Is it necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage: all the pros and cons

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Is it necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage: all the pros and cons
Is it necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage: all the pros and cons

Video: Is it necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage: all the pros and cons

Video: Is it necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage: all the pros and cons
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Those who do not know whether it is possible and necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage often deprive themselves of a good harvest on their own. But why this vegetable reacts so much to human intervention in its natural processes, let's figure it out with the help of the knowledge and experience of professionals.

Do I need to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage
Do I need to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage

Myths of self-taught gardeners

The most problematic crop for summer residents is cabbage, as seedlings often die in the ground from lack of moisture and fertilizers. But even those sprouts that were able to transfer the transplant and took root in the new conditions do not give the desired result - large and dense forks. There can be a lot of reasons for such a “fiasco” of gardeners, starting with soil depletion and ending with insects and pests. However, to write off all the failures only on natural factors is not worth it. An inexperienced gardener also causes great harm to the plant, violating the rules for caring for the crop and interfering with the natural formation of the fork. Therefore, it is necessary to figure out whether it is necessary to cut off the lower leaves of the cabbage in more detail. And also take into account the points of view of both beginners and professionals on this issue.

ManyThe "professionals" of the land business are convinced that the aesthetic appearance of a head of cabbage should not be spoiled by deformed covering leaves both in the kitchen of an experienced housewife and in the garden. In addition, they even convince themselves that they know how and when to pick leaves from cabbage so that the forks will thicken and increase in size. At the same time, adhering to their point of view in growing vegetables, they cannot argue any of the rules from an agronomic position. Such beliefs are built on the legends of past generations and the advice of the same self-taught gardeners who themselves do not know whether it is necessary to cut off the lower leaves of the cabbage.

Recommendations from professional agronomists

Cabbage pick off the lower leaves
Cabbage pick off the lower leaves

Based not only on experience, but also on knowledge, experts in the field of growing domestic vegetables are very categorical on the question of whether it is necessary to cut off the covering leaves of cabbage. Their unambiguous negative answer does not apply only to diseased and pest-damaged parts of the vegetable. In other cases, cabbage does not require cutting off the lower leaves, which are the assimilation apparatus for the whole plant. Firstly, they protect the forks from penetrating insects who want to profit from juicy cabbage. Secondly, the covering leaves act as a moisture and temperature regulator. And thirdly, they protect the head of cabbage from infection with various pathogens, so it is recommended to leave cabbage with several covering leaves even for storage.

Consequences of disturbing the natural growth of cabbage

When to cut leavescabbage
When to cut leavescabbage

When discussing whether it is necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage, it must be remembered that a plant is a complex organism that is independently responsible for its growth. Each of its parts performs its irreplaceable function, so the removal of covering elements leads to a violation of natural processes. And this applies not only to green, but also withered and rotten leaves, which serve as the so-called “garbage chute” for the plant.

Those who still doubt whether it is necessary to cut off the lower leaves of cabbage should be reminded that the cuts of this vegetable actively secrete juice with a specific smell. And if this aroma is almost imperceptible for humans, then for insects it is very attractive. Within a couple of minutes after removing a leaf of cabbage forks, it will simply be attacked by various pests, and the result is a sickly weak plant and the lack of a good harvest.

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