By Josie Borlongan, Garden Guides Contributor
About Cauliflower
Cauliflowers are grown as annuals or biennials, forming an average
head (or curd) of about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter; the plants
are 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) tall, with a spread of three feet
(90 cm).
Cauliflowers are a cool-season crop and do not usually grow well in
areas with high summer temperatures. Only the head (the white curd)
is eaten while the stalk and green leaves are discarded. They can
be eaten either cooked or raw as in salads.
Site Preparation
Several cultivars are frost hardy. An open situation with fertile,
well-drained, moisture-retentive soil is required for cauliflowers.
Overwintering cauliflowers need to be sheltered outside and are not
grown under cover through maturity. Cauliflowers require a pH of
6.5 to 7.5 and medium nitrogen levels using fertilizer with 21
percent N content 1 1/2 to 2oz. per square yard (45 to
55g per square meter).
Special Features
Most types of cauliflowers have cream or white colored curds but
they also come in green and purple curds. Cauliflowers are
classified by the main season of use with winter distinction for
frost-free or frost-prone areas, early summer and summer and fall
varieties.
Choosing a Variety
The recommended varieties are:
Winter; Glacier.
Early Summer; Early Dawn, Early Snow Ball, Milkyway, Minuteman,
Pathfinder, Quasar and Snow Crown.
Summer and Fall; Amazing, Cumberland, Fremont, Serrano, White Rock
and White Sails.
Green Cultivars; Chartreuse.
Purple Cultivars; Burgundy Queen, Graffiti and Violet Queen.
Planting
Cauliflowers are sown based on the correct cultivar chosen and the
appropriate sowing time.
Winter (frost-free areas): Sow in late spring; plant in summer;
spacing 28 inches (70 cm).
Winter (frost-prone areas): Sow in late spring, plant in summer;
spacing 25 inches (63 cm).
Early summer: Sow in fall or early spring (sow under glass); plant
in spring; spacing 21 inches (52 cm).
Summer and Fall: Sow mid- to late spring; plant in early summer;
spacing 22 to 25 inches (55 to 63 cm).
Sow in seed trays, cell packs or a seedbed for transplanting.
Cauliflowers may be sown in their natural environment and thinned
to the correct spacing. Seed germinates best at a temperature of 70
degrees F (21 degrees C). Cauliflowers can grow under cover or
cloches. Apply mulch to retain as much moisture in the soil as
possible.
Care
Cauliflowers need to be watered regularly during the growing
season. Watering at a rate of 5 gallons per square yard (23 liters
per square meter) is necessary every two weeks during dry season.
Apply either a nitrogenous fertilizer or organic liquid fertilizer
during spring.
In winter and early spring, mature curds or overwintering types may
need protection from severe cold and hard frost. Use the leaves to
wrap around the central curd, securing them with soft spring to
prevent damage caused by the cold.
Flea beetles, slugs and snails, damping off, cabbage root maggots,
whiptail and cutworms all affect young plants. Caterpillars,
whiteflies, mealy aphids and clubroot attack plants at all stages
of growth. Cauliflowers can be attacked by pollen beetles so
precautions should be used to prevent them from happening.
Harvesting and Storage
Cauliflowers may be harvested based on their type. The time of
sowing to maturity varies from approximately 16 weeks for
summer/fall cauliflowers to about 40 weeks for winter ones.
Winter (frost-free areas): Harvest during winter or early
spring.
Winter (frost-prone areas): Harvest in early spring.
Early summer: Harvest in early to midsummer.
Summer and Fall: Harvest in late summer to late fall.
Cut the curds while they are still firm and tight. After 15 weeks
of sowing, the mini-cauliflowers can be ready for picking. Do this
immediately to avoid deterioration. All types of cauliflowers
freeze well.
