Economic Importance, Homeland and Distribution Areas Cabbage group vegetables are marketed and consumed as vegetables in different ways throughout the year except for one or two months of the year in European countries and in our country. In our country, cabbages are utilized in many different ways; they are consumed raw as well as salads, capuska, meat dishes, wraps with olive oil and pickles. The total cultivation area of cabbage group vegetables is approximately 20 thousand hectares and the amount of production varies according to years and is around 675-700,000 tons. Approximately 100,000 tons of this production is leaf cabbage and almost all of it is produced in the Black Sea region. In regions other than the Black Sea region, cabbage varieties suitable for the evaluation methods of the region are produced and consumed. Red head cabbage is produced in the western and southern regions. These cabbages are buried in the ground according to the utilization habits of that region and then consumed as vegetables. The ones produced in our Marmara region are varieties for wrapping, pickling and pickling. The cabbages produced in our western regions are generally the varieties for wrapping and these are white head cabbages with thin leaves, soft heads and indistinct leaf veins. Soil requirements Cabbages are not selective in terms of soil requirements. However, the water holding capacity of the soil should be good. If grown in heavy soils, high yields are obtained, whereas if grown in light soils, lower and earlier yields are obtained. Soils with good drainage should be selected for fall and winter cultivation. The pH should be between 6-6.5 for cabbage plants. Development is not good in acidic soils. Cabbage is known as a salt resistant plant. Cabbage plants should not be grown in the same soil in a row. They must be alternated with vegetables from another family. Otherwise, development and growth will not be at the desired level due to soil fatigue. Soil preparation, sowing and planting Cabbage group vegetables can be produced by sowing the seeds directly into the field if the ecological conditions are suitable. However, in our country, cabbages are produced with seedlings. However, in our country, cabbages are produced with seedlings. Seedling cultivation is done in pillows and pans. In the nursery where seedlings will be grown, burnt farm fertilizer should be applied at least one month before seed sowing with tillage. Seed sowing for seedling production should be done in seedling growing pans at the beginning of July-August in our western and southern regions, and in cold pillows at the end of March and beginning of April in other regions. Seed sowing in seedling pans should be done by sprinkling or row sowing. Seedling pans should be clean and free of disease, pest and weed seeds. The seeds sown in the prepared seedling growing pans or pillows are covered with a cover not exceeding 1 cm. Disease and weed seeds germinate in the cover material in a very short time. Young plants appear on the soil surface 3-5 days after seed sowing. Cabbage seedlings reach planting size approximately one month after seed sowing.
Cabbage seedlings form 3-4 leaves in 30-35 days. They gain 15-20 cm in height and their stems reach the thickness of a pencil and become planting size. These seedlings should be planted in their original place without much delay. Cabbage group vegetables can be grown as the second crop after watermelon, barley, wheat and first crop corn in our western and southern regions. The field is cultivated after these crops. Since the roots of the cabbage plant go deep, the soil is plowed 20-25 cm deep. With the second plowing, farm fertilizer is applied to the soil. After plowing, the soil is prepared for planting. In the field where the seedlings will be planted, depending on the variety to be grown between the rows, 70-100 cm, 20-39 cm deep tubes are opened. The length of the tubes is adjusted according to the slope of the planting places. The direction of the tubes should also be adjusted according to the slope of the land. Hoeing Depending on the soil structure and weediness, hoeing is done once or twice, or after each irrigation to break the cream layer. In addition, herbicides (weed killers) are used to prevent weeding of the growing areas. If the growth and development of the cabbage plants planted in the cultivation areas are not at the desired level, irrigation is carried out until the plants reach the size to be hoeed. Hoeing should be done superficially in plants that have reached the hoe size due to the development of the fringe roots of the plant close to the soil surface. After these hoeing works, the plants start to develop rapidly. Watering should be done regularly according to the development status of the plants. When the cabbage leaves gain a diameter of 30-35 cm, a second hoeing is done and after this hoeing, the previously allocated nitrogen fertilizer is applied to the leaf projection of the plants, not too close to the root. Irrigation The first irrigation after transplanting is done when cracks start to appear around the root of the plant. Generally, the development of the plants is monitored after this first irrigation. Regular irrigation should be done by taking into account the soil structure, environmental conditions and the development status of the plants. Like other vegetables whose leaves are eaten, cabbage is a water-loving plant. Plants that are not watered sufficiently do not develop well and yield and quality decrease. For this reason, irrigation should be done regularly and at regular intervals.
