Cauliflowers are difficult to grow. This is according to many people, especially those who have experienced growing the plant.
Cauliflowers are classified as cool-season vegetables. In order to maintain its white color, a special treatment called blanching, is applied. The odd thing about cauliflowers is the fact that they can not tolerate too hot or too cold weather conditions. This is the main reason why they are hard to grow.
Fortunately, there are new varieties of cauliflowers available today, these varieties are more tolerant compared to their ancestors, this is indeed an advantage.
One way to determine how hard it is to grow cauliflowers is by trying. Follow the given steps below to learn how to grow cauliflowers. They are even simplified to make the job easier to accomplish.
Step 1:
Select the appropriate site. Cauliflowers need to be planted in the areas where sunlight is abundant. The soil must be well-drained, evenly moist, has plenty of organic matter and should have a pH of 6.0 – 7.0.
Step 2:
It’s best to use early varieties of cauliflowers. Start them indoors for about a month before the last frost.
Step 3:
Relocate the plants outdoors when they are already 6 inches tall. Before relocating them, make sure the danger of frost is totally gone and be sure the temperature of both soil and air reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4:
Place the plants in their holes and cover the short portion of the bottom leaves. Fabricate a little saucer of soil around each plant in order to preserve moisture.
Step 5:
For a fall harvest, utilize direct sowing of seeds. Position them in clusters of 4 seeds each, with a distance of 2 feet each cluster.
Step 6:
When you notice the leaves become visible, take away all but the well-built seedling from each group.
Step 7:
Always keep the cauliflower plants equally humid especially the small ones. They need about an inch of water per week. You can utilize the garden hose to water them or use rain water.
Step 8:
Begin with the special treatment (blanching process) when a curd or button reaches about the size of an egg. Be sure not to wet the curd and the foliage to prevent them from rotting.
Step 9:
Circle heavy thread around the leaves. Bind them up together and raise them up gently. This is done in order to preserve light and keep out moisture; likewise, it will allow air to get in and give room for the flower to grow.
Step 10:
When the cauliflower heads are full-grown, harvest them. Don’t wait when the sections begin to slacken. The ideal size of cauliflower heads ready for harvesting is about 3-4 inches across.
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