Planting cauliflower and growing outdoors

Cauliflower is an annual plant of the cruciferous family. It does not occur in the wild, it was bred by selection in the 14th century. Vegetables are grown for inflorescences rich in vitamins and minerals. Colored - the name is not because of the color, but because of the flowers.

In England they say that cabbage flowers are better than any flowers. Fruits lend themselves to various types of culinary processing, serve as the basis for tasty and healthy dishes. How to grow cauliflower outdoors? Let's get acquainted with the basic methods of agricultural technology for this plant.

So, how to plant cauliflower for dense florets - further in our article.

Video: HOW TO PLANT AND GROW CAULIFLOWER

Methods of cultivation

Seed quality is essential for a good cauliflower crop. It is better to choose hybrid varieties, early-, late-ripening, adapted to the climatic region. If you know how to sow tomato seeds, there will be no difficulties with other vegetable crops, including cabbage.

The seed preparation algorithm is approximately the same:

• soaking first in 50 °C water, then in cold water;
• rejection of small specimens;
• soaking in a solution with growth stimulants.

If the seeds are sold in the manufacturer's branded shell, they can be sown without pre-treatment.

The most common method of growing a vegetable from seedlings, but you can sow a crop in open ground.

Video: How To Grow Cauliflower At Home (WITH FULL UPDATES)

Growing from seedlings

To obtain strong seedlings, a soil substrate is required. You can buy it ready-made or make it yourself by mixing peat, black soil and humus in equal proportions. The soil should be moderately moist. Excess moisture leads to the death of sprouts.

Plastic cups, seedling cassettes, peat tablets are suitable as containers. Seedlings in peat cassettes can be transplanted into the ground along with the container. The seeds are deepened by 1 cm, sprinkled with a layer of soil on top and the substrate is moistened with a spray bottle.

Conditions and measures for seedling germination:

• temperature 18-20 °C;
• sufficient illumination, you can use a phytolamp;
• lowering the room temperature to 10°C two weeks after sprouts appear;
• when diving (if the seeds were in the same container), deepening the sprouts to the cotyledon leaves;
• moisturizing as the soil mixture dries;
• fertilizing in the phase of the appearance of the first two leaves. Complex mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, potassium, molybdenum are used. Those who were interested in why cucumber germs turn yellow know that this is due to excess nitrogen. Excessive nitrogen content in the fertilizer also negatively affects the vegetation of cauliflower, so it is important to follow the dosage. An excess of nitrogen contributes to the formation of too dense inflorescences, a lack of flat and loose ones;
• hardening outdoors 2 weeks before planting.

The seeds are sown in late February - early March, taking into account the recommendations of manufacturers on the package. It is possible to transplant seedlings into beds one and a half months after sowing. The choice of early and mid-season varieties allows you to get two harvests per season.

Video: Growing cauliflower from seed Time lapse | Home DIY planter box

How to grow cauliflower at home from seeds?

Can I plant cauliflower outdoors? Yes, gardeners practice direct planting of seeds in light loamy soil with neutral acidity. The soil needs to be well moistened. By the time of planting, the earth should warm up to 6-8 ° C. Typically, such climatic conditions develop by mid-April-early May.

The soil for the beds is prepared in the fall, compost or humus is added.

The undoubted advantage of sowing seeds in the ground is the formation of a strong root system that will help the plant cope with the summer heat. But if the priority is an early harvest, you should prefer the seedling method of cultivation.

What needs to be done to start cauliflower? Strong healthy inflorescences are tied if a rosette of 10-15 leaves is developed. Heads are not tied if low-quality seedlings are used, the seeds are not suitable for the climatic region, the soil is poor, there are sharp temperature fluctuations. You can try to fix the situation:

• thin out the beds;
• cover the landing for the night with agrofibre at a sharp amplitude of day and night temperatures;
• apply complex fertilizers;
• carefully loosen the soil around the plants.

What else does cauliflower love? This crop has a higher need for trace elements than other vegetables. Boron deficiency causes a reduction in the leaf plate, boron - darkening of the inflorescences from the inside. Weakened leaf vegetation, the appearance of necrotic spots is associated with a lack of magnesium in the soil. Drying of the edges of the leaves indicates a small amount of copper. All of the listed trace elements are in complex preparations for feeding cauliflower.

Video: How To Grow Cauliflower To Fast Harvesting in 45 Days - Awesome Cauliflower Cultivation Technology

Caring for outdoor cauliflower

Recommendations and measures for a good harvest:

• A smart choice of precursor crops. Cauliflower gives a good harvest on the site after cucumbers, legumes, cereals;
• Compliance with the landing interval of 50-70 cm for free passage of air;
• regular loosening of the soil to provide access to the roots;
• destruction of weeds in the garden;
• Protection of outlets from direct sunlight. Excessive ultraviolet light gives the inflorescences an ugly color and stiffness.

Not only gardeners are looking forward to the cauliflower harvest. Slugs, caterpillars, cabbage flies, snails dream of feasting on delicate inflorescences. An obligatory component of agrotechnical measures is pest control. At the seedling stage, in the adult development phase, cauliflower can get sick with a black leg. Reasons:

• stuffed fit;
• excessive soil moisture;
• Insufficient ventilation.

It is better to prevent defeat by observing the rules of planting and care. If the plants are sick, they need to be treated. For seedlings, it is permissible to use preparations with a chemical composition, during the setting of inflorescences - only biological ones, for example, "Effect", "Fitosporin", "Gamair".

Harvesting

How long does it take for cauliflower to grow? Harvest can be harvested after 3-4 months from the moment of germination, but the period depends on the variety. Early-ripening varieties ripen in early June, mid-ripening - by mid-August. Late species can be cut in September. The collection is held on a sunny day. The cut should capture 5-6 lower leaves. Immediately after cutting, the heads of cabbage are transferred to a dark place.

The mature head has a diameter of up to 12 cm, weighs from 300 grams to 1 kg. Overripe heads of cabbage lose their taste.

Growing cauliflower is no more difficult than growing white cabbage. Experiment with varieties, cultivation techniques, enjoy a healthy vegetable grown in your garden.

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Hi all! In this blog we post useful information on the topic how to plant cauliflower for dense florets. If you have questions or ideas that we did not cover in our article, write about it in the comments.

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