at the end of summer.This is a compact variety, whose height and diameter do not exceed 40 centimeters. Cabbage retains its decorative properties until the onset of winter cold, and its large purple leaves can decorate any dish. This vegetable has a high content of selenium, so it is useful to eat it.

"Victoria" grows into a small dense head, whose height is 25-30 centimeters with a diameter of 30 centimeters. This is a frost-resistant annual with rounded leaves, wavy on the edges. With a decrease in temperature, its leaves become white and pale pink. "Victoria" can be planted in open ground to design borders or create fancy compositions.

Osaka is the brainchild of Japanese breeders. This annual plant reaches 60-70 centimeters in height. The diameter of its outlet is 20-30 centimeters. The dense two-color rosette is formed by wide sheet plates and pleases the eye with a diverse combination of colors. The most popular of them are considered to be combinations of raspberry and marsh, pink and light green, purple and dark green, crimson and dark purple. This variety is frost-resistant, withstands low temperatures and therefore will be an excellent decoration for the summer cottage in any terrain.

For planting decorative cabbage used seedling method and planting seeds in open ground. If you like the first option, plant the seeds in a container no later than March or April. Soil for future seedlings are purchased in a flower shop and washed thoroughly, and then sown in two or three seeds of ornamental cabbage in one hole with an interval of 5 centimeters.

Sprouts swoop down by ordinary thinning, removing weak plants. Vigorous growth is held by placing the seedlings in a cool, but bright room. The ideal option is a loggia or balcony, where the temperature is kept at 12-16 degrees. Thus, the seedlings are hardened for 30-40 days and planted in open ground in the last decade of April or in early May.

If you do not want to mess with the seedlings, the seeds can be planted immediately on the garden bed.

If you love flowers and are ready to pay attention to them, you will probably want to know about the proper cultivation of seeds at home. To do this, listen to the following recommendations:

• Before sowing, the seeds should be placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for the prevention of various diseases, and then in a solution of any agent that stimulates the growth of plants and keep there for at least two hours.
• Future cabbage is better to spread out on separate cups. This will protect the plant's root system from damage when landing in open ground. The more complete the roots, the faster it will grow.
• Decorative cabbage is undemanding to the ground, but for seedlings it is necessary to add sand and peat to it (possible in peat tablets). If you are not sure that the soil is safe for sprouts, steam it in a bath, warm it up in the oven and process it with Fitosporin. So you save the seedlings from the fungus.
• Seeds should be buried for one centimeter, and then cover them with cling film. After 4-5 days, the first shoots will appear, then the film can be removed to provide the plants with fresh air.
• Seedlings germinate at 20-22 degrees. When the first shoots appear, the temperature for 3-4 days should be reduced to 10-12 degrees. The optimum temperature for further growth of cabbage is 15-18 degrees.
• Seedlings should be kept in a well-lit room. Otherwise, the plant will stretch the stem, which does not hold heavy leafy rosettes.
• Irrigation regime should be built so that the soil was wet. But you shouldn’t pour it either, otherwise sprouts will get sick with the so-called black leg. Seedlings will approve spraying with water at room temperature.

If the future cabbage is stretched out, treat the plant stem with a growth retardant such as “Stopstroke” or “Athlete”. The stem will become thicker, growth will slow, and new roots will develop intensively. Sawdust poured into the container will support thin stems and save them from lodging. The same functions are performed by crushed peat.

Permissible fertilizer potash and phosphate drugs. Ecological wood ash can be used instead of chemical compounds. It can be purchased at the store or make yourself. For this fit young broadleaf trees.

A fair question arises whether to pinch the sprouted seedlings. Experienced gardeners argue that you can’t pinch the cabbage root, because this is the most vulnerable spot of this plant.

When the grown seedlings are decorated with three leaves, and the spring frosts are left behind, it is time to plant the plant on the garden bed. Ideally, this should be a well-lit open area with loamy or sandy soil on a small hill. If you have a flat area, make sure that the garden bed chosen for the plant is not flooded with rainwater.

The ideal fit is considered to be a 35 by 35 centimeters scheme. But to comply with it turns out not always. After all, these plants are planted in open ground, guided not by the usual calculation per square meter, but based on the design ideas and varietal characteristics of the plant. It is permissible to plant cabbage of compact varieties closer to each other, and overall plants should be placed in the center of the composition, surrounded by smaller ones.

The optimal time for planting seedlings - evening or any cloudy day. A handful of humus and wood ash or a teaspoon of universal fertilizer should be poured into the planting holes.

In the first summer month, a flower bed with decorative cabbage does not look attractive. Therefore, place on it early flowering plants such as bluebells, petunias, marigolds, lobelias and vervains. When the cabbage grows, flowers can be dug and transplanted to another place. And you can wait for the summer flowers to bloom and plant autumn flowers in their place, which will create a fancy composition along with bright decorative cabbage leaves.

This plant is unpretentious, but for its appearance to please you and amaze others, it also needs care. There are no special secrets on how to grow ornamental cabbage, but there are rules that should be followed. So, the plant needs abundant, but rare watering (not more than once a week) and in daily spraying in the evening or in the morning.

Young ornamental cabbage sprouts need regular weeding. As the leaves grow, the need for it will disappear by itself. To reduce the amount of weed can be zamulcirovav soil using sawdust, wood chips or decorative mulch. Dry grass or straw should not be poured, as they do not look aesthetically pleasing.

Two weeks after transplantation, cabbage should be fed with urea and diluted mullein per liter per ten liters of water. This dressing contributes to the intensive formation of cabbage leaves. Do not neglect the nitrogenous and organic fertilizers, accelerating the growth of the bush.

After watering and in the rainy period, do not be lazy to loosen the soil around the plant to prevent root rot. But proceed to the loosening procedure only when the cabbage bush forms at least ten leaves. Growing up cabbage also needs spudding in order to retain moisture in the soil and start the mechanism of lateral root formation.

For stability, it is permissible to sprinkle the plant with earth, leaving a small hole under the leaves. As it grows, the soil should be poured and the plant fed with nitrogenous fertilizers. But not excessively - “busting” will certainly weaken the immunity of the plant.

Another feature of the plant is its simplicity, allowing it to be transplanted from open ground to the pot and back. Thus, the plant can be transplanted two or three times, feeding it with a one and a half percent solution of "Kemira-Lux" or any other fertilizer.

Ornamental cabbage is subject to the attacks of the same parasites that harm its albumen "relative". For example, its leaves are also attractive for cabbage flies. To protect the plant from them, you can use paper "collars": cut out of paper the required number of circles 10 centimeters in diameter. Then cut each from the edge to the center, threading the stems and wrapping them tightly. When the cabbage gains strength, “clothes” can be removed.

The leaves of the future beauty will appeal to snails and slugs. To deal with them allow special means such as "Slyneed" or "Thunderstorm." As a natural defense, it is permissible to mulch the soil with pine needles.

From the caterpillars and aphids will save "Commander", "Aktara", as well as a solution of laundry soap in a weak concentration. Cruciferous flea scatter from a mixture of ash and tobacco dust (take the ratio of one to one).

A similar situation with diseases. Decorative cabbage is susceptible to fungal diseases (in particular, blackleg), root rot and phimosis. For preventive purposes, experts recommend to observe the irrigation regime. The soil around the newly transplanted seedlings is plentifully shed, and then simply maintain its moisture with frequent sprays.

If the trouble has already happened and the plant is sick, modern chemical means will help to cope with the disease. If several plants are planted in your flower bed, the infected specimens should be removed and the remaining ones treated with Fitosporin. There are no special recommendations on this subject; proceed according to the instructions attached to the preparation.

Two-year cabbage varieties bloom in the second year. As a rule, their flowering begins in mid-June and lasts until late autumn. They look impressive! Already formed adult plants are high dense rosettes of saturated green color. Gradually they bloom, revealing to goggles roses and peonies of unprecedented size.

Flowering annuals occurs in a similar way, only their beauty does not open in June, but closer to the middle of August.

If you plan to collect seeds from ornamental cabbage, plant several plants on the bed at once. A single copy of the seed will not give, and next year you will be engaged in the purchase of seed. If you broke a flower garden from these amazing plants, there will be no problems with pollination.

The process of collecting seeds is as follows:

• inflorescences are formed in June-July (or in the middle of August - for annuals);
• in their place the formation of pods takes place, in which the seeds ripen;
• all summer, the pods should be hidden from the birds with a thin cloth;
• only dried and yellowed pods should be cut;
• cut pods should be tied in a bundle and suspended in a dry place by placing newsletters under them;
• in two weeks the pods will dry out and the seeds in them will be ready for planting on the seedlings.

An example of planting decorative cabbage on a flower bed. Compact sockets of different colors, interspersed with flowering plants, planted around a tree trunk. Ideal for small areas.

Five outlets are formed in a kind of bouquet, which organically looks in the overall ceramic pot. Pink is dressed in its own right, and blotches of white flowers and delicate greenery bring bright accents. The optimal decoration for the garden and garden.

A green-pink hat from cabbage sockets towers above a graceful classic flowerpot. The combination of contrasting colors will enliven any part!

Another example of planting decorative cabbage on a small plot: luxurious rose with lush foliage adjacent to the usual marigolds. She will not have seeds, but you will have invaluable experience in handling this amazing plant.

If space permits, turn your dacha flowerbed into a miniature copy of the palace lawns. You will need a share of fantasy, pre-drafted design and precise landing on the picture. Well, decorative cabbage sockets will delight you until late autumn - not like the “royal” plants.

For more on the characteristics of ornamental cabbage, see the following video.