How to properly grow cauliflower outdoors?

The beautiful cauliflower, which is so popular among the population of the entire planet, does not grow in the wild. It is believed that it was donated to the world by the people of Syria, therefore for a long time it was called "Syrian cabbage". Ibn Sina recommended using this extraordinary vegetable as a source of vitamins in winter. The culture is quite capricious and demanding, especially in love with moisture.

Growing and caring for cauliflower outdoors requires knowledge of certain technologies and cultivation characteristics, thanks to which a rich harvest is reaped.

Growing seedlings

Cauliflower, along with other horticultural crops, is cultivated using seedlings or sowing seeds in open ground. The second method is practically not popular, because due to the cultivation of seedlings, the period of subsequent ripening decreases, the ovaries become large and strong.

When to sow seeds?

Sowing time depends on the region of cultivation and the number of days required for the full maturation of the crop. In order for varieties of early maturity to be fully ripe, one hundred days must pass from the moment of sowing.

Mid-season varieties are poured with juice one hundred and thirty days after the seeds are immersed in the ground, and late varieties need one hundred and fifty days for this. When determining the timing of sowing seeds, it is necessary to build on these facts.

In the conditions of the middle belt, seedlings of early varieties should be planted in open ground at the end of April or at the beginning of May, having by this time an age of sixty days. Varieties of the middle term move to the garden at the age of forty days, this happens from mid-May to mid-June. Late varieties are only thirty-five days old to be transplanted outdoors in mid-July.

Conditions for successful cultivation of seedlings

To properly grow a somewhat capricious cauliflower requires extensive knowledge of cultivation techniques and features. It is necessary to choose the right container, soil, provide the necessary conditions for the active growth and development of seedlings.

Choice of capacity

You can sow seeds for seedlings in large boxes, in separate containers or in peat pots. Experienced gardeners prefer to choose separate small boxes for sowing, in which they plant one seed at a time. This method helps to avoid subsequent picking, which can seriously injure the root system of cauliflower seedlings.

For this purpose, peat pots made from environmentally friendly material are perfect. When transferred to the ground, the seedlings do not even need to be removed from the cup, they are planted in a hole right in the container. The peat pot will decompose in a short period of time and additionally feed the soil, and the roots will be able to freely penetrate through its walls and go into the soil.

Soil preparation

The soil for the seeds is prepared independently so that it is as comfortable as possible for the plants. Mix three parts of garden soil, one part each of sand and peat. The resulting mixture must be disinfected, since cauliflower is vulnerable to fungal-type diseases.

The decontamination procedure will also destroy microbes and parasite larvae remaining in the soil. For this purpose, it is advised to use a Bordeaux mixture consisting of slaked lime and copper sulfate. Before the procedure, it is imperative to study the instructions so as not to violate the rules of the process.

You can also clean the earthen mixture in other ways, for example, spill it with boiling water with the addition of a solution of potassium permanganate, or ignite it in the oven at a high temperature.

If the soil from the garden plot has not been fertilized, 60 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of calcium chloride and a glass of wood ash are added to the soil. Growing seedlings need sufficient amounts of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium. Self-prepared potting soil will provide the young cauliflower with all the nutrients it needs.

Two more recipes for preparing soil for seeds are popular. Four parts of low-lying peat, part of mullein and one and a half parts of rotted sawdust are mixed.

A soil made up of ten parts of humus, part of low-lying peat and part of sand is suitable. A little wood ash is added to the mixture and everything is mixed until a homogeneous mass is formed. If it is not possible to create your own substrate, you can use a commercial mixture designed specifically for horticultural crops.

Seed preparation

Before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the planting material. Cauliflower seeds undergo multi-stage processing.

To begin with, they are kept wrapped in a cloth napkin for fifteen minutes in a thermos with hot water at a temperature of fifty degrees, and then placed in cold water for a minute.

At the next stage, the seeds are soaked in a solution of trace elements for twelve hours or in a solution of potassium permanganate, after which they are well washed and placed in the refrigerator for one day. Then the dried seeds can be sown in the prepared soil.

How to sow?

The process of sowing cauliflower involves the following steps:

1. Shared boxes or individual pots are completely filled with prepared nutrient soil. Leave a free space of 1.5 centimeters from the edge.
2. The soil is slightly compacted by tamping.
3. If planting occurs in a common container, the beds are marked using a wooden stick. With a distance of three centimeters, shallow grooves (half a centimeter) are made, into which seeds are sown with a distance of one and a half centimeters. If you plant more closely, it will be very difficult to dive for plants with a delicate root system.
4. The soil is moistened with a spray bottle.
5. The container is covered with glass, film or a bag to create greenhouse conditions.
6. Seedlings are placed in a warm place until the first shoots appear.

Care

During the cultivation of seedlings, it is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.If you observe the temperature regime, the seedlings will appear in four to five days.

As soon as shoots have appeared, it is urgently necessary to reduce this figure to six degrees in order to prevent the rapid pulling of seedlings, which has a great tendency to this. After five days, the regime is changed again, raising the temperature to fifteen degrees, so that small plants can more easily acclimatize.

Seedling care includes watering and feeding procedures. In the early days, while the seedlings are still very small, it is better to moisten the soil with a spray bottle so that the soil does not erode.

Cauliflower sprouts are threatened by a dangerous disease called "Blackleg". Gardeners resort to preventive measures so that the disease does not harm young plants. Fungicides are mixed into the water for irrigation, for example, "Fitosporin" or "Baktofit".

You can not fill the soil in order to avoid the development of fungal diseases, it is especially dangerous when kept at low temperatures. The drooping sprouts must be urgently removed from the soil along with the ground, and the remaining seedlings should be sprayed with special means, subsequently reducing watering. It helps in such situations sprinkling the earth and sprouts with wood ash.

Ten days after sowing, the cauliflower seedlings will be ready for picking if they have been sown in a large common box. Before the start of the pick, the plants are well watered so that it is more convenient to get them out of the ground. The transplanted cauliflower is watered abundantly and harvested for several days in a dark place, protected from direct sunlight.

After picking, the seedlings continue to be regularly watered and sprayed. Do not forget about dressings, which are added in several stages. The first time the plants are fertilized after the appearance of the first two true leaves using ready-made complex fertilizers by spraying from a spray bottle.

The second feeding is carried out for the prevention of diseases, using 1.15 grams of copper sulfate and 0.2 grams of boric acid. The third and last feeding is carried out before hardening the seedlings. A tablespoon of potassium sulfate and a tablespoon of urea are diluted in ten liters of water. For each sprout, two hundred milliliters of fertilizer are consumed.

Seedlings are ready for open field planting approximately 50 days after sowing the seeds. Finished grown plants should have five true leaves and a high-quality, well-developed root system. Cauliflower is hardened before planting.

Saplings must be accustomed to cold, sun and temperature extremes. To do this, a few days before planting, the sprouts are taken out into the street for several hours, gradually increasing the time. Also, they can be left in front of an open balcony. It is recommended to transfer them completely to the greenhouse for the last few days, without removing the film on cold nights.

Planting seedlings in open ground

When it is time to transplant to open ground, the grown seedlings should be healthy, strong and strong.

Landing dates

Seedlings of early varieties, the seeds of which were sown in late winter or early spring, must be planted in the garden between April 25 and May 15. Seedlings belonging to mid-season varieties, which were sown in the period from the second half of April to the second half of May, will be fully ready for transfer to open ground from May 20 to June 15.

Late ripening varieties move into open ground after thirty days have passed since the day of sowing the seeds.

Early-maturing cauliflower is well suited for indoor cultivation. Not so long ago, quality varieties were only available for cultivation in the southern regions, but now such varieties can be cultivated in almost any part of the country.

The most popular is the medium-ripening cauliflower. If you sow seeds for seedlings, you can harvest an early harvest.Late ripening varieties often do not have time to look when grown in cold regions.

Cauliflower should not be planted before the likelihood of a return of winter frost is gone. Cauliflower loves warmer conditions than white cabbage, so you can get serious damage as a result of spring frosts.

The bushes cannot be kept at home for a long time, because after the appearance of the seventh or eighth leaf, heads are already beginning to form on the plant. If you make a transplant in open ground at this time, the whole process of maturation and vegetation will be disrupted.

Soil preparation

For cauliflower seedlings, a suitable site is selected with good lighting, sufficient access to sunlight. The acidity of the soil should be at a neutral level, from 6.7 to 7.4 pH.

They select a site, observing the principles of crop rotation. For cauliflower, the soil that used to grow onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, grains, legumes or green manures is suitable. After radish, beetroot, radish and tomato, cauliflower can only be planted after four years.

They begin to prepare the soil for planting cauliflower in the fall. The soil is carefully loosened, the maximum number of roots of weeds is removed, and the larvae of parasites are selected from the ground.

Two weeks later, fertilizing is added to the soil: five kilograms of organic fertilizers are applied for each square meter, adding 30 grams of potash and phosphorus fertilizers. As soon as fertilizers have been added to the ground, it is dug to the depth of the bayonet of the shovel, while liming it if the ground has an acidic reaction.

With the onset of spring, a bucket of humus or compost, two glasses of wood ash, two tablespoons of superphosphate and one teaspoon of urea are added to each hole dug for a seedling. All additives mix well with the fertile soil layer. In the spring, the soil is not re-dug up, since it is necessary to plant the shoots in the compacted soil.

If it was not possible to dig up the plot in the autumn, the procedure is carried out in the spring, but the soil is tamped a little before planting. This rule must be followed, because it affects the characteristics of the cabbage heads, they become denser and more tasty.

How to plant?

It is best to grow the seedlings in peat pots to make it easier to plant them outdoors without damaging the weak root system.

Landing is done in the following sequence:

1. In the prepared soil, beds are made with a distance of seventy centimeters, on which planting holes are dug, keeping a distance of thirty centimeters between them. If late varieties are planted, the gap can be slightly reduced, but it is absolutely impossible to plant too dense.
2. If the seedling grows in an ordinary pot, the soil in it is watered abundantly and the seedling is removed along with the soil.
3. The seedling is placed in the ground and covered with earth to the first leaves. If the plant was cultivated in a peat pot, then you do not need to extract it. The pot is placed in a hole and also covered with soil.
4. The hole is watered abundantly.

Care

The care is as follows:

1. The planted cauliflower seedlings are covered with foil from direct sunlight for several days to enable them to adapt. For two or three days, the seedlings will take root in the shade. Two weeks later, they begin to huddle.
2. Cauliflower develops correctly and actively at temperatures from 16 to 25 degrees.
3. During the hot summer, the plants are carefully monitored. If the soil dries up quickly, it is often watered. Also, the bushes hide from the sultry sun in the shade. If you ignore this recommendation, the heads may begin to bloom at the wrong time and eventually darken.
4. Three weeks after transplanting into open ground, young cabbage is fertilized with mullein diluted in water or wood ash.The first top dressing may consist of specialized mineral fertilizers. It is not recommended to apply fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, because the increased acidity of the soil adversely affects the development of roots and subsequent flowering.

Disease prevention

The most popular and safest way to protect crops from pests is to sprinkle plants with tobacco or wood ash. You can spray the bushes with infusion of burdocks, onions or tomato tops. Chemicals provide stronger protection, however, their use is not entirely environmentally friendly.

As a preventive measure, marigolds and dill can be planted between the rows of cauliflower, which scare off pests. Bushes of mown nettles, placed between the rows and directly next to the bushes, will also help.

Harvesting and storage

Collect the heads of cauliflower after reaching full maturity, which is determined by the following criteria:

• the diameter of the heads varies from eight to twelve centimeters;
• heads weigh from 300 to 1200 grams.

Overripe vegetables are deprived of useful properties and pleasant taste, so you cannot hesitate in harvesting. The cabbage is carefully cut along with two or four leaves.

Do not leave the assembled heads in the sun, otherwise they will turn yellow. You can store cauliflower in a cellar or basement, laying in rows in plastic boxes and covering them with foil. The shelf life is two months.

Cauliflower is a well-known and healthy vegetable on the tables of Russian residents, so it is very popular when grown in orchards and vegetable gardens.

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.

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

Origin story

It is believed that cauliflower was developed 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 by 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 the emergence of shoots 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.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

Chemicals and biologicals 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 time of the inflorescences indicated on the seed packaging is 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, having previously wrapped 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), the 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 grows 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 too 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. When they decompose, 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 of the cap.

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.

My hobbies: plant growing, healthy lifestyle, Tibetan medicine, home winemaking. Merchandise expert by education. Rate the article:

(0 votes, average: 0 out of 5)

Cauliflower is the richest source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Almost every person who owns their own summer cottage or vegetable garden grows cauliflower. And today we will teach you how to do it correctly in order to end up with a rich, healthy and tasty harvest.

How to grow cauliflower

Which variety should you choose?

The varieties listed below are suitable for growing both in climatic conditions, for example, in the Moscow region, and in the territories of Siberia and the Urals. For convenience, we classify varieties in accordance with the rates of their growth and ripening.

1. Early ripening. Movir 74, Early Gribovskaya 1355.
2. Medium early. Mid-season Fargot, Pioneer, etc.

   Cauliflower Pioneer

3. Late ripening. For example, Skywalker F.

Important note! Cauliflower does not feel very well at temperatures over +25 degrees. Residents of hot regions are advised to give preference to Coleman and Ameizing varieties - they normally tolerate such conditions.

Ameising F1, Dutch bred hybrid, with heads weighing up to 1.8 kg, high-yielding

Where to plant cauliflower?

We choose a warm and sunny area - in the shade we get only a lot of leaves without a fully formed head. Cabbage likes moist soil and air. The best option is sandy loam and loamy soil with a neutral pH (in the range of 6.8-7.2) and rich in humus.

Determining the best soil type for planting cauliflower

Cauliflower can be planted in areas previously used to grow legumes, cucumbers, carrots, as well as cereals, onions and potatoes. Areas where turnips and radishes, tomatoes, radishes, beets, and cabbage were previously grown, can be used for growing cauliflower only 4 years after the last harvest of the listed crops.

Preliminary preparation recommendations

Both seeds and soil need preliminary preparation.

Cauliflower seeds

The seeds are preliminarily dipped in water heated to about 50 degrees and kept there for 15 minutes. After that, we send them to cool water for about 1.5 minutes. Next, we will need to soak the seeds in a solution containing microelements (we buy in a specialized store) for 12 hours, then rinse them thoroughly with water and send them to the refrigerator for about a day.

Seed soaking

In the photo - sowing cauliflower seeds for seedlings

We begin to prepare the plot in the garden for the future planting of cauliflower from the autumn months, by introducing lime substances. In the spring, we apply organic fertilizers in the amount of 1 bucket per square meter. Add a mixture of a couple of large spoons of superphosphate, a small spoonful of urea and a couple of glasses of wood ash to each prepared hole.

We grow home seedlings

We will grow seedlings in a mixture consisting of equal proportions of sand, peat and turf. Components such as humus and soil from the garden will not work - there is a high risk of infection of plants with a black leg.

For sowing early varieties, we choose a day between March 5 and 10, late ones - March 10-20. If you wish, you can sow seeds directly into the ground under the film - we do this in April.

Sowing cabbage seeds in the ground

We propose to increase the chances of getting a healthy and strong harvest by first growing the seedlings in boxes, and then transferring them to the ground.

Seedling growing procedure

Traditionally, boxes with a height of about 100 mm, a width of about 300 mm and a half-meter length are used. For convenience, the longitudinal wall of the box is made detachable.

Seedling wooden box

We lay small stones at the bottom of the box to ensure drainage.

Expanded clay can be used for drainage

We fill the container with soil mixture. We level it, slightly moisten it and thicken it a little. We mark grooves on the surface of the soil with a depth of about 5 mm, maintaining a 3-centimeter step between them. In the row between the seeds, we provide approximately 10 mm distance. We fill the seeds with a soil mixture and compact it a little.

Sowing seeds in seedling boxes

After sowing, we maintain an approximately + 20-25-degree temperature in a room with future seedlings. When shoots appear, reduce the temperature to approximately +10 degrees. After a week of this regime, during the day the temperature is maintained at + 15-17 degrees, at night - + 9-10 degrees. It doesn't need to be warmer - the heads will form too early.

Water in moderation. Excessive moisture will provoke the development of a black leg, too little watering will lead to the formation of dwarf heads.

Moderate watering

Two-week-old seedlings go through the picking stage, i.e. seating in separate containers. Sometimes this is done already on the 9-10th day, transferring the seedlings into cups measuring about 8x8 cm.

Seedling picking

The recommended depth of seedlings is up to cotyledon leaves. Within 3 days after the pick, we maintain the temperature at about + 19-20 degrees, then reduce it to + 16-17 degrees during the day and about + 9-10 degrees at night.

Early varieties are transplanted into the garden in the first days of May, and later ones - within 2-3 weeks of the same month. Approximately 2 weeks before transplanting, the seedlings begin to gradually accustom themselves to temperature extremes, wind and sun, i.e. tempered.

Recommendations for the care of home seedlings

The standard scheme is as follows.

1. During the first 4-5 days after sowing (i.e. before the first shoots appear), the soil is sprayed with water. It is very convenient to do this with a spray bottle. During this period, the container with future seedlings is kept in a room with a temperature of + 18-20 degrees.

   Spraying seedlings

2. After the emergence of the first shoots, home seedlings are transferred to a room with a temperature of up to + 8-10 degrees. In warmer conditions, it will stretch too much.
3. After 9-14 days, the seedlings are transplanted into separate containers. Recommendations for the correct conduct of this stage were given earlier.

   An example of planting seedlings in separate cups

4. After the germination of two true leaves, foliar feeding of the emerging cauliflower seedlings is carried out. We prepare the mixture for feeding as follows: we dilute half a small spoonful of fertilizers containing a complex of trace elements in a liter of cool clean water. We use the mixture for spraying. The second time we feed it before the start of hardening with a mixture of 0.15 g of molybdenum-sour ammonium, 0.2 g of boric acid, as well as 0.15 g of copper sulfate per liter of pure water. The final foliar feeding is carried out when the cabbage head grows to the size of a walnut. This time, spraying is done with a solution of the following composition: 10 liters of water, a large spoonful of potassium sulfate and a similar amount of urea. Each plant is sprayed with a glass of a similar mixture.

   Top dressing of seedlings. Leaf spraying

5. 5-7 days before transplanting seedlings into the ground, we stop watering. A couple of hours before planting, we properly water the seedlings with clean water at room temperature.

   Water the seedlings at the root

Landing

The optimal timing for planting home seedlings in the ground was mentioned earlier, but some owners do it much earlier - already in the first weeks of April. During this period, at night the air temperature can still drop below 0. To ensure the protection of the seedlings, it is covered with pieces of plastic wrap laid on small arcs.

For 1 plant of early varieties, a plot of 0.4x0.5 m is needed, mid-ripening - 0.5x0.5 m, late - 0.6x0.6 m.Seedlings are deepened to the level of the first true leaves. During the first 2-3 days after planting, home seedlings should be carefully shaded.

Rules for planting cabbage in the ground

Water it every 5-7 days, in moderation. Watering is best done using the sprinkler method. To reduce the frequency of watering, plantings should be mulched with organic fertilizers in accordance with the instructions.

After watering, we loosen the soil by about 7-8 cm in depth. The first hilling is carried out 3 weeks after cabbage planting. The second - after another 10 days. Some owners carry out the first hilling after 2 weeks after planting the seedlings, the second after the same time. As practice shows, both methods give equally good results.

Cauliflower, seedlings

3 weeks after planting, we add top dressing in the form of a liquid mullein or other suitable composition (check in a specialized store in accordance with the variety of cabbage grown). For dusting the soil and cabbage, you can use wood ash in the amount of one glass for every square meter. Such processing will allow you to get rid of pests and at the same time act as a top dressing.

Growing cauliflower in a greenhouse

Cauliflower pests and control

Cauliflower care

Inspect cabbage stalks regularly for small white cabbage fly eggs. Collect and destroy those. If many stems are affected, apply 1-3 waterings with insecticide. The solution is poured at the root; there is no need to process the entire plant.

Insecticides

Young cabbage leaves can be infected with cabbage moth eggs. The caterpillars hatched from them soon will pose a great danger to the entire crop. The situation is saved only by treating the entire plant with insecticides in accordance with the instructions for the selected tool.

Cabbage pest

Important! Chemical treatment is not carried out if the heads have already begun to be tied.

For processing cabbage, not only chemical poisons are suitable, but also products based on plant components.

Infusion of milkweed is well suited against the caterpillars of the whitetail, moths and scoops. Pour a kilogram of its roots and leaves with about 4 liters of water, put on low heat, bring to a boil and boil for about 3 hours. Then we filter the broth and add water to it in such an amount that the total volume increases approximately 3 times. We use it for watering affected plants.

Burdock helps against the same pests. We fill the bucket with burdock about a third of the height and fill it with water to the edges of the container. We leave for 3 days. We filter the infusion and use it for weekly spraying of plants.

Using Burdock Leaves for Pest Control

And lastly, a useful note: do not waste time and energy trying to grow cabbage on acidic soil - nothing good will come of it. Lime the soil and work to normalize its pH values.

Soil liming

Good luck!

Video - How to grow cauliflower in the garden