Nutrients are essential in any crop, and choosing the best fertilizer is vital because cabbage is a heavy feeder. They need a lot of nutrients to produce healthier and bigger cabbage heads. However, it is good to note that too much or too little nutrients in the soil may affect the growth of cabbage.
The best fertilizers for cabbage in Kenya are Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN), best used during top dressing four weeks after planting, and Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), which is best for planting cabbages.
Reasons why CAN and DAP are the best fertilizers for cabbage:
1. Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) Fertilizer
Below are two reasons why DAP fertilizer is best for planting cabbages:
1. DAP fertilizer is an excellent source of phosphorus(p) and nitrogen(N), essential for plant nutrients.
2. They are highly soluble and dissolves quickly in soil to release phosphorus and ammonium to plants, which is most needed during the early stages.
2. Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) Fertilizer
Here are two reasons why CAN fertilizer is best for top dressing of cabbages:
1. CAN fertilizer contains nitrogen, ammonia, nitrates, magnesium, and calcium, which are easily absorbed and are essential to plants for physiological functioning, enabling the cabbages to grow broad leaves of richer green color.
2. They provide plants with necessary nutrients that compensate for the lack of light and acidic damage.
Cabbage Fertilizer Requirements
Cabbage needs plenty of nutrients, and NPK is required for head formation. However, excess nitrogen (N) may result in loosehead formation and internal decay. Potassium (K) deficiency can result in marginal necrosis and lower head quality, but excess NPK can cause the heads to open.
Cabbage has a high Sulphur requirement and is sensitive to deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and boron. The general recommended fertilizer application is split into three recommended phases of application, that is, as basal, three weeks after transplanting, and during heading.
Best Foliar Fertilizer for Cabbage in Kenya
The best foliar for cabbage should have nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium(K) at a well-balanced ratio of NPK 1:1:1.
Foliar is a liquid fertilizer with a mixture of potassium, magnesium, and nitrogen components applied to cabbage leaves to improve their disease resistance, make the soil fertile, and prevent drought and water stress.
Best Organic Fertilizer for Cabbage
Organic fertilizer is a natural by-product made from decomposing crop plant remains, animal waste, and kitchen waste to provide the plants with the required nutrients to boost their growth. The use of organic fertilizer is the most advisable because of its numerous benefits, not just to plants but also to the building of the soil structure.
There are three types of organic fertilizer that are best for cabbage farming.
1. Farmyard Manure
Farmyard manure is mainly made of animal wastes, more so herbivores, which are fully decomposed before being applied to the farm. It is advisable not to use manure that is not fully decomposed or wet manure since it might cause leaching to your crops.
2. Green Farmyard Manure
It is mainly made from crop residues that can either be buried directly beneath the soil during ploughing or the crops can be left to decompose fully before being spread to the intended planting field.
3. Compost Manure
Compost is more varied but is typically made from leaf litter, grass clippings, kitchen waste, cardboard, and plant material.
Homemade Fertilizer for Cabbage
You can cut the expense of buying fertilizer by using chemical-free homemade fertilizer that can easily be made from the available kitchen refuse and other decomposable by-products at home, referred to as compost pit manure.
Organic compost is one of the best ways to enrich the soil with essential and necessary nutrients for your cabbage. The homemade compost manure should be incorporated 5–10 into the soil for some days before transplanting your seedlings to allow the complete decay of valuable nutrients.
Yara Fertilizer for Cabbage
Yara is the world’s leading crop nutrition company that provides environmental agricultural solutions. Below are two of their fertilizer products that are best used in cabbage farming.
1. YaraMila Power Fertilizer
YaraMila Power is a compound fertilizer typically applied at the beginning of the transplanting cycle to provide the cabbage with a balanced nutrition that will be available throughout the crop cycle, and an acre requires 75-100 kg.
2. YaraBela Sulfan Fertilizer
YaraBela Sulfan contains a balance of nitrogen, nitrate, and ammonium, an immediate uptake that sustains the cabbage over time. It also contains sulphur, a critical component of sulphur deficient soil, enhances nitrogen uptake, and reduces losses through volatilization for higher yields.
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