Cauliflower: when in 2022 and how to plant seeds, how to grow strong seedlings

Many people love cauliflower; it is very healthy and tasty. By consuming it, it is impossible to gain weight or spoil the stomach, so gardeners often cultivate the crop on their plots. Typically, a healthy vegetable is grown through seedlings. In the article we will talk about when to plant cauliflower seedlings in 2022 and how to provide the seedlings with proper care.

How to choose sowing dates 1.1. Depending on the variety 1.2. By region 1.3. According to the Lunar calendar 2. When to plant seedlings 3. Recommendations for sowing 3.1. Temperature 3.2. Lighting 3.3. Feeding 3.4. Watering 3.5. Transplantation to a permanent place

Photo: Cauliflower is grown through seedlings.

When to plant cauliflower seedlings in 2022

According to the Lunar calendar, favorable days for sowing cauliflower in 2022 will be the following:

January: 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 17. Prohibited days for planting are 2, 4, 5, 18 and 31 January.
February: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13 are the most favorable dates. Can be planted from 19 to 23. Unfavorable days: February 1, 2, 16, 18.
March: the best days for sowing cabbage are 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13. In the second half of the month, the Moon wanes, but you can sow on the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 30th. It is not recommended to sow on March 1, 2, 18, 27, 28.
April: 3, 4, 8, 9, 15 - the most favorable days for sowing. You can sow on 18, 26 and 27. Unfavorable days: April 16, 20, 21, 22, 30.
May: 5, 6, 7 before lunch, 13, 14, 15 – the most favorable days. You can plant on 23, 24, 28, 29. You cannot sow on May 16, 20, 21, 22 and 30.

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Favorable days in 2022 for picking and planting cauliflower seedlings in open ground according to the Lunar calendar:

March: 6-8, 11-13, 19-22, 25-26;
April: 3-4, 8-9, 15, 17-18, 21-22, 30;
May: 1, 5-7, 12-15, 18-20, 27-29;
June: 1-3, 9-12, 15-16, 24-25, 30.

Planting seedlings in open ground

The readiness of seedlings for planting can be determined visually: the plants should have 4-6 true leaves. This usually happens 30-50 days after germination of the seedlings. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 70*30 cm. When transplanting plants, it is important not to damage the delicate root system.

Hardening

By this time, the seedlings should be ready for lower night temperatures, so hardening begins a week before planting. To do this, boxes with plants are taken outside, gradually increasing the time spent in the open air.

Site requirements

A sunny area with fertile soil is suitable for growing cauliflower. Therefore, the planting site is prepared in the fall, adding organic and mineral fertilizers during digging. Cabbage loves neutral acidity of the soil. This is achieved by adding lime or wood ash.

Watering

The soil should always be moist and not dry out. If necessary, it can be mulched. But do not over-water it, as this will cause the roots to rot. After the heads begin to set, the cabbage should be watered only at the root. Do not allow water to get on the ovaries, otherwise the heads will rot.

Feeding adult plants

Plants are fertilized 2-3 times during the summer.

They need to be alternated:

Complete mineral fertilizer: 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water.
During the initial period of head formation, spraying with a solution containing molybdenum and boron will be useful.
It wouldn’t hurt to feed the cabbage with organic fertilizers: chicken manure, mullein, diluted in a proportion of 0.5 liters per bucket of water.

Preparing for sowing seeds and soil

To ensure strong cauliflower seedlings, the seeds are sorted, choosing only large ones. Small and damaged ones are not suitable for sowing.

Before planting, the seeds need to be warmed and disinfected. The first procedure is necessary in order for seedlings to appear faster, and the second is disease prevention. Heat the seeds for 20 minutes in hot water at a temperature of about 50 degrees. After this, they are placed in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 8 hours.

Soil for planting cauliflower seedlings can be purchased at the store by selecting soil for seedlings. The substrate is prepared independently from garden turf soil, peat and humus. They take the top layer of soil from the garden and sift it. All components are taken in equal parts and mixed. The soil should be loose and fertile. Before sowing, it is etched with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Planting dates by region

Each zone has its own agroclimatic characteristics - there are also differences between the timing of planting seeds. Determination of deadlines taking into account the influence of weather:

The middle zone, including the Moscow region and the Leningrad region. This is a risky farming area. It is characterized by weather instability, but the zoned varieties have a high survival rate. Seed material of early varieties is sown in the first month of spring, mid-season - from approximately the last days of March to the end of April. It is better to sow late ones in mid-spring, choosing the period according to the weather and the characteristics of the season. When early spring arrives, the timing should be adjusted.
Siberia and the Urals. Long spring and short summer are the main characteristics of the climate of these zones. Sowing of seed material begins half a month later than in the middle zone. If the spring is very cold, then the deadlines are postponed another week or two.
Southern regions. The signal to start sowing seeds in the garden is the soil temperature of +10...+13 °C. If it is necessary to obtain an earlier harvest, seedlings will be forced out at the end of March. But, as a rule, in warm zones the seedling method of cultivation is used extremely rarely.

Attention!
Hardened cauliflower seedlings can tolerate frosts down to -3°C. But only if they are short-lived.

Features of sowing: video and instructions

Let's figure out step by step how to properly sow cauliflower seedlings:

Shallow but wide seedling containers are filled with moist soil, in which holes 1 cm deep are made at a distance of 10 cm from each other.
The seeds are distributed among the holes, sprinkled with soil and sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle.
The containers are covered with film on top and placed in a warm place with a temperature of about +20 degrees.

Attention! To prevent “black leg”, it is recommended to sprinkle the top of the crops with ash or calcined sand.

Every day the crops need to be checked, removing condensation accumulated on the film and, if necessary, moistening the soil using a sprayer.

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Watch a video from the YouTube channel, which shows how to plant cauliflower seedlings, prepare the soil, cultivate and sow the seeds correctly.

Mistakes made when growing

To ensure a good harvest, agricultural practices should be followed and their violations should not be allowed. There are several common problems that arise due to a lack of experience or ignorance of the peculiarities of growing a crop; they are worth remembering and, if they arise, immediately eliminate them:

The color of the leaf plates changes or some of them dry out. There can be many options - from a purple tint of the surface to yellow fragments along the edges, or drying of green tissue between the veins. This indicates a lack of microelements; it is best to buy a complex water-soluble composition, dilute it and apply foliar feeding, this is how the nutrients are absorbed most quickly.
Root system rotting. There may be several options: planting in a lowland where there is constant moisture, a high groundwater level, excessive watering, a large amount of precipitation over a short period. In such cases, it is better to replant the cabbage with a large lump of earth, otherwise it will die.
The stems stretch upward and become thinner. The reason is the lack of sunlight. Do not plant cauliflower near buildings or large trees. Another option is very dense plantings, when plants compete for light and space.
The seedlings grow very slowly, develop poorly, and almost never form inflorescences. The reason is a lack of nutrition or increased acidity of the soil. Another option is low soil permeability if there is a lot of clay in it.
The growing point dries out or dies. The reason is an excess of fertilizers; the problem can be solved by completely stopping fertilizing and abundant watering. Another option is to transplant to a new location.

It is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of plants in order to detect diseases and pests in the early stages, when they are easiest to deal with. On hot days, water the leaves in the morning and cover the plantings with agro-canvas to prevent sunburn and severe loss of moisture.

Planting cauliflower seedlings correctly is not difficult if you understand agricultural technology, select a zoned variety and prepare the seeds. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the lunar calendar in order to carry out work at the appropriate time, this will make the seedlings stronger and ensure a high harvest.

Caring for seedlings from germination to picking

As soon as the first cauliflower shoots appear, the seedling containers are placed in a well-lit place, and the cover is gradually removed. When all the seedlings sprout, they are transferred to cool conditions with an air temperature of +6..+8 degrees during the day, and 1-2 degrees lower at night. Under such conditions, cabbage seedlings will harden, grow strong and be resistant to weather changes in open ground.

After a week, the air temperature is increased by 4-6 degrees and the seedlings are grown in such conditions until picking.

Seedlings grown in a cool room should be watered carefully, spraying the soil only when the top layer of soil dries. Overmoistening of the soil in cool conditions threatens the appearance of “black leg”.

Features of cultivation

In growing cauliflower, sowing seedlings is the most responsible and important stage. For it to be successful, it is necessary to prepare high-quality seed material. When purchasing, you should look at the expiration date of the seeds. Conditioning is also affected by compliance with the storage conditions of the seed. Therefore, you should make purchases only at trusted points.

Preparing and sowing seeds

Preparatory work includes calibration and processing of seed material. First, all the seeds are sorted out, leaving the largest ones. Then the selected specimens are disinfected. To ensure that they sprout quickly, they are treated with growth stimulants. Schematically, the sequence of actions is as follows:

Place the seeds in preheated water (+50°C) and keep them for about 20 minutes, then drain the warm liquid and fill it with cold - wait only 1 minute.
Leave overnight in a solution of mineral fertilizers.
For stratification, the seed material is sent to the refrigerator for a day.
At the end, the seeds are dried and sowing begins.

Attention!
Self-collected seeds definitely need such preparation. But those purchased, as a rule, undergo production processing - such information is on the packaging.

Requirements for soil and fertilizing

Before you start preparing seeds, you should arm yourself with all the consumables - seedling containers, nutrient soil. How strong and healthy the seedlings will be depends on the correct choice and preparation of the soil. You cannot take regular soil from a garden bed. There is a high probability of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in it. Having sowed seeds in such soil, one may not hope for a good result. The plant will get sick in the first stages of growth, which is why it will not be able to develop normally.

Picking cauliflower step by step with video

One and a half to two weeks after the emergence of seedlings, you should begin picking seedlings. Cauliflower does not tolerate transplantation well, so it is better not to delay picking. The older the seedlings, the worse the plants will tolerate transplantation.

It is better to plant seedlings in peat pots so that when planting them in open ground the roots will not be disturbed. You can also use disposable cups, from which it is convenient to transfer plants along with a lump of earth.

Procedure for picking seedlings:

Each seedling is carefully taken out together with a lump of earth from a common seedling container, placed in the soil in a pot and covered with earth up to the cotyledon leaves.
The plants are watered, after which it is recommended to sprinkle the soil with wood ash.
For the first two days, the transplanted cauliflower is kept in partial shade for adaptation, and then transferred to a well-lit place without direct sunlight.

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In a video clip from the YouTube channel, you can see when and how to properly plant cauliflower seedlings in cassettes, boxes and directly to the garden bed.

How to carry out work correctly

To get a good harvest, you need to properly prepare the seeds, select planting days for cabbage and create ideal conditions for growing seedlings at home. In addition, it is important to care for the plants after transplantation, to provide them with everything they need during the growth process to accelerate development and improve the formation of ovaries.

Preparation and sowing

Growing seedlings from seeds has its own characteristics; if the conditions are violated, you can simply lose the planting material, as it easily gets sick. It is important to carry out preliminary sorting and preparation in order to discard all low-quality seeds and ensure good germination of the rest. Remember the following:

Prepare a solution from a glass of water and a tablespoon of salt. Place the seeds in it, mix and leave for 20 minutes. Throw away everything that floats up, carefully remove the settled seeds and rinse.
Heat the water to about 50 degrees. Soak the seeds in it for about half an hour. Then immediately place in cold water, this will serve as hardening and ensure better germination.
Make a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Dip the planting material into it and leave it overnight or for 7-8 hours. After removal, rinse.
Prepare boxes or cups. The easiest way is to use ready-made soil for filling; it does not need to be pre-treated. The layer thickness should be at least 8-10 cm.
Make small depressions or furrows. Water the surface to saturate it with water. Place the seeds and cover with a layer of soil no more than 1 cm. Cover with film or glass and place in a dark place with a temperature of about 20 degrees. Leave there until shoots appear, check the containers every day, and moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
When the sprouts emerge, transfer them to a windowsill or other well-lit place with a temperature of 6 to 10 degrees. Leave in such conditions for about a week, harden the seedlings and prevent them from stretching.
Transfer to a room with a temperature of about 15 degrees and grow in such conditions. 10 days after the emergence of seedlings, apply foliar feeding with any complex composition. After another 10 days, repeat the work, but this time dissolve the fertilizer in water and water it.
Dive after 10-12 days, do it carefully, disturbing the roots as little as possible. Dig up with a clod of earth and replant in peat cups or ordinary plastic containers. The first option is more convenient, since there is no need to remove the container when planting.

Advice!

After picking, keep the plants in the shade for 2-3 days, they will adapt to the new place. Only after this can the cauliflower be transferred to the light.

If you are planting seeds in open ground, then choose the optimal timing; the ground should not be cold. It is best to make depressions of about 10 cm and cover them with film on top so that an ideal microclimate is created inside for the emergence of seedlings. Immediately after the sprouts have broken through to the surface, the shelter should be removed.

Planting in the ground and care

Before planting time, you need to prepare the area. Choose the right period so that the plants quickly adapt and do not experience stress. In addition, there are several recommendations that must be followed to help you get a good harvest and protect cauliflower from diseases and pests. Remember the following:

First dig up the bed to the depth of a spade bayonet. Add organic matter at the rate of a bucket of rotted manure or compost per square. You can use mineral complexes. If the acidity is high, sprinkle the surface with dolomite flour or slaked lime.
Make holes for the cabbage according to the pattern recommended on the package with the seeds. The size should be slightly larger than the root part of the seedlings; pour half a liter of water into each hole. Carefully remove the cups, if they are plastic, place the plants, cover them with soil and compact them a little. Water the surface generously.
Feed every 2 weeks. Alternate different types of fertilizers - from mineral and organic to foliar fertilizing and green infusions. It is best to apply after or before watering so that nutrients are better absorbed by the roots.
Water as the soil dries out. The culture loves moisture, so during hot periods do the work daily or every other day. You can pour it directly on the leaves, this will serve as cooling and moisturizing.
Loosen the soil, remove weeds. Constantly inspect the plants as soon as the first pests appear and carry out treatments. This also applies to diseases.
When the inflorescences begin to form, carefully break a few of the inner leaves and bend them into the middle. This will create ideal conditions for growth and reduce nutritional loss.

Harvest at the stage of technical maturity, but do not wait until the flowers begin to open. Overripe inflorescences are not very tasty; it is important to carry out the work on time. You can extend the shelf life like this: cut off part of the stem and a few leaves. Store hanging in the basement.

How to feed seedlings

Cauliflower requires nutrients for good growth and development. Feed seedlings at home twice:

10 days after the pick.
10 days after the first feeding or a week before planting in the garden.

A solution of potassium chloride and superphosphate is used as fertilizer. 3 grams of each fertilizer are diluted in one liter of water.

10-12 days before planting in the ground, seedlings begin to harden. Read about this and when to plant cauliflower in open ground and about the rules for growing it in the garden in our article: “Planting seedlings and caring for cauliflower in open ground.”

Strong seedlings are the key to a good harvest. Therefore, be sure to follow the timing and rules for sowing cauliflower seeds for seedlings, and do not forget to choose favorable days for sowing, picking, and planting in 2022 according to the Lunar calendar. Have a good harvest!

Growing region

In different climatic zones, the suitable period for cabbage occurs in different ways. Therefore, you need to take into account the characteristics of your area and navigate when it is best to carry out work. It is worth remembering one simple rule: at the time of replanting, the soil must be warmed up to no less than 8 degrees at a depth of 10 cm; you can insert a thermometer into the ground and check. As for specific regions, remember the following:

For the Moscow region and the middle zone, the ideal time for planting in open ground is the first half or mid-May. It all depends on the spring, as it can be warm or cold.
The Leningrad region is characterized by late spring and the frequent return of cold weather and even frosts. Therefore, planting there is carried out from mid to late May, in some years there are exceptions, but it is better to use film shelters in case of night cold snaps.
In the southern regions they are planted in open ground in April; the exact timing depends on the climate. In these places, it is possible to sow directly into the garden bed or even grow cauliflower as a winter crop. To do this, work is carried out in the fall, and in the spring, as soon as favorable conditions arise, seedlings appear. This way you can get the harvest very early and plant it again; as a result, cabbage is harvested twice during the season.
In Siberia and the Urals, spring comes late, but it immediately becomes warm. Seedlings should be planted from about mid-May to early July, or a little later if the region has a long winter. Choose only early and mid-ripening varieties, since late varieties will not have time to ripen in short summer conditions.

All dates are approximate, based on the results of long-term observations. They need to be adjusted each season by monitoring the weather and taking into account forecasts for the coming weeks. It is important to protect young, fragile plants from cold weather and create favorable conditions for their rapid adaptation to a new location.

Problems that may arise

At the beginning of growing, problems may also arise with seedlings. And in order not to destroy the cauliflower seedlings, you should correct the problem immediately when a problem is discovered. Delay will only make the situation even worse.

No. 1 - black leg

The disease occurs in two cases:

when taking soil from the garden, without subsequent treatment against pathogens; without choosing healthy seeds, calcining and soaking in potassium permanganate.

In case of damage to the black leg, it will not be possible to help the seedlings. You will have to start sowing again, choosing purchased soil.

No. 2 - root rot

Root rot can be caused by excessive watering without allowing the top layer of soil to dry out, as well as by low temperatures that are not permissible at the beginning of seedling germination.

You can get rid of the problem by treating the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate and cinnamon, which kills harmful microbes and stops the rotting process. You can replace the seasoning with ash.

No. 3 - lack of seedlings

A similar phenomenon can be observed when planting old seeds that have become expired. Another variant of the problem may be non-compliance with sowing and processing conditions.

No. 4 - drying of leaves and stem

Yellowing of seedlings followed by falling off may indicate drying out of the underlying soil. To save damaged plants, restore abundant watering, checking the looseness of the soil after each moistening of the soil.

No. 5 - pulling out the stems

If the seedlings stretch upward without growing leaves, you should pick without damaging the roots. After transplanting into separate cups, young cauliflower is deepened by 70% and placed under a phyto-lamp. Thanks to abundant light, plant growth becomes balanced, including active growth of leaves and strengthening of the root system.

No. 6 - yellowing of leaves

If irregularities in watering are excluded, then the answer to the question lies in feeding. Lack of fertilizer can affect the condition and color of the leaves. Yellow - indicates a lack of peat. Red and purple hint at a lack of calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Faded green, associated with a lack of nitrogen and lack of loosening.

No. 7 - damage to the growing point

Dying may indicate frequent fertilization combined with waterlogging of the soil. To save seedlings, you should dive the seedlings into new soil, spreading large expanded clay on the bottom.

To prevent the problem from occurring again, you should mix purchased soil with perlite.

Comparing cauliflower with other varieties of the garden family, one cannot help but note its capriciousness, which requires special attention from the gardener. To grow in a greenhouse or open ground, you must adhere to mandatory rules, including both planting dates determined by the lunar calendar in 2022, and regular watering, loosening the soil, adding fertilizers, at least once every 2-3 weeks. In addition to the above, a warm climate is important. Without it, a heat-loving plant will not be able to survive at the initial stage of strengthening the crops.

Lunar calendar for sowing cabbage 2022

In addition to general agrotechnical recommendations for this crop, farmers adhere to the lunar calendar in their work. The phases of the satellite affect the growth of seedlings and the strengthening of its root system.

General recommendations:

cabbage is considered a top vegetable rather than a root vegetable, so all active work with it is carried out during the waxing moon. The most successful time is 4-11 lunar days;
During the new moon and full moon no earthworks are carried out. The day before and after the Moon is in the sky is also prohibited;
The signs Capricorn, Taurus and Libra are considered favorable for cabbage. Positive – Cancer, Pisces, Virgo, Scorpio;
by time of day - morning or evening.

Important: For cabbage, the priority is the zodiac sign, not the phase of the moon.