Cauliflower

Cauliflower ready for harvest.

Cauliflower prefers cool weather to grow. Plant in the early spring for summer or early fall harvest and early summer for late fall harvesting. These vegetables are best transplanted as they get more growth before the heat of summer.

Some gardeners feel this is a difficult vegetable to grow. It grows in similar conditions as Broccoli or Cabbage. In my experience amending your garden soil with aged manures and adding in lime (if your soil is acidic) will help getting the best cauliflower.

When growing this vegetable it often will be smaller and not as white as some you can purchase in the store. Just remember a lot of veggies we buy in stores is genetically manipulated or enhanced in some way to make them look more appealing.

Give this wonderful vegetable a try in your own garden.

Growing Cauliflower

Botanical Family - Brassicaeae/Mustard Family

Location - Cool, moist, well drained, open.

Soil - Rich, moist, easily crumbled loam with neutral pH (6.0-6.8.

Soil Preparation

Grows well after a green manure crop. Dig in a few inches of compost or aged manure, shredded leaves and lime (5lbs per 50’ bed) before planting. Use compost or manure tea at bud formation time.

Seed Info

Seed spacing - 18 inches apart
Germinate in soil temperature of 10 – 30 C
Days to Maturity - 45 days to several months

Planting times

Sow April to mid July; transplants at 6-8 weeks. Set out before they reach 6-8 leaf stage. Succession plant every 2 weeks.

Planting Instruction

Seeds need to be covered when seeded in propagating mix (use large cells). Add a handful of compost in the hole when transplanting. Water it well an firm down.

Companion Planting

Positive effects: bean, beet, dill nasturtium, onion, potato, oregano
Negative effects: tomato, strawberry, lettuce

Watering - Water regularly once a week at the base of the plants.

Weeding - Keep weeded while plants are small.

Disease & Insects

Root maggot-to prevention grow after green manure.
Cabbage worm – pick off, cover with remay or mulch with sawdust around the plant.
Club root – to prevent use rotation

Harvest

Pick the head when it is 5-8 inches and before the segments begin to separate.

Storage

Cool as soon as you harvest. This vegetable will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Recipe

Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower

2 cups cauliflower florets

4 tablespoons oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup chicken broth

Salt to taste

½ cup chopped peanuts or almonds

½ cup chopped dried apricots or raisins

Heat the oil and sauté the onion until browned. Add the garlic and brown for 1 minute. Add the spices and sauté for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice, broth and cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes or until cauliflower has softened.

Stir in chopped nuts and dried fruit and cook for 5 more minutes. Makes 2 servings.

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Cauliflower

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