Napa cabbage is a brassica family plant and commonly known as Chinese Cabbage around the globe. You may easily buy it from the supermarket but Growing Napa Cabbage in pots is a much better choice if you want to enjoy its fresh sweet flavor and soft taste in your platter.
Choosing a Container
Select an 8 inches pot with drainage holes for one plant. A standard 12 inches planter can accommodate two plants. You can also grow multiple plants in such a pot but if the cabbage does not get enough room to grow, the heads will be comparatively small.
How to Grow Napa Cabbage in a Container?
Propagation From Seeds
You can grow napa cabbage from seeds easily. Start off by sowing the seeds in a seed-starting tray or pot, depending upon the number of plants. Sow the seeds at least half-inch deep in the soil and space them 2-3 inches apart.
As the seeds are fast germinating, you can expect new shoots to appear within 3-7 days. Once germinated, thin off weak and unsuccessful seedlings.
Planting Time
If you want to plant seeds in the spring, you should grow them indoors initially. Once the temperature reaches 40 F or higher outdoors, you can move the container outside. The last expected date of frost should pass before planting the seeds outdoors. The optimum temperature for planting seedlings in 60-70 F.
Soil
Compared to other Asian greens, napa cabbage has a long growing season so you should start off with moist soil, rich in organic matter and nutrients. One great way to achieve that is by adding compost to the soil before planting.
Watering
Napa Cabbage needs moist soil and this becomes even more crucial if you live in warm tropical regions. So it is important that you water plants regularly.
Fertilizer
You can add organic fertilizer to the potting mix before planting or transplanting it in the garden soil. When the seedlings start to grow, slow releasing fertilizers can be sprinkled over the topsoil. It will aid the formation of new roots in seedlings.
Harvesting and Storage
Harvesting time depends on the variety. Check that the closed head has turned hard by applying pressure gently. Pull out the plant gently and remove the outer leaves which are in the form of the rosette. You can store the cabbage in a refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Thank you for visiting our website! We hope you will find something of interest on our website. Watch the video in the below:
