Cauliflower: how to grow a good crop
Cauliflower is now in vogue – it is advised by nutritionists. And in many families, she took pride of place on the table. But in the gardens, few people grow it yet – summer residents who planted it are often disappointed. The heads are very small! In fact, you can get a good harvest, you just need to know some tricks.

In principle, the agricultural technology of cauliflower is the same as that of white cabbage. But still there are nuances on which the yield depends. 

Cultivation of cauliflower

For the cultivation of cauliflower, fertile, loose soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction are required. The key to success is a high organic content, the use of fertilizers containing boron, copper and molybdenum.

The place for planting cauliflower should be well lit, protected from cold winds and drafts. The more shade, the smaller the head will grow! Therefore, it is important not only to choose the right place, but also to observe the optimal distances between plants when planting.

For successful cultivation of cauliflower, a temperature of at least 15 ° C and no higher than 25 ° C is required. In cold weather, the cabbage develops slowly and forms small heads; in the heat, the heads quickly become loose.

Cauliflower planting

In the southern regions, cauliflower can be sown directly on the beds. In the more northern, it is better to grow through seedlings. Moreover, the seeds can be sown 3 times per season:

  • for an early harvest – in early March;
  • for summer consumption – in May;
  • for the autumn harvest – at the end of June. 

By sowing cauliflower at different times, you can achieve high-quality large heads, because with a long daylight they grow quickly and break up into shoots, and with a short one, the heads are always dense and large 

The depth of sowing seeds is 1 cm.

Seedlings are planted in open ground from late April – early May. The optimal age of seedlings is 30 – 35 days 

The site for planting is chosen even, with good lighting, rich in humus, loose neutral or slightly acidic soil. 

Planting pattern – 50×50 cm, or in 2 rows at a distance of 30 – 40 cm from each other and row spacing 55 – 60 cm.  

A handful of humus and a handful of wood ash are placed in the planting hole, up to 2 liters of warm water are poured and allowed to soak. After planting, the soil is watered again, while it is useful to add a biological fungicide to the water, for example, Sporosbacterin or Fitosporin (2) and then compact around the roots. In a properly planted cabbage, the soil reaches the bottom leaf. 

After planting, the seedlings are shaded for a couple of days. If cold nights are coming, cover with non-woven fabric.

For success, it is important to follow the crop rotation rule: you cannot plant in areas where any crops of the cabbage family (radish, radish, other types of cabbage, mustard, etc.) have grown for the last 3-4 years.

Outdoor cauliflower care

Watering. During the season, cauliflower should be watered regularly and plentifully. It is important to remember that even short-term overdrying of the soil sharply worsens the quality of the crop. Therefore, in addition to regular watering, it is recommended to mulch the soil with humus or other organic mulch with a layer of 6–7 cm. And in hot weather, in the morning or late in the evening, sprinkling should be carried out – until the heads appear.

Feeding. For the season it is recommended to carry out 3 top dressings:

  • 1,5 – 2 weeks after planting seedlings – mullein infusion, to which it is useful to add 1 g of boric acid and ammonium molybdate (per 10 liters of infusion), consumption rate – 0,5 liters per plant;
  • 2 weeks after the first – 1 tbsp. a spoonful of complex mineral fertilizer and 1 liter of wood ash infusion per 10 liters of water, the consumption rate is 1 liter per plant;
  • as soon as the rudiment of the head appears – 4 teaspoons of potassium monophosphate and 1/3 teaspoon of Humate 7, the consumption rate is 1 liter per plant. 
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Head shading. In order for the head to grow large, it needs to be shaded. To do this, break 3 – 4 sheets and tie them with a hut to protect them from direct sunlight.

Disease protection. Cauliflower can be protected from diseases with the help of beneficial bacteria – it is enough to treat the soil and the plants themselves with biofungicides, for example, Fitosporin (2).

Protection against pests. Cauliflower is susceptible to attack by cruciferous flea, cabbage aphid, whitefly caterpillars and slugs. To scare away pests, plants should be dusted with tobacco-ash dust. Better yet, cover them with a fine mesh for the entire growing period.

Harvesting cauliflower

Cauliflower is harvested as the heads ripen, usually in 2-3 stages. If cleaning is delayed, the taste of the heads will be worse and there will be less benefit from them. Depending on the variety, a ripe head should weigh from 400 to 1500 g and be no more than 15 cm in diameter. You can also determine the date of harvesting by the day – the crop is ready for harvest 15 to 20 days after the appearance of the head rudiment. 

When harvesting, the head is cut so that 3-4 adjacent leaves remain. 

Rules for storing cauliflower

Cauliflower can be stored from 3 weeks to a year – it depends on the quality of the crop and storage conditions. Optimal conditions:

  • temperature – 0 – 6 °С;
  • air humidity – 90 – 95%.

Such conditions are just in the refrigerator, but there are a lot of heads, and you can’t put them there for a long time. Therefore, cauliflower can be kept in boxes installed on the balcony, in the basement or cellar. 

Another option is to store cauliflower frozen. To do this, the heads are first divided into small inflorescences and blanched in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. And then quickly cooled. Cauliflower can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Popular questions and answers

We asked about growing cauliflower agronomist Oleg Ispolatov – he answered the most popular questions of summer residents.

Do I need to grow cauliflower through seedlings or can I immediately sow in the beds?

In central Our Country, cauliflower is recommended to be grown through seedlings, but re-sowing in the summer can be done directly into the ground. In the southern regions, a seedless method of growing cauliflower is practiced.

After what crops is it better to plant cauliflower?

The best predecessors for cauliflower are cucumbers, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, legumes, green manure (phacelia, lupins, rye, oats).

Can you grow cauliflower in a greenhouse?

It is possible if you plan to get the earliest possible harvest. But in this case, it will need to be sown for seedlings in early February, and planted in early April. In the summer, growing cauliflower in a greenhouse is impractical, as loose heads form in hot weather and the plants bloom.

Is it possible to grow cauliflower in the suburbs?

In the conditions of the Moscow region, it is not only possible to grow cauliflower, but also to get 2-3 crops per season, sowing seeds at intervals of 14-20 days.

Is it possible to grow cauliflower in the Leningrad region?

Of course you can. Pay attention to the competent selection of varieties – early and mid-ripening varieties are more suitable for growing in the Leningrad Region. It is important to plant seedlings outdoors only after the threat of a return frost has passed.

Is it possible to grow cauliflower in the Urals?

Experienced gardeners successfully grow cauliflower in the Urals not only in greenhouses, but also in open ground. Among the most popular varieties for this region are Bruce, Guarantee and Snegurochka. They differ not only in precocity, but also in resistance to temperature extremes in spring and late summer, cold resistance.

Is it possible to grow cauliflower in Siberia?

And in the Siberian region you can get a crop of cauliflower. However, it should be borne in mind that even the most cold-resistant varieties do not tolerate long periods of low temperatures. Therefore, only early varieties are grown in Siberia with planting in open ground from the end of June.

Sources of

  1. Lebedeva A.T. 150 vegetable crops in your garden / M .: Eterna, 2006
  2. State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals approved for use on the territory of the Federation as of July 6, 2021 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Federation https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii- i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/

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