What do cauliflower look like

Quick facts Grow where you have not grown related crops—cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard, turnip, rutabaga—for the past four years. For spring-planted cauliflower, start seeds indoors in April. For the fall crop, start seeds in July, indoors or direct seeded in the garden.

Grow in rich, moist soil without drought stress. Blanch white cauliflower. Green, orange and purple types need sunlight to develop color. Soil pH and fertility.

Open all Close all. Soil testing and fertilizer Have your soil tested. Grow cauliflower in well-drained yet moisture-retentive, fertile soil with pH of 6 to 7. A good cauliflower crop needs this ideal garden soil. Apply phosphorus P and potassium K according to soil test recommendations. Many Minnesota soils have enough phosphorus.

Unless your soil test report specifically recommends additional phosphorus, use a low- or no-phosphorus fertilizer. It is not worth growing cauliflower unless the plants absorb water and nutrients steadily during their growth. Improve your soil by adding well-rotted manure or compost in spring or fall. Do not use fresh manure as it may contain harmful bacteria and increase weed problems. If you use manure or compost, you may not need more fertilizer applications, depending on how much organic matter you use.

Side-dress when the plants are about four inches tall. Do not use any fertilizer containing a weed killer "Weed and Feed" , as it may kill your vegetable plants. Planning your cauliflower crop For spring-planted cauliflower, it is best to plant in early to mid- April. Starting seeds indoors Use sterile soilless seedling mix and press the seeds one-fourth to one-half inch deep.

Do not use bottom heat. The seeds will germinate and the plants will grow well in summer temperatures. Seeds should germinate in about two weeks. Turn on bright grow lights above them once the seedlings emerge. Apply fertilizer to developing seedlings beginning when the first true leaf appears.

Use a half-strength starter solution once a week. The plants are usually ready for harvest 7 to 12 days after blanching. Brown heads indicate a boron deficiency in the soil. Drench with 1 tablespoon of borax in 1 gallon of water. Avoid getting boron on other plants. Or, provide liquid seaweed extract immediately; repeat every 2 weeks until symptoms disappear. In the future, add more compost to the soil. For white varieties, pink heds can indicate too much sun exposure or temperature fluctuations.

Purple hues can be due to stress or low soil fertility. Aphids Black rot Caggage loopers Cabbage root maggots Cabbageworm : Nectar from dwarf zinnias lures in ladybugs and other predators that help to protect cauliflower from cabbageworms.

Plants are usually ready to harvest in about 50 to days, depending on variety, or 7 to 12 days after blanching. When the heads are compact, white, and firm, then it is time to harvest them. Ideally, the heads will grow to 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Cut the heads off the plant with a large knife. Be sure to leave some of the leaves around the head to keep it protected. If the heads are too small, but have already started to open up, they will not improve and should be harvested immediately.

If the cauliflower has a coarse appearance, it is past maturity and should be tossed. Storing Cauliflower Store heads in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They should last for about a week. For long-term storage, you can also freeze or pickle the heads. To freeze, cut into 1-inch-bite pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes in lightly salted water. Cool in an ice bath for 3 minutes, drain, and package. Seal and freeze. Vegetable Gardener's Handbook. What do you want to read next?

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Can a cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts be grown in a 5-gallon bucket? Do they have deep roots? Once it's harvested, will it grow back out like broccli? Unlike broccoli, which has a domed head of tightly packed edible flower buds, a cauliflower head consists of dense, curd-like plant tissue with a soft texture and mildly sweet, nutty flavor.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. There are white, purple, orange, and green varieties with a range of healthy attributes, including vitamins B , C, and K, as well as beta carotene and fiber.

Note that there is another vegetable commonly referred to as a broccoflower that is not botanically a type of cauliflower. It is Romanesco broccoli , and has pointed lime green whorls of tightly packed flower buds. However, if a cold spell comes suddenly, the temperature fluctuation may cause a plant to bolt, finishing its life cycle prematurely, and likely producing an inedible crop.

Cauliflower produces an edible head in the first year. If we harvest the head, the plant is finished growing. This is how most of us cultivate it — as an annual. This is characteristic of a biennial. Seed savers in warm regions can let some of their best heads run to seed to collect it for future crops. When growing this brassica, expect the number of days to maturity to vary from approximately 50 to Pay close attention to seed packets when making your selections, and choose a length of time that suits your average climate.

In warm climates, plant in the fall for an early spring crop. In colder zones, you have the option of planting indoors in early spring, or outdoors in late summer, to avoid peak heat and cold. The rest of us must work a bit harder. From a historical standpoint, cauliflower is an ancient vegetable that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, likely on the island of Cyprus. By the Middle Ages, it was already under cultivation in Italy, and from there, made its way across Europe and around the world to India.

The Italian varieties are believed to be old ancestral descendants. The rest are the progeny of cultivars developed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Who knows what the future holds! There are two ways to start plants: from seed, or from nursery seedlings that are transplanted to the garden.

Sow seeds half an inch deep in biodegradable pots. This way, you can transplant entire pots instead of unearthed seedlings, and avoid root damage.

Be sure to use sanitary tools and supplies to avoid exposing your germinating seeds to disease. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. This simply means setting the pots outside for a few hours each day, increasing gradually to all day, before transplanting them into the garden.

Place them directly in the ground two to three months before the average first frost date. Choose a planting location with full sun to partial shade. Full sun is recommended on many seed packets, however, a partially shaded placement offers protection in the event of a sudden spike in temperature. You may want to have a soil sample tested to determine its acidity and nutrient content. Soil with a nearly neutral to slightly acidic pH of 6. Transplant during a cool time of the day, morning or evening.

Some folks like to put a collar around each seedling to deter cutworms. You can read our guide for more information on this pest. Add a one-inch layer of mulch to aid in moisture retention, keep weeds down, and keep the ground cool.

Gently unpot the seedlings and set them into the garden slightly lower than the soil surface. Cover the potting medium with soil, tamp it down, and water well. Mulch as recommended above. You may wish to conduct a soil test prior to planting. Shopping with the RHS. RHS Christmas gifts.

Help us achieve our goals Make a donation. Join the RHS today and support our charity Join now. Save to My scrapbook. Jobs to do now Harvest when ready Sow early summer cauliflower in a greenhouse. Matures end of April early May. It provides excellent quality heads for cutting in early spring.

Very vigorous, producing densly packed, deep white heads. Upright and easy to cut, this variety will retain it's deep white colour for a long time. The plant displays blue-green leaves which well protect the curd. Mature in about 40 weeks from sowing. Strong foliage which protect it from early frosts to reveal crisp, white heads. Club root resistant. The colour is most pronounced when young. The plant is very sturdy and compact.