Does cabbage need heat to germinate?
Allow the seeds to germinate. Place the container in a warm location and keep the soil moist by spraying it with warm water as needed. Cabbage seeds require a temperature of 70 degrees F to germinate. Expect the seeds to germinate between five to 10 days.
Growing Cabbages from Sowing to Harvest - YouTube
Seeds need both moisture and warmth to germinate. Warm up the soil before sowing your seeds. And warmth from below the seed tray is best, without allowing the potting mix to dry out.
Sow cabbage seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last spring frost for a spring crop and 14 weeks before the first fall frost. Seeds sprout in 4 to 10 days.
Too much or too little water is the most likely reason for seeds not germinating. With too little or no water, seeds remain dormant. With too much water, seeds become susceptible to rot or infection from soil-borne fungi (also referred to as "dampening off").
Growing Temperatures
The optimum temperature for growing a successful cabbage crop is 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Cabbage will grow at temperatures as low as 45 degrees and can tolerate high temperatures up to 80 degrees, but if it gets any warmer, cabbage will bolt.
Once your containers are filled, soak them thoroughly. If you are on city water, you may need to use filtered water for your plants. There are very harsh chemicals in treated city water which will hinder the growth of your seedlings. Select the seeds you'd like to plant.
Seeds usually germinate within 2-6 weeks at 75-85F. Variable, some seeds sprout within 1-3 weeks, others take much longer. Soil must be at 70-85F for reliable germination results. Varying germination times.
- Broccoli.
- Brussels sprouts.
- Cabbage.
- Cauliflower.
- Eggplant.
- Lettuce.
- Peppers.
- Pumpkin.
Most seeds germinate when the soil temperature is between 68(and 86(F. Once germination occurs, the optimum growing temperature for theseedling is about 10(F cooler than the optimum germination temperature. Moisture is critical for germinating seeds.
Why does heat increase germination?
For seeds to germinate, they need to imbibe water. For this to occur, sufficient moisture must be present. A warmer climate may increase evaporation and decrease moisture, which would negatively affect germination.
If you plant in the spring for summer harvest, you should start cabbage indoors. For a fall crop, plant seed directly in the garden in early July. Cabbage will tolerate below-freezing temperatures late in plant growth.
Cabbages can be sown either directly in the ground outside or in modular trays (and left outdoors). If you only want a few cabbages or have limited space, it's easiest to sow in trays (one seed per module), then transplant outdoors later.
Coax them Along. Two weeks after planting, side-dress the cabbage with 20-10-10 fertilizer. This is a high-nitrogen fertilizer that will give the cabbage the boost it needs to grow large. To determine where to place the fertilizer, measure the cabbage from the center to the outer leaves.
Cabbage is a cool-season crop that requires 70 to 120 days to reach harvest. Cabbage is best grown in temperatures between 25ºF and 80ºF (9º-27ºC), but is frost-hardy to temperatures as low as 20ºF.
As temperature increased up to 31 C so did germination; thereafter, it decreased. There appears to be a preference for high constant or high alternating temperatures in germination. As light intensity decreased so did growth in terms of leaf area, dry weight and relative growth rate. ... [Show full abstract]
Chinese Cabbage Brassica oleracea - Capitata Group | ||
---|---|---|
Seed Depth | Soil Temp. for Germination | Planting Time |
1/4 to 1/2" | 70 F to 85 F | Spring/Fall |
USDA Hardiness Zone | Seed Spacing | Days to Harvest |
N/A | 3 to 4" | 55 - 85 days |