Do you know what a pink heron is? This name has nothing to do with the animal kingdom. This is the name of the type of decorative cabbage, which will be discussed in our article.
Biological characteristics
The "pink heron" was brought to us from Japan. It was there that breeders first suggested using this plant not as food, but as a decor. This plant can grow up to a meter. Two-year-old ornamental cabbage leaves have the same size. In the first year, a dense leaf rosette is formed in her, 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 she is especially beautiful in late autumn, even during the first snow. During this period, almost all plants are already fading. In the photo, "pink heron" resembles a large rose bud with a delicate color.
Sowing and transplanting
The pink heron cabbage is propagated by seed. In early spring, they are planted in greenhouses. To do this, prepare well-moistened holes with a distance between them of about 5 cm. 2-3 seeds are placed in each. 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 the open ground.
You can sow seeds directly into the soil, but it must be well warmed up. Therefore, it is better to do this in May-June. "Pink Heron" prefers loamy and sandy loamy soil. Like other plants from this family, this species needs to be planted in the evening or in cloudy weather. Seedlings are deepened into the soil to cotyledonous leaves, watered and compact the earth around. This cabbage is photophilous, but it is better to shelter young shoots from direct sunlight.
"Pink Heron": care conditions
"Pink Heron" is a fairly cold-resistant plant. It even tolerates frosts down to -10 degrees. It requires regular watering, cultivation and removal of weeds. The first top dressing can be carried out already two weeks after transplanting seedlings into the ground. To do this, it is best to use mullein or urea. After another two weeks, you can add a complex of mineral fertilizers. Excessive amounts of certain complementary foods can lead to the loss of an attractive plant appearance. Therefore, it is necessary to fertilize only young cabbage.
The "pink heron" is unpretentious. She painlessly transfers the transplant. Therefore, by autumn, you can change its place in the flowerbed, because many plants by this time already have faded. In pots and flowerpots, cabbage will be the decoration of your home throughout December. And cutting the "bud", you can put it in the water. There he will stand still for a month.
The neighbors of the "pink heron" in the flowerbed can be plants of different heights. From undersized, decorative onions, petunia, nasturtium, cosmea will do. Tall plants should be few. They create a lot of shade, and the "pink heron" is a photophilous 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 or Cruciferous family. 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 simply need to be assembled manually. This method will be very effective.
Enemies of the "pink heron" also include caterpillars of whitewash 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 decorative cabbage is also a malicious pest. Excessive moisture leads to the formation of a "black leg". The root part of the stem blackens, and the plant dies. This disease is observed only in seedlings. Therefore, it is recommended to water the soil abundantly immediately after planting, and then limit it to spraying.
"Pink Heron": an answer to the culinary specialists
The leaves of this variety of decorative cabbage are very attractive. But since it came from wild species, the pink heron also has valuable nutritional qualities. Its leaves contain a large amount of mineral salts and vitamins. It is especially rich in calcium.
Therefore, the "pink heron" can be used to prepare various salads. To prepare them, chopped cabbage leaves add sweet pepper, carrots, garlic and spices. Such salads can be pickled in jars for the winter.
So, "pink heron" is a variety of decorative cabbage. It got its name due to the delicate color of the leaf outlet. This frost-resistant two-year plant is unpretentious in care. Propagated by seeds. You can sow them both in open ground and in greenhouses for growing seedlings. "Pink heron" will be a wonderful decoration for your flower bed until the first frost and will delight you for a long time.