Japanese cabbage Mizuna
Mustard greens, Japanese green lettuce, or Japanese cabbage mizuna are two varieties of the Japanese cruciferous crop. This unusually tasty and healthy plant is also called a culture for the lazy, because mizuna does not need painstaking care and can even be grown on a windowsill.
Japanese cabbage Mizuna
Plant description
Japanese salad cabbage is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and frost resistance (it can withstand up to -2-3 ° C).
Mizuna has unusual characteristics:
- early ripening culture, for full suitability for food it takes only about one and a half to two months;
- the seeds are very small, grayish-black in color;
- does not form a head of cabbage and belongs to the subspecies of collard greens;
- depending on the variety, the color of the leaves varies from bright green to red-brown;
- the plant blooms with small light yellow flowers;
- has an unusual spicy taste, mildly pungent, sometimes tart (contains less mustard oils than analogues);
- forms an edible root vegetable (about 10-15 cm), with a taste reminiscent of rutabagas;
- thanks to its unusual lace leaves, the culture is often used as a decor for parks and gardens.
To date, two varieties of Japanese cabbage have been introduced into the State Register of the Russian Federation - Gavrish (Little Mermaid) and SeDek (Pizhon).
Gavrish variety
Gavrish (Little Mermaid) is a mid-season variety, named because of the unusual shape of the leaves. The culture has such distinctive features:
- height of an adult plant - 35-40cm;
- leaves are green, feathery, lyre-shaped, with jagged edges;
- the petiole is white;
- socket of slight elevation or horizontal;
- contains on average 50-60 sheets;
- the diameter of the deciduous bunch - up to 70cm;
- from the moment of the first shoots of this variety of Japanese cabbage to the time of harvest, 50-60 days pass;
- the weight of one plant is 1.2-1.7 kg;
- tolerates the rise and fall of temperatures well;
- the variety is resistant to flowering;
- suitable for growing in greenhouses and in open areas from early spring to late autumn;
- has a universal purpose, it is used fresh, salted and pickled.
Sort SeDec
SeDek (Dude) is an early ripening variety. It takes only a month to get the harvest. Features of culture:
- horizontal outlet;
- the sheets have a strong dissection;
- the weight of one plant is 300-500 g;
- adapted for growing in open and protected ground;
- after cutting the leaves, it grows new ones very quickly;
- has a salad purpose.
Cabbage is good in salads
In addition to these varieties, there are also such options on sale: Mizuna Green (with characteristic openwork foliage, ideal for decoration) and Mizuna Red (green foliage with anthocyanin).
Sowing
Light soils with good drainage and high organic content are ideal for growing. But even on poor soil with an average level of air and moisture capacity, the plant will show a good result.
When planting a crop, it is imperative to remember about crop rotation: to obtain a good level of yield, you cannot plant seeds or seedlings of green mustard after other varieties of cabbage. It is best to use the beds after growing legumes, peppers, beets or tomatoes.
To properly plant the seeds of Japanese salad, you must adhere to the following rules:
- planting can be carried out both by seedling method and by sowing seeds in the ground;
- the optimal disembarkation time is April-May;
- to obtain a continuous succession of seedlings, it is necessary to sow Japanese cabbage seeds from April (when the soil temperature is at least 10 °) to the end of August with an interval of 2 weeks;
- seeds are planted in rows, the gap between them should not exceed 20-30 cm;
- the optimum temperature for sowing seeds is 15-20 ° С;
- under favorable conditions, the first shoots germinate a week after planting;
- in open ground conditions, the first shoots must be covered with a film or thin non-woven material (up to the emergence of shoots);
- after germination of seedlings, it is necessary to thin out;
- selective cutting of greens is carried out when the leaves reach 10 cm (if you leave the root, the greens will grow back);
- mature rosettes are cut completely, keeping the root in the soil.
Care
The care that Japanese cabbage requires is similar to that of Chinese cabbage.
Watering
All varieties of such cabbage are distinguished by their moisture-loving nature, but it is absolutely impossible to overmoisten them. Excess moisture reduces yields and can lead to rotting of the root system. It is necessary to water both the roots and the ground between the seedlings.
Weeding
Regular weeding is mandatory, because weeds can be a source of pest infestations. Mulching the soil will help to reduce the number of weeding. The distance between plants for full growth should be at least 20 cm.
Fertilizer
To increase the green mass and quick recovery after cutting the greens, it is necessary to apply fertilizers every 2 weeks. Japanese cabbage is fed mainly due to phosphorus and potassium. Like petsai, the culture is prone to nitrate accumulation. Therefore, the application of nitrogen fertilizers should be minimal.
The ideal top dressing for green mustard is wood ash (used in dry pollination and as a component of infusion for the root system). Japanese kale is a short day crop and needs shading in the afternoon (otherwise arrows may form).
Pests
Cabbage can be attacked by pests
Collard greens are susceptible to pests such as:
- cabbage aphids,
- cruciferous fleas,
- slugs,
- bears.
Chemicals are not used in the cultivation of Japanese cabbage, so folk recipes are used. The most popular remedies are herbal teas, tobacco dust, and wood ash. Special traps are set against the bear.
An important preventive method is periodic inspection of seedlings for the timely start of the fight in case of damage to the culture.
Diseases
This vegetable shows resistance to most diseases, but still it is susceptible to fungal diseases:
- keel;
- false dew.
Keela
The fungal form of the disease mainly affects ornamental and vegetable crops. The disease is expressed in the appearance of growths on the roots of the plant. The affected culture stops growing, the leaves lose color, the stem begins to dry out and deform. You can determine the presence of the disease by pulling it out of the ground and examining the roots.
Prophylaxis
To prevent the development of this disease, you need to inspect the plants before planting; it is better to refuse from weakened or deformed shoots right away. Liming the soil will also help prevent disease. Before planting, you need to mix the soil with lime, with the calculation of 1 kg per 4 sq.m.
False dew
False dew is also a fungal disease.It is expressed in the appearance of yellow-brown spots on the first full leaves of the vegetable.
Prophylaxis
- watering with warm water;
- crop rotation;
- tillage before planting, 200 gr. 1% Bordeaux liquid per 10 liters. water, the mixture is used as a liquid for irrigation 24 hours before planting.
Conclusion
The early ripening Japanese cabbage Mizuna is an unpretentious vegetable crop with an unusual spicy taste and beautiful appearance. Its leaves have a universal purpose, from the preparation of vitamin salads, soups and use in marinades, to the decorative decoration of gardens and parks.