Do you know what a "pink heron" is? This name has nothing to do with the animal world. This is the name of the type of ornamental cabbage, which will be discussed in our article.
Biological characteristics
"Pink Heron" was brought to us from Japan. It was there that breeders first suggested using this plant not as food, but as decoration. This plant can grow up to almost a meter. The diameter of the leaves of two-year-old ornamental cabbage has the same size. In the first year, a dense leaf rosette is formed, and in the second year, large inflorescences and fruits can already be seen.
Cabbage "pink heron" has an attractive appearance for a long period - from July to October. But it is especially beautiful in late autumn, even during the first snow. During this period, almost all plants are already fading. In the photo, the "pink heron" resembles a large rosebud with a delicate color.
Sowing and transplanting
Cabbage "pink heron" propagated by seeds. In early spring, they are planted in greenhouses. To do this, prepare well-moistened wells with a distance of about 5 cm between them.each place 2-3 seeds. When seedlings appear, they will need to be thinned out in order to remove weak shoots. For further development, the temperature is maintained at +15 degrees. In May, the sprouts can be transplanted into open ground.
You can sow seeds directly into the soil, but it must be well warmed up. Therefore, it is better to do it in May-June. "Pink heron" prefers loamy and sandy soil. Like other plants from this family, this species should be planted in the evening or on cloudy days. Seedlings are deepened into the soil to the cotyledon leaves, watered and compacted around the ground. This cabbage is photophilous, but it is better to cover young sprouts from direct sunlight.
"Pink Heron": care conditions
"Pink Heron" is a rather cold-resistant plant. It even tolerates frosts down to -10 degrees. It requires regular watering, loosening and removal of weeds. The first top dressing can be carried out as early as two weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground. For this, it is best to use mullein or urea. After another two weeks, you can add a complex of mineral fertilizers. Excessive amounts of some complementary foods can lead to the loss of an attractive plant appearance. Therefore, only young cabbages need to be fertilized.
"Pink Heron" is unpretentious. She tolerates the transplant painlessly. Therefore, by the fall, you can change its place in the flower bed, because many plants will have faded by this time. In pots and flowerpots, cabbage will decorate your entire home. December. And cutting off the "bud", you can put it in the water. He will stay there for another month.
Neighbors of the "pink heron" in the flower bed can be plants of different heights. From undersized, decorative onions, petunia, nasturtium, kosmeya are suitable. There should be few tall plants. They provide a lot of shade, and "pink heron" is a light-loving variety. Tall plants have a well-developed root system, which inhibits the growth of the cabbage itself.
Unexpected danger
"Pink Heron" is a typical representative of the Cabbage family, or Cruciferae. Therefore, pests typical of plants close to them also settle on it. First of all, these are slugs and snails. To protect against them, ash or fallen needles are added to the soil. Especially a lot of these pests after rain. Therefore, during this period they just need to be collected manually. This method will be very effective.
The enemies of the "pink heron" also include white caterpillars and aphids. Spraying with a solution of superphosphate will help get rid of these butterflies. This must be done after watering.
It sounds strange, but water for ornamental cabbage is also a malicious pest. Excessive moisture leads to the formation of a "black leg". The basal part of the stem turns black, and the plant dies. This disease is observed only in seedlings. Therefore, it is recommended to water the soil abundantly immediately after planting, and in the future to be limited to spraying.
"Pink Heron": a response to cooks
The leaves of this ornamental cabbage variety are very attractive. But since it originated from wild species, the "pink heron" also has valuable nutritional qualities. Its leaves contain a large amount of mineral s alts and vitamins. It is especially rich in calcium.
Therefore, the "pink heron" can be used to prepare various salads. To prepare them, sweet peppers, carrots, garlic and spices are added to chopped cabbage leaves. Such salads can be marinated in jars for the winter.
So, "pink heron" is a variety of ornamental cabbage. It got its name due to the delicate color of the leaf rosette. This frost-resistant biennial plant is unpretentious in care. Propagated by seeds. They can be sown both in open ground and in greenhouses for growing seedlings. "Pink Heron" will be a wonderful decoration of your flower bed until the first frost and will delight you for a long time.
