How to grow cauliflower outdoors

Cauliflower is grown in containers, in greenhouses, and in the open field. We will consider the last method - the most common.

Cauliflower belongs to early maturing crops, which means that it can be harvested twice a season. The plant is grown for the inflorescences, which are eaten. In fact, a head of cabbage is one large inflorescence, which consists of buds tightly pressed against each other. How to grow cauliflower on your site?

The best varieties of cauliflower: Movir 74, Alpha, Konsista, Osenny Giant, Yako, Skorospelka, Otechestvennaya, Moscow Canning.

Sowing time of cauliflower

Sowing time of cauliflower depends on where you plant it and for what purpose.

• Mid march sow cabbage for seedlings, followed by transplanting it into open ground.
• Under the film in the open ground, cauliflower seeds are sown late April - early May.
• Sowing in a greenhouse can be carried out in the middle of May.

How to grow seedlings

For sowing cauliflower for seedlings, it is recommended to choose only large seeds - the most resistant and strong seedlings grow from them. The preparation of seeds for sowing consists in warming them up in hot water (50 ° C), after which they are placed in cold water. Then the seed should be held for about 8 hours in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are then ready for sowing.

Cauliflower planting substrate can be made up of 1 part humus and 3 parts low-lying peat. It is also recommended to add fertilizers: 15 g of potassium sulfate, 30 g of superphosphate, 5 ml of boric acid. It is advisable to lay drainage at the bottom of the sowing containers.

Before the emergence of seedlings, plates with crops should be kept at a temperature of about 20 ° C. Usually cauliflower sprouts on the 4th or 5th day. After that, the temperature must be reduced to 7 ° C - this is necessary so that the cauliflower seedlings do not stretch. In such conditions, cabbage shoots should spend 5 days, then the temperature should be raised to 15 ° C.

In 8-10 days after germination, the seedlings can be dived. When they are in separate pots, they need to be watched more closely. Watering should be moderate so that the plants do not rot.

10 days after the pick, young cauliflower should be fed. To prepare a nutrient solution, 10 g of potash fertilizers and 20 g of superphosphate can be diluted in 10 liters of water.When the plants have second true leaves, they can be re-fed, this time doubling the dose of fertilizer.

Planting cauliflower outdoors

On average, cauliflower seedlings become suitable for transplanting to the garden after 45 days. By this time, the seedling should have 4-5 leaves and a well-developed root system. It is also necessary to harden the seedlings so that they are ready for life outdoors. To do this, it should be placed in a cold greenhouse for 3-5 days. It can be ventilated only during the daytime, each time increasing the time.

Planting cauliflower seedlings in the garden is best on a cloudy but warm day. Choose a well-lit area for this culture. Cauliflower will grow well in a garden where cucumbers, onions, or legumes have previously grown.

Seedling holes should be spaced 25 cm apart. There should be at least 50 cm between the rows. A little ash mixed with soil should be added to each hole, after which young cauliflower can be planted. Plants need to be buried to the first true leaf. After this planting should be watered and covered with foil for several days.

Rules for caring for cauliflower

Watering... Cauliflower should be watered once a week. If you do this more often, then excess moisture can lead to the fact that plants begin to actively grow the root system, and not form inflorescences. Also, overflows often lead to disease. At the same time, the lack of moisture also negatively affects cabbage.

Top dressing... During the cultivation of cauliflower, it will be enough to carry out 3 dressings. The first is carried out 10 days after transplanting the seedlings to the garden bed, the subsequent ones - every 2 weeks. When cauliflower heads begin to form, feeding should be stopped. For feeding, you can use one of the following fertilizers (for each bush there is 1 liter of solution):

• mullein with water (1:10),
• bird droppings with water (1:15),
• urea (20 g), potassium chloride (20 g), superphosphate (50 g) per 10 liters of water.

Mulching... This procedure will protect the roots of cauliflower, which are too close to the surface, from hypothermia or, conversely, overheating. The best mulching material is humus or peat.

Whitening. To keep the color of the cabbage white, the inflorescences are covered from the sun with leaves. You can fasten the leaves with a regular clothespin.

You need to cut the cauliflower before the head becomes loose and the flowers begin to bloom.

Every gardener can grow a decent harvest of cauliflower in his summer cottage. You just need to use our recommendations and carry out all the necessary procedures on time.

Healthy eating means eating healthy foods rich in vitamins and minerals. These include cauliflower, so many gardeners practice growing vegetables in their backyards in the open field. With proper care, this is easy.

Subject to the correct planting scheme, you can plant cauliflower in the country and in the Moscow region. It is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings at home, following the step-by-step instructions for care and feeding to guarantee seedlings.

What is cauliflower

The general understanding of cabbage does not apply to cauliflower varieties, although it also belongs to the cruciferous family. The plant has fibrous roots located close to the soil surface. The heads are formed in round and semicircular shapes. The edible part is represented by dense flowering clusters, the length of which varies. from 2 to 15 cm.

Cauliflower is an annual crop with a growing season 90-120 days after emergence. Plant loves light, therefore, you need to plant seedlings in well-lit areas.

When the beds are located in the shade, young shoots become vulnerable to diseases and pests.

The edible part of the cauliflower is the flower clusters.

In taste, the inflorescence is soft with shades of milk, it is not for nothing that it is called vegetable cottage cheese. When cooking with spices, it is possible to give the vegetable unusual notes that are not characteristic of cabbage.

Origin story

It is generally accepted that cauliflower originated in the Mediterranean. It was previously referred to as Syrian. In those days, the vegetable was late ripening, had a bitter taste and a creamy green inflorescence. The culture was first described by the Arab botanist Ib el-Beitar.

The culture came to Russia only 2 centuries ago, but it was possible to grow a heat-loving plant only in the southern regions. After the famous scientist Bolotov deduced northern version of cabbage, it became possible to cultivate the vegetable in the northern part of the country.

Beneficial features

Cabbage contains many valuable vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the human body:

• calcium improves the condition of hair, nail plates and teeth;
• vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system;
• potassium has a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system;
• magnesium and iron improve blood flow in tissues;
• B vitamins activate brain activity.

Cauliflower is found in many dietary meals

Many diet tables include cauliflower dishes. This is due to the ability restoration of metabolic processes, setting the work of the digestive system. The active ingredients cleanse the body of toxins and other toxic substances, and the rich vitamin composition (A, D, E, K, H, PP, etc.) strengthens the protective function.

There is an opinion that regular consumption of inflorescences is an effective prevention of cancer.

How to grow cauliflower from seeds on the site

Inflorescences are grown seed and seedling methods... Of course, you can purchase ready-made seedlings and plant them in the garden. However, it is impossible to be sure of the quality of the seed material used and the conditions for the germination of seedlings. Therefore, it is rational to grow seedlings on your own.

Sowing time at home

Seeds are sown in 40-50 days before planting seedlings on an open bed, this period falls on approximately end of February.

The early varieties are sown first, after which, after 2 weeks, mid-season cabbage, and only a month later they move on to planting grains of late varieties.

Cauliflower seeds

Sowing material is first sorted, then prepared before planting. Processing is done using a thermos with water, the temperature of which is 50 degrees. After 15 minutes of steaming, the seeds are immersed in cold water for a minute, after which they spend 12 hours in a solution of microelements that stimulate growth.

The temperature regime before germination should be within 18-20 degrees.

After the shoots appear on the surface of the soil, the temperature drops to 6-8 degrees. Days after 6-7 degrees, you need to increase to a daytime rate of 15-18 and 6-8 at night.

Seedling care

Caring for seedlings does not contain secrets or cardinal features and consists in moderate watering (by spraying), loosening the soil, observing the temperature regime.

After the formation of 2-3 leaves of the plant at the shoot, you need spray with boric acid solution (2 grams per 1 liter of water). After 1-2 weeks, the treatment is repeated, but with a solution ammonium molybdate (5 grams per bucket of water).

Seedlings of cauliflower

Picking

Usually a pick of cauliflower seedlings not carried out due to an underdeveloped root system... But if the seeds were sown in a common box, then when sowing the seeds should be placed at a great distance, and the depth of the soil in the container should be at least 15 cm. Then the seedling can be removed from the box along with the soil.

It is recommended to plant seedlings in separate containers at the age of 2 weeks... Before the seedlings finally take root in a new place, the temperature in the room, at home or where the seedlings are stored should be within 19-21 degrees.

Planting seedlings in open ground - scheme and agricultural technology

Early maturing varieties are planted in open ground late April-mid-May... A week before the start of planting, the seedlings are fed with superphosphate (3 g), potassium chloride (3 g), diluted in a liter of water. This will increase the cold hardiness of the shoots. You also need to harden, accustoming plants to a new habitat.

Early varieties can be planted in the ground in late April-early May

The soil prepared in the fall is dug up before planting. A mixture of compost (humus), wood ash, superphosphate, urea (1 bucket / 2 cups / 2 tbsp. L. / 1 ​​h. L.) Is added to each hole. All components are mixed with fertile soil.

The spacing between plants in a row depends on the selected variety, on average it is 35 cm. The row spacing is at least 50 cm.

The seedlings are buried in the soil to the first sheets, after which it is well compacted with earth. Watering is carried out immediately after planting. Spring weather often surprises with night frosts. To protect the garden from them, you should cover it with agrofibre or film.

Care and Growing Secrets

Cauliflower grows well in warm climates. She tolerates the conditions of the middle lane only thanks to anxious care, therefore the quality and quantity of the crop depends only on the efforts made.

Proper watering

Moisture is necessary for the normal vegetation of the plant, therefore watering is carried out regularly with a frequency 1-2 times a week.

Water consumption rate for 1m2 beds with young shoots is 6-8 l... Over time, the indicator increases to 9-11 liters per 1 m2.

In hot weather, irrigation frequency increases up to 3-4 times a week, but in any case, it is worth focusing on the degree of soil moisture, because waterlogging is as dangerous for a plant as drying out.

Features of loosening and weeding

From the moment the seedlings are planted and until the heads ripen, at least 4-6 weeding is carried out.

Weed grass thickens the beds, provoking the development of various diseases. In addition, it shades the crop, resulting in dark spots on the inflorescences.

Weeding should be combined with loosening the soil, it is also recommended mulch the bed with peat or dry grass... This will prevent the soil from drying out and the rapid germination of weeds.

It is recommended to mulch the bed with peat or dry grass

Top dressing

During the growing season, cabbage must be fed 3-4 times... The first portion is introduced 3 weeks after transplanting the seedlings. The best food for the culture is a mullein solution (a liter of liquid composition is dissolved in a bucket of water). Under each bush is poured at least 500 ml of fertilizer.

The second feeding is introduced after 10 days. It is recommended to add 1 tablespoon of Kristalin to the mullein solution. Use 1 liter of blank for each plant.

After another 10-14 days, mineral fertilizers are introduced (for 10 liters of water 2 tbsp. L. Nitrofoski, the consumption rate per 1 m2 is 6-8 liters).

Treatment

During the ripening period of the culture, it is important to carry out prevention against diseases and insects.

The advantage of cauliflower agricultural technology is the possibility of using biological agents without the use of pesticides. Dusting from wood ash or tobaccospraying with infusions from onion skins or burdocks.

As a prevention of diseases and pests, dusting with ash can be used

Susceptibility to disease and pests

Cauliflower is susceptible to various diseases and attack by pests, therefore, during the growing period, you need to regularly inspect the plants in order to identify the problem at an early stage.

The development of harmful microorganisms often begins as a result irrigation irregularities or because of the presence of the pathogen in the seed.

The following diseases are considered the most dangerous:

• mucous bacteriosis - the first signs appear on the head in the form of watery spots; for localization, you need to cut off the affected area, capturing a little healthy tissue;
• blackleg - blackening and softening of the root collar and base of the stem, before sowing, the soil and seeds are disinfected, if lesions are detected, the plant is removed from the garden;
• mosaic - spots of different shapes and colors appear on the leaves, diseased bushes cannot be treated, if found, they must be destroyed;
• keel - a fungal disease that affects the root system of a plant, manifests itself in the form of growths on the roots, when detected, the bush is removed, protection is created by preventive measures;
• pernosporosis - the fungus appears on the leaves in the form of yellow spots with a white coating, the treatment consists in spraying the beds with a solution of Bordeaux liquid (1%) or polycarbocin (0.4%).

Harmful insects can also reduce the yield or destroy the garden bed:

• cruciferous fleas;
• cabbage fly;
• aphid;
• stem hidden proboscis;
• butterflies.

If pests or signs of the presence of larvae are found, it is necessary to process the beds using the following means:

• Entobacterin-3;
• Actellik;
• Aktara;
• Iskra M et al.

Iskra M will help with larvae and caterpillars

Chemical and biological preparations are used upon detection of signs of a parasite infestation.

But it is more effective to carry out prophylaxis, which prevents the defeat of the culture by pests.

Activities include:

• thorough cleaning of plant waste in the autumn;
• removal of damaged shoots from the beds to localize the problem;
• disinfection of soil and seeds;
• spraying with biological solutions;
• pollination of beds with wood ash.

Harvesting and storage - step by step instructions

The ripening times of the inflorescences indicated on the seed packaging are approximate, so you need to navigate outwardly... If the crop is harvested earlier or later, then the heads will quickly deteriorate or germinate.

The maturity of a vegetable depends, first of all, on the growing conditions, in particular on the temperature regime. Collection begins in the second half of July mid-season varieties. Heads are cut from the end of August and throughout September late maturing cabbage, which has a long shelf life (from 5 months and more).

Early varieties ripen by late June - early July

.

The inflorescences are cut with 2-3 leaves at the base of the stem. The vegetable does not lose its properties for 40-50 days. When determining maturity, the following characteristics are taken into account:

• head diameter reaches 10-12 cm;
• the inflorescence is light green or creamy;
• dense structure.

To increase the shelf life, the cauliflower is removed from the garden along with the root system. This method is suitable for slightly unripe vegetables that reach maturity in trays of soil.

Harvest storage rules:

• heads folded into a cardboard or plastic container are installed indoors with a high level of humidity up to 95% and a temperature of 0-2 degrees;
• inflorescences cleared of excess leaves can be stored in the refrigerator, after wrapping them with cling film;
• the fragments, washed and separated into inflorescences, remain in the freezer for a long time.

It is also allowed to store cabbage in the basement, hanging it upside down on wooden sticks.

The cultivation technique of cauliflower does not fundamentally differ from the cultivation of other varieties. Therefore, you can safely replenish the range of crops in your own garden. If you take care of it according to the instructions, you can get an excellent harvest of the vegetable.

Among all types of cabbage, cauliflower is the most valuable in terms of dietary and taste qualities. There are 1.5-2 times more proteins in it than in white cabbage, there are many vitamins and microelements. The complex chemical composition makes this vegetable indispensable in the diet.It is not surprising that gardeners are paying more and more attention to cauliflower and growing it on their plots. But they look after her like a white cabbage. However, high-quality heads saturated with useful substances grow only with special agricultural technology.

What kind of cauliflower will be productive in your area

Varieties and hybrids of cauliflower, like any other crop, are grouped by ripening time into:

• early - 3-4 months from germination to harvest;
• medium - 4–5 months;
• late - from 6 months.

Choose cabbage for growing in your region by maturity

Early varieties can be sown directly into the ground, and middle and late varieties can be grown through seedlings. Of course, there is dependence on the climatic conditions in your region. For example, late-ripening cabbage, even through seedlings, cannot be grown in the middle lane and in regions with short summers. The reason is not only that the culture will not have enough days with the optimal temperature, but also in its reaction to the length of the day.

I never understood my fellow countrymen, gardeners from Siberia, who sow cabbage in March or even in February. This is not an exotic plant, for the sake of which it is worth installing a phytolamp and constantly monitoring the length of the day. And also the temperature needs to be appropriate. I know such people, I saw the results of their labors. They had no cauliflower at all. They planted some pitiful elongated blades of grass, which finally died, probably because their growing season came to an end, and the generative organs did not start. Why spend so much effort and get zero results when there are equally productive early and medium varieties that can be sown, as it should be in our climate, in April-May?

Video: overview of cauliflower varieties

Cauliflower forms large and dense heads at temperatures from 15 ° C to 20 ° C. Daylight hours in this case should be 13-15 hours. At 25 ° C and above, as well as with a long day (June-July), inflorescences are small and loose. Like radish, there is a flowering. This means that cauliflower should be planted as early as possible in spring, so that it can set heads of cabbage before June, or at the end of summer, provided that autumn in your region is long and warm.

Seasoned cauliflower seedlings tolerate spring frosts down to -5–7 ° C, unhardened ones die at -1 ° C. The resulting inflorescences are harmed by autumn low temperatures down to -2–3 ° C. Frozen buds will begin to rot after thawing.

Knowing these subtleties, we can draw conclusions:

• in regions of extreme agriculture (Siberia, some regions of the Urals, in the north of the Russian Federation), it is guaranteed that you can get one year's harvest of early cabbage grown through seedlings;
• in central Russia and Belarus, early cabbage is capable of producing two harvests per season. Suitable for growing through seedlings, early and mid-season varieties;
• in the south of Russia, in Moldova, Kazakhstan, in the Ukraine, medium and early cabbage is sown in open ground, and late cabbage is sown for seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse. In these regions, even three crops of early cauliflower grown through seedlings are harvested.

The success of growing this crop is 80% dependent on the correct choice of variety. You must match the ripening period with the length of time the cauliflower will grow in your area. The remaining 20% ​​is competent care.

Preparing the cauliflower bed

Choose a place for the garden that is sunny, protected from strong winds, but well ventilated. At the same time, the soil should not dry out much, cauliflower does not like dry winds. Stagnant water is also not allowed. The culture grows well on loamy soils with a large layer of humus.

Humus is a product of the decomposition of organic residues, their processing by bacteria and earthworms, that is, ordinary humus or compost

To find out the size of the garden, keep in mind the diagram: for early cabbage - 30x60 cm, for middle and late cabbage, increase the distance between plants by at least 10 cm. Having decided on the boundaries, add a bucket of humus and 1 tbsp for each 1 m2. l. nitrophosphate.

Humus and any organic matter are of great importance for cauliflower. During their decomposition, carbon dioxide is released, which has a beneficial effect on the development of the head of cabbage.

Stages of planting seedlings or cauliflower seeds in open ground:

1. Make the holes in a pattern suitable for the variety you choose.
2. Despite the fact that humus has already been introduced into the soil, add one more handful to each hole.
3. Add 1 tbsp. l. wood ash and mix the resulting soil mixture.
4. Pour warm, settled water over each hole.

   Cauliflower seeds will sprout quickly in fertilized soil

5. When the water is absorbed, sow seeds or plant seedlings.

   Seedlings are planted in damp ground

6. Cover the holes with humus or compost.
7. Shade the plants for 1–2 days, for example, by putting a paper cap on each and sprinkling earth on the bottom edge.

If you buy cauliflower seedlings, then pay attention not only to the characteristics and name of the variety, but also to the condition of the plants. They should be squat with 4–6 leaves and thick stems.

Healthy seedlings have strong stems and 4-6 leaves

How to care for cauliflower outdoors

Cauliflower requires more care than white cabbage. Weeds and pests can easily drown out delicate sockets. To form a head, the bush must grow well and consist of 15–20 large leaves. This requires a lot of nutrition with trace elements, the soil must be kept constantly moist and loose. If the heat will stand for 3-4 days without irrigation, or you do not apply fertilizers containing boron and molybdenum, then you can not count on a good harvest.

Video: the basics of growing cauliflower

Pest control

One has only to appear on the seedling bed or the first seedlings from seeds, as cruciferous fleas immediately settle on them. These are small insects, but they live in large colonies, so they can turn your cabbage into a sieve in just a day or even destroy it. In the fight against such aggressive pests, ordinary wood ash helps well.

Small black bugs (cruciferous fleas) parasitize radishes and all types of cabbage

On the first day of the appearance of cauliflower in the open field, dust it on wet leaves with ash. When the protective layer is washed off by rain or blown away by the wind, renew it. Do this until the bushes are growing and the lower leaves are not thickened. Such plants are no longer interested in flea beetles.

Use only fresh ash taken from a fire or barbecue that has not been exposed to rain.

Ordinary dry mustard helps with caterpillars. Pour 200 g of powder into 10 liters of water heated in the sun, let it brew for 5-10 minutes and spray over the leaves with caterpillars. You can just collect them by hand.

Caterpillars can be harvested by hand or sprayed with mustard solution

Slugs will not make their way to cabbage if a barrier of coniferous litter, lime, ash, mustard, pepper and other acrid and prickly materials that naked molluscs cannot overcome can be installed around each bush or the entire garden. Of course, after each rain, the barriers of all kinds of powders will have to be renewed.

Instead of needles, you can use crushed eggshells.

Invasion of slugs will prevent barriers around cabbage

It is believed that mulch from needles, cones, pine bark acidifies the soil. But this only happens after a few years. The problem is different: a thick layer of such mulch does not allow light and air to pass through. In addition, coniferous plant residues contain resins, release fungicides, these substances inhibit beneficial bacteria, microorganisms, insects, as well as cultivated plants. Therefore, do not overuse needles, do not use them as mulch for cabbage. Pour only a thin layer around each head of cabbage or around the perimeter of the garden bed.

Watering and feeding

Cauliflower must be watered so that the ground under it is constantly moist to a depth of 30 cm. It cannot be poured, there is no oxygen in too damp soil, the roots do not breathe, the plant dies. Pour 2-3 liters of water under one bush. Keep the beds under the mulch so that the soil will dry out much more slowly. Sprinkle on hot days (above 25oC).

Sprinkling on hot days will help reduce the temperature in the cabbage patch to the optimum.

During the growing season, two dressings are enough, but they must contain all macro- and microelements:

1. 2 weeks after planting in the ground (if sown with seeds, then in the growth phase of 5–6 leaves), feed with infusion of mullein (1:10), bird droppings (1:20) or weeds (1: 5). Add 1 tbsp to a bucket of such fertilizer. l. superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
2. When the heads start to grow, use the same organics, but now add 1 tbsp. l. nitrophosphate for 10 liters of infusion.

Top dressing consumption - 1 liter per bush. Always apply it on damp ground. If you water and feed the cabbage correctly, the weather is fine, but the plant still slowly grows leaves, then you can make additional feeding 10-14 days after the previous one.

Loosening and hilling

Mulch helps to keep the soil on the cabbage bed always loose and free from weeds. Unfortunately, not every farm has a sufficient amount of plant residues (hay, straw, old sawdust, grass cuttings) to cover the ground with a layer that will protect the soil from drying out and weed growth.

Mulch protects the soil well from drying out, but it quickly decays and requires regular renewal

I constantly cover the beds with cut grass, collect it behind the fence in armfuls and even break the young, still green, branches of the decorative fieldfare growing there densely. I grow siderates. However, this is not enough for all landings. The mulch dries up quickly and the ground is bare again. And after 3-4 weeks not a trace remains of it, it either rotates in damp weather, or turns into dust in the heat and is carried by the wind. The material for new mulch grows more slowly than the old one is consumed. Therefore, the earth still has to be loosened.

Loosen the cauliflower after each watering or top dressing as soon as you see a crust beginning to form on the soil. Do this carefully, to a depth of no more than 3-5 cm, so as not to damage the surface roots. Along the way, get rid of weeds and poke the bushes with still wet soil. At the same time, it is important not to fall asleep in the hearts of the sockets where the growth point is located.

Spud cabbage only with moist and loose soil

Shading heads

Cauliflowers that are the size of walnuts need protection from the sun. In bright light, they will be loose and bloom quickly. It is not necessary to cut off the lower leaves and lay them on top of the heads or break the nearest ones and cover them with them. In this case, the leaves will either lay down tightly, the inflorescences will not ventilate and rot, or they will dry out and be blown away by the wind. Better create a lively openwork shadow with air access and diffused light. Lift, without tearing, over the inflorescence 2-3 adjoining leaves and connect their tops with a clothespin, a light clamp, or tie, without tightening, with twine. This will create a natural dome.

To shade the head, connect the leaves above it with light clothespins.

Harvesting and storage, culinary applications

Collect the cauliflower heads as they ripen, when they are typical for the variety. If you do not plan to immediately use the cabbage for food, then cut the cabbages together with 3-4 adjacent leaves and place them in boxes, baskets or boxes, cut upwards. So the heads of cabbage will appear as if in natural packaging, will not be damaged during transportation, and dirt will not get on them.

For transport, cut the cauliflower with a few leaves to protect the cabbage from dirt and damage

Fresh cauliflower is not stored for long, quickly loses its useful qualities, becomes lethargic, and even turns yellow in the light. In the refrigerator, the inflorescences wrapped in plastic wrap can lie for a week. But before that, they need to be cleaned of leaves and dirt, disassembled into inflorescences, rinsed and dried. For the winter, cauliflower is frozen and canned.

Video: recipe for cauliflower in batter

Salads are prepared from fresh heads of cabbage, and they are used to decorate meat dishes. Cauliflower cooked in mineral water is especially tasty. And soups from young inflorescences and juicy peduncles are not inferior in nutritional value and taste to chicken broth.

The right variety, suitable for growing in a specific region, is the key to a good harvest of cauliflower. At the same time, do not miss out on such an important factor as yield. Growing, although it has features, mainly consists of classic techniques: regular watering, complex feeding and loosening, shading the heads. Be sure to protect cabbage from pests from the first days of planting.

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Who can grow cauliflower without the hassle? Confess your unearthly essence! How else to explain that such capriciousness grows in your country and even gives a decent harvest? Or is it a great secret of the ancients, jealously guarded by many generations?

Of course this is a joke. In fact, the question of how to grow cauliflower outdoors has an answer. True, few people know him. Let's see together why, instead of dense and white heads, scary green brooms are often obtained.

General recommendations

Open the first article you come across on growing cauliflower. What do we see? Endless directions with numbers. Raise the temperature by 3 degrees, lower it by half a degree ... add so many grams of fertilizer on a specific day ... And many more letters that drive you crazy. Well, who in their right mind and sober memory will run with a thermometer in the beds or measure fertilizer with a pharmaceutical scale? Cover these scientific facts, do not break your brain.

Only two numbers should be deposited in your head. Not lower than +10 and not higher than + 25 ° С. Everything! Cauliflower will not work in other temperature ranges. Sank lower - covered with a film or non-woven material. Climbed higher - arranged a cool shower, shaded with a cloth.

Cross out the long list of fertilizers in fig! Why do you need cauliflower, in which there are more nitrates than vitamins? Stomp to the agricultural store. Ask your sellers for fertilizers that are high in molybdenum, boron and phosphorus. If you can read, it’s even easier. You will choose for yourself. And use as the manufacturer recommends. Do not overdo it with the frequency of feeding anyway. You won't be in time.

Why don't you make it in time? Because by sowing seeds for seedlings in the first decade of March, you will harvest the first harvest in early to mid-June. This refers to ultra-early ripening varieties. They have about 100 days from germination to technical ripeness. And more is not necessary. Because the July heat will ruin all your work.

But, you can get a second wave of the harvest in October, if you sow new seeds at the end of July. At this time, the heat begins to subside and the cauliflower feels great. If there is no hot summer in your region, then calmly plant any varieties of cauliflower at a time convenient for you. The coolness will only benefit.

how to grow tomato seedlings at home

Seed preparation

The pre-planting treatment of cauliflower seeds is not much different from the agricultural technology of other plants.First, they are filled with plain water. Hollow and unsuitable seeds will appear on the surface. Those that sink to the bottom are suitable for us. You can drop a little potassium permanganate directly into this water. Up to light pink color. Rinse after half an hour.

Now we take a piece of aloe leaf, knead it thoroughly in a little warm water. We filter. We do not use a metal sieve! Only hairy or sparse tissue. For example, a piece of bandage or gauze. Next, soak the seeds in the resulting liquid. 12 hours is more than enough.

Everything, the seeds are ready for planting. It is not necessary to germinate them.

Sowing

In warm regions, you can sow directly into the ground. Approximately early to mid-April. But we are not looking for easy ways! Give us full-fledged seedlings!

Therefore, we take a cardboard cell from under the eggs. A very handy thing, by the way. Put 2 tsp in each groove. soil. Top prepared seed and then another teaspoon of soil.

Now we lightly press the whole thing with a palm. We don’t press, tea is not a press! And sprinkle a little warm water from a spray bottle. You can pour a few drops of any growth biostimulator into it.

We remove our landings in the dark and warm. The top of a kitchen cabinet is perfect. If everything is done correctly, shoots will appear within 5 days. Didn't show up? Deal with the seed seller. High-quality ones always come up quickly.

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Seedling

As soon as the first cotyledon leaves appear, we immediately transfer the cell to a cool place. The cabinet is clearly above + 25 ° C. But we remember that this is a terrible figure. Therefore, on a cool windowsill, where + 16-18 ° C.

Light intensity plays a role, but not very important. But the length of the day is of great importance. The shorter the day, the denser the heads will be. But it will take a long time. A long day allows you to quickly throw out the flowers, but they quickly disintegrate into green loose brooms so hated by everyone. Consider this.

Water the cauliflower seedlings very carefully. Do not overmoisten! The black leg does not sleep and only waits for your careless actions. And the cool conditions of the cauliflower are generally heaven for her! How to avoid getting hurt by a sore? It is imperative to take appropriate preventive measures:

1. It is imperative to disinfect the cells. We spray it with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, then dry it near heating devices.
2. The seedling soil must also be clean. Freezing and then heating in the oven is ideal.
3. For reliability, the prepared soil is generously spilled with a solution of phytosporin.
4. From time to time, we thoroughly ventilate the seedlings, but without a draft.
5. We strictly control watering.

All these measures reduce blackleg infestation to almost zero. But for greater reliability, sprouts of cauliflower must be shed with phytosporin one more time before planting in the ground. At the same time, it will help to avoid rot. After all, the root system of this plant is too small and weak compared to ordinary cabbage.

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When to plant cauliflower in the ground

In the middle lane, this is approximately the second decade of April. The air temperature should rise above + 12 ° С. And it is very important not to let the cauliflower overgrow. Such seedlings do not take root well, they get sick for a long time and give a meager harvest. If it gives at all.

It is most optimal to plant cauliflower when 5 real leaves begin to appear on the sprouts. When it unfolds completely, everything, the cabbage has overgrown.

If planted earlier than this moment, then the sprouts will adapt for a long time. After all, they are still so weak.

How to plant cauliflower

It is advisable to prepare the garden in the fall. To do this, together with digging before winter, they bring in good leaf humus or already ripe manure. It is forbidden to add fresh! It will burn the roots completely.

Naturally, all weeds and their roots are removed. Young seedlings are too weak to withstand their pressure.

With spring digging, mineral fertilizers are applied. Complex is desirable. But the organic matter will not have time to ripen in order to give all the nutrients to the cauliflower. Therefore, it is better to refrain from it in the spring.

Planting holes are arranged according to the 40 by 40 cm scheme.Not worth it anymore. After all, how much space you give the cabbage, so much it will spread its burdocks. Do you need it?

Directly on the day of planting, a teaspoon of ash is poured into each hole, no more! Mix well with the ground, pour in a decent amount of water. And already in the resulting slurry, an earthen lump with roots is carefully lowered. It is recommended not to destroy it. So the plant is less injured.

By the way, the seedlings are removed from the cell very easily. You just need to take it with two fingers at the very soil and gently pull it up. You will have a sprout in your hand that has tightly entwined the roots of the earth.

The cauliflower is deepened to the very cotyledonous leaves. But they look carefully so as not to fill up the growth point.

Advice. After planting for three days, shade the seedlings with any cloth. Then it can be removed.

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Cauliflower care

This plant loves water, but does not tolerate liquid stagnation at the roots at all. It is better to water it once every 6 days, but soaking the soil abundantly. And so that the soil does not dry out in between waterings, they use mulch. A thick layer will protect your plantings.

Fertilizers. As we said above, anything with a high content of certain micronutrients will do. There is no need to increase the dosage. It won't do any good. Top dressing is done the next day after watering. Enough will be 6 pieces for the entire growing season. They are introduced strictly at the root, because the root system of the cauliflower is small, it cannot reach far for food.

How to get white heads

As soon as you notice that visible inflorescences have begun to form, cover them from the sun. Some sources recommend breaking a burdock of the cabbage itself and placing it on top. What a useless barbarism! The slightest breath of breeze will carry this burdock away to no one knows where. And in the sun, the inflorescences will quickly turn into a broom.

Keep a rationalization proposal:

• We go to the children's art store
• We buy a package of elastic bands for weaving a bracelet.
• We return to the vegetable garden.
• We collect 3-4 top sheets in a bunch.
• We put on an elastic band on top.

Everything. Fast, headache-free and completely inexpensive. The price of the issue is about 50 rubles for a package of 300 pieces. By the way, they can still be useful in other beds. And they are sold not only in specialized stores, but on almost every corner.

By the way, with this method, you can safely water the cauliflower from above, without fear of water getting on the heads. And under the burdock, the liquid flows freely, which causes rotting of the petioles and spoils the entire crop.

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Pests

Cauliflower is remarkably pest-occupied. Everyone loves her: aphids, slugs, bears, cabbage flies, butterflies, fleas, scoops. This means that you will have to fight for the harvest. Any systemic insecticide can be used. But it must be used with caution so as not to hit the inflorescences.

Bioinsecticides have worked well. They do not harm humans, do not accumulate in the heads and leaves. But they do an excellent job with pests by infecting them with fungal spores. Penetrating through the chitinous membrane, these spores grow and kill insects.

Folk wisdom suggests periodically dusting plantings with fine ash of deciduous trees. Also a good option. And it can be done after the heads are closed with leaves. Nothing gets inside.

In principle, you can use any repellent infusions from improvised plants. It can be wormwood, garlic, tansy, onion.

When to harvest cauliflower

It is categorically impossible to be late with the harvest. Peduncles, when outgrowing, quickly disintegrate into separate branches.Then they begin to grow in different directions and stick out like a panicle. The heads are cut off when they reach the characteristic size for the variety. Or a little earlier. Whoever has seen cauliflower at least once will definitely not be late. At the first signs of overgrowth, an urgent need to harvest.

By the way, if the stem is powerful, the burdocks are juicy and bright with no signs of disease or damage, then do not pull out the plant. Water it well, feed it thoroughly and spud it higher. If you continue to look after him as before, then after a while new young inflorescences will appear from the lateral sinuses. Of course, a second crop will not produce large heads. But you will get 4-5 pieces of medium size, which is equivalent to one large one.

For their own needs - a good help.

Useful Tips

1. You don't have to cut the fall harvest. Cauliflower is dug up along with the roots and lowered into the cellar. There it is hung upside down or roots are buried. In this form, the heads are perfectly preserved for up to 3 months.
2. Compact the cauliflower plantings with marigolds. This is aesthetically gorgeous and scares off many lovers to feast on snow-white heads.
3. Spray the newly planted seedlings immediately with a solution of table vinegar: for 10 liters of clean water, 1 tbsp. l. This will overpower the smell of leaves and confuse pests.
4. Observe the crop rotation. Do not plant after crucifers. They have the same pests and diseases. It is better to attach cauliflower after melons or cereals.

How to grow cauliflower outdoors? As you can see, this is not at all a secret behind seven seals. Knowing that the plant loves coolness, you can grow two crops per season without hassle and hassle. Plus a huge storehouse of vitamins, minerals and nutrients on your table from June to December.

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Video: secrets of a good harvest of cauliflower