Cauliflower has recently become a staple in our gardens, but confidently competes with other types of cabbage. A native of the warm Mediterranean, she has perfectly adapted to the cold climate of the Urals and Siberia, and even to the conditions of white nights in the Leningrad region. But many gardeners have a main problem when growing it - the head does not set, and as a result they do not receive the promised harvest. How to grow cauliflower so that the harvest pleases you? Knowing some of the features of its cultivation, it is not at all difficult.
Biological features
Knowing the biological characteristics of a crop, you will not make mistakes in its cultivation in the future.
- This is a plant with an annual growing season. The head - the head - is nothing more than a crowded flowering shoot. If you are late in harvesting, even by a few days, the inflorescences in the head will separate, begin to bloom, and later produce seeds.
- Cauliflower is a heat-loving plant. Cultivation requires compliance with a temperature range of no lower than 10º and no higher than 25ºС. At low temperatures, the cabbage may not set, or the cabbage will grow small and coarse-fibered. In hot weather, the head of cabbage will set, but will be loose.
- Cauliflower has a weak, fibrous root system, so the surface layer of the soil must be fertile and well-moistened, otherwise you will not get tasty cabbage.
- Sufficient daylight and darkness are necessary for growth. In the light, the head sets faster, but at the same time, with a shortened daylight hours, the heads of cabbage grow dense and large. Therefore, choose a well-lit bed.
Cauliflower is usually white in color. But now there are varieties of orange, purple, and green. But this does not affect the beneficial properties of the vegetable. Thus, orange cabbage varieties contain 25 times more vitamin A than their white counterparts, purple cabbage varieties contain more anthocyanins, and green cabbage varieties contain more antioxidants.
Sowing cauliflower seeds for seedlings and further care
After you have completed all the preparatory activities, you can begin sowing the seeds.
Selection of containers for sowing
There are many types of containers for growing seedlings, you can choose the most suitable option for you.
General box
This is one of the simplest and most common ways to grow seedlings, but keep in mind that later you will have to pick, which cauliflower does not like. If you are ready to take a risk, then select a box no more than 10 cm high and always with drainage holes - stagnation of water negatively affects the health of young shoots.
If you reuse the box, then before sowing, do not forget to rinse it with potassium permanganate (the same solution as for soil is suitable) and rinse with hot water to destroy harmful bacteria and fungi.
Procedure for planting seeds in a box:
- Place a drainage layer (crushed expanded clay, fine gravel, etc.) 2–3 cm thick on the bottom of the box.
- Pour the prepared soil, not reaching the top edge 1-2 cm, and moisten.
- Make grooves 0.5–0.7 cm deep in the soil at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
- Carefully place the seeds into the grooves, maintaining a distance of 3 cm between them.
- Sprinkle the crops with soil and mulch with a thin (no more than 0.5 cm) layer of dry sand.
- Cover the box with film or a plastic bag, making ventilation holes in them, and place it in a warm place.
When sowing cauliflower in a common box, the sprouts will need picking
Peat cups
According to most gardeners, such containers are best suited for growing cauliflower seedlings, since in this case you will not have to replant and injure the root system. If you decide to use peat cups, then choose a volume of 50–100 ml.
Procedure for sowing:
- Make drainage holes in the bottom and spread drainage material in a layer of 1–2 cm.
- Fill the container with soil and moisten it.
- Make a hole in the middle no more than 0.5–0.7 cm deep.
- Place 1-2 seeds in it and cover with soil.
- Cover the crops with film or a plastic bag with ventilation holes.
- Place in a warm place.
When sowing in a peat cup, seedlings will not need picking in the future.
Peat tablets
A relatively new method of growing seedlings, but successfully used in gardening, is sowing in peat tablets. It is also excellent for cauliflower, since the grown shoots will not need replanting. You also don’t have to bother with preparing the soil - the tablet already contains peat humus substrate enriched with useful substances. To grow cauliflower, purchase a tablet with a diameter of 5 cm.
Growing cauliflower at home
When growing cabbage on your plot, you should always remember its biological characteristics and try to adhere to them. Next, when purchasing seeds, keep in mind that varieties are divided into several types:
- for early spring,
- summer,
- autumn planting.
That is, during the season you can grow more than one cabbage crop if you follow the requirements of agricultural technology:
- choice of location,
- previous cultures
- growing methods (through seedlings or direct sowing in the ground),
- observing daylight hours,
- organization of watering,
- feeding,
- control of diseases and pests.
Selecting a location
First of all, the soil must be fertile; it requires basic nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. The absence of one of them may prevent the head from setting. Or complex mineral fertilizers. To get a large head, you need to build up a powerful leaf apparatus. It should be borne in mind that the head is mainly formed after the leaves have developed well, and their growth is uneven.
Predecessors of culture
Cabbage will give a good harvest after good predecessors.
- Good ones are cucumbers, carrots,
- satisfactory – onions, tomatoes,
- bad - all cruciferous crops, including cabbage cannot be planted for two seasons in a row.
After you have taken a place, you should choose a cultivation option: through seedlings or directly into open ground.
Landing dates
Depending on the climate of the region and desire, cauliflower can be grown throughout the season. When buying seeds, look at the ripening time, since the inflorescences grow quickly and if they are not cut off in time, the taste and presentation of the vegetable are lost. Therefore, plant cabbage in small batches at intervals of 2-3 weeks. Considering that the average ripening period is 90-100 days, the planting dates are as follows.
- When planting seedlings in the second ten days of March, the first harvest is already harvested in June;
- First ten days of April - cabbage will ripen by mid-July;
- Late April - early May, cabbage planting and harvest in August for winter preparations.
Sowing dates, rules for preparing cauliflower seeds and soil
Before you begin preparatory and sowing work, you need to familiarize yourself with the timing and regional characteristics of sowing cauliflower seeds.
Table: timing of seed sowing by region
| Region | Sowing time | Recommended varieties and cultivation characteristics |
| South | Mid - end of April | Any will do. Cauliflower is grown by direct seeding in the ground |
| Central regions | early varieties: late March - early April; mid-season varieties: second ten days of April - second ten days of May; late varieties: mid-May - first ten days of June | You can grow any. Seeds of early varieties can be sown in the ground under the film, starting in mid-May. |
| Ural, Siberia | early varieties: second - third ten days of April; mid-season varieties: late April - mid-May; late varieties: late May - mid-June | Early and mid-ripening. Seedlings are planted in the ground at least 50 days old. For the first 5–7 days after planting, it is recommended to remove the shoots under temporary shelter |
According to the lunar calendar, plants whose fruits are formed on the above-ground part must be sown during the period of the waxing Moon. It is recommended to refrain from carrying out sowing work during the new moon and full moon, as well as the day before and after their onset.
Try proven cauliflower varieties from a reputable supplier:
