- Year of approval: 1943
- Appointment: for fresh consumption, for fermentation
- Leaf rosette: raised
- Leaf size: medium size
- Leaf color: gray-green to dark green
- Sheet surface: smooth to slightly wrinkled
- Petiole: medium length, strongly nude
- Outside stump: middle length
- Internal stump: short
- Weight, kg: 1,3-4,1
Not a single modern rating of the best varieties of white cabbage is complete without hybrids. They are indeed better in the short term than the classic varieties. But if you need a reliable, long-lasting plant, it is worth considering the varieties, including the legendary variety of Belarusian cabbage 455.
Description of the variety
Belorusskaya 455 is a classic variety of white cabbage. It was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements back in 1943. This is a versatile, hardy variety that can be grown in any regions of Russia, for yourself or for sale. Not to be confused with Belorusskaya 85. These two varieties are very similar, but Belorusskaya 85's heads of cabbage ripen 20 days later and the yield is slightly lower.
Characteristics of the appearance of the plant and heads of cabbage
The rosette is large enough against the background of modern varieties - 70-90 cm in diameter. The leaves are rounded, flat, bluish-green in color, dark, with barely pronounced wrinkles, usually smooth, there are light waves along the edge. The rosette is collected, the leaves deviate from the stem at an angle of 45 degrees. Petioles are of medium length, smooth. The leg is of medium height.
A head of cabbage of medium size, weighing 1.3-4.1 kg, oval. The outer leaves are green. Very dense, almost snow-white in section, short inner stalk. Keeping quality is 2-3 months.
Purpose and taste
The taste is great. The cabbage is crispy, juicy, with a delicate "green" taste. It is universal. Suitable for fresh dishes, salads, side dishes, soups. Excellent in salting and pickling - the cabbage turns out to be spicy, fragrant, very crispy.
Ripening terms
The variety is mid-season, the heads of cabbage are plucked 105-130 days after the emergence of mass shoots. The yield is friendly. As a rule, heads of cabbage ripen by October. The variety is convenient for machine harvesting.
Yield
The yield is excellent. 474-785 centners are removed from 1 hectare. From 1 sq. m - 4.5-8 kg. The yield of marketable products varies depending on the care: from 87 to 98%.
Growing and care
Mid-season and late varieties are best grown through seedlings. Seeds are sown in early April. For the prevention of black leg, soil for seedlings is spilled with potassium permanganate and a solution of "Fitosporin". The seeds are also pretreated: they are wrapped in gauze and immersed in hot water - 50 degrees, for 15 minutes, then the bag is immersed in cold water. Contrast "bathing" destroys pathogens.
After that, the seeds are etched in "Fitosporin" for 8 hours and, if desired, soaked in growth stimulants ("Epin", "Zircon", "Potassium humate"). Germination temperature + 20 ° С.
After germination, it is advisable to keep the seedlings at a temperature of + 13 ° C. They are watered moderately, avoiding drying out and stagnation of moisture. They light up if the temperature is higher, otherwise the seedlings will stretch out. It is better to sow seeds immediately in peat pots, peat tablets or cassettes; cabbage does not tolerate picking and transplanting well.
For planting, the distance between the seedlings is chosen - 60-70 cm in any direction.Planting should not be thickened. Each head of cabbage must be open to the light. Immediately after planting, watered with "Heteroauxin" (0.1 grams per 3 liters of water). A second watering with a stimulant is desirable 2-3 weeks after the first watering.
The most important care item during the season is watering. Water the cabbage with warm or cool (but not ice-cold) water, in the morning or evening, very abundantly. The soil should be soaked up to half a meter. Loosened immediately after watering. Covering the soil with mulch is very useful - it can be humus, sawdust, dry grass.
Watering should be completely stopped 14 days before harvest. Particular attention should be paid to the uniformity of irrigation, the soil should always be moist, drops from droughts to heavy rains can lead to cracking of the heads.
Three dressings are desirable: 2 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground, then every 3 weeks. For feeding, you can use a diluted mullein: 1 part manure to 7 parts water. Fertilizers are applied only to already moistened soil. Cut the cabbage with a leg, leave a small stump for storage. Heads of cabbage intended for storage for the winter are harvested before frost, in dry weather.
To grow a rich cabbage crop, you need to know when and how to plant this crop outdoors. Planting dates are determined depending on the variety. It is also necessary to properly prepare the soil and follow the rules of crop rotation.
Soil requirements
Cabbage loves light, breathable, fertile, neutral soils. The best option is loam after onions, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, under which a sufficient amount of fertilizer was applied. Any variety of cabbage should not be grown in the same place for 4-5 years; in relation to the Belorusskaya variety, this rule should be observed even more strictly. Failure to comply with crop rotation greatly increases the risk of disease.
Cabbage requires particularly careful care when growing. The plant quickly absorbs nutrients, so the soil needs to be enriched regularly. Adequate amounts of minerals, organics and nitrogen must be provided. Some products can be purchased at the store, while others are easy to make at home.
Disease and pest resistance
The cultivar was disease resistant for its time. Today, according to these indicators, it is a little outdated. Cabbage is susceptible to bacteriosis and keel, so it is better to take preventive measures in advance.
- The acidity of the soil should be neutral. If the pH is in the 5.0-5.8 range, spores multiply very actively. Acidic soils are sure to lime. In the spring, even in neutral soil, it will be useful to add 20 g of chalk.
- Do not plant cabbage after mustard, radish, radish or any other cabbage.
- Remove all weeds from the site, especially the rape or shepherd's purse, they also belong to the Cruciferous family and are often spore carriers.
- As soon as the affected plant was noticed, it is removed, burned, and the hole is spilled with potassium permanganate. The area where the disease was noticed must not be plowed.
Cabbage can also suffer from insects, whose larvae love its tasty and juicy leaves. These are cabbage flies, cruciferous fleas, aphids, white beetles. Such pests are removed mechanically or using insecticides.
A very useful measure to prevent pest attacks is hilling plants. The cabbage fly lays the larvae in the topsoil. Larvae cannot develop under a too thick layer of soil. In addition, hilling prevents lodging, prevents weeds from growing and stimulates the growth of new roots in cabbage. Cabbage is raked three times. The first time immediately after planting seedlings in the ground, the second - during the formation of the 3rd or 4th large cabbage leaf and the third - after the appearance of the ovary.
Cabbage is a very popular horticultural crop. But growing a good, large and tasty cabbage is sometimes very difficult, because it is often affected by a huge number of diseases and pests. The main role in the cultivation of this vegetable is played by regular prevention, which helps to get a rich harvest, and prevent the occurrence of diseases and the invasion of harmful insects. It is very important to start treatment as early as possible, otherwise there is a risk of spreading the infection to still unaffected plants.
Review overview
The impressions of the variety are different. Most gardeners praise the variety. The heads of cabbage are dense, fairly stable - they do not lose their juiciness for a couple of months, they are tasty, excellent in salting, they are not whimsical at all, they even tolerate strong September cold weather well and after that they can be stored for a long time. There are reviews that the plantings were severely affected by undiscovered diseases.
It is felt that the variety has many competitors. Much more interest is aroused by more modern hybrids and varieties, although in fact the White-headed 455 is in no way inferior to them. This variety is worth considering for anyone looking for a reliable, proven plant for pickling and harvesting.