Cauliflower Growing Guide - From Sowing Seeds to Harvesting. How to grow cauliflower in the garden: subtleties, secrets, practical tips How to grow cauliflower seedlings correctly

Cauliflower (lat. Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis)- a common cultivated variety of the Botrytis group of the garden cabbage species. This plant is not found in the wild. There is an opinion that cauliflower was introduced into the culture by the Syrians, so for a long time it was called Syrian cabbage. Ibn Sina recommended it for food as a winter vitamin product. In the XII century, the Arabs brought cauliflower to Spain, and the Syrians to the island of Cyprus, and by the XIV century, some varieties of cauliflower were already grown in Italy, England, Holland and France. Today, the culture is widely cultivated not only in Europe, but also in Asian countries, as well as in the countries of North and South America.

Landing: sowing seeds of early varieties for seedlings - at the end of February or at the beginning of March, transplanting seedlings into the ground - from April 25 to May 15. Sowing seeds for seedlings of mid-ripening varieties - in the second decade of April, and planting seedlings on the beds - from May 20 to June 15. seeds late varieties sown a month after mid-season, and seedlings are planted in open ground a month after sowing.
Lighting: bright sunlight.
The soil: podzolic loams and chernozems with pH 6.7-7.4.
Watering: regular and sufficient: on average once a week, but immediately after planting, the seedlings are watered twice as often. Water consumption - 6-8 liters per m², but with the growth of cabbage, the amount of water will increase.
Top dressing: 3-4 times per season: 1st - 3 weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground, with a solution of mullein, spending half a liter for each plant. 10 days after the first feeding, a second one is carried out, adding a tablespoon of Crystallin to 10 liters of mullein solution and spending a liter of fertilizer on each plant. The third top dressing is carried out with mineral fertilizer in another two weeks: 2 tablespoons of Nitrofoska are dissolved in 10 liters of water and 6-8 liters are spent on each m² of beds.
Reproduction: seed.
Pests: cruciferous fleas, cabbage flies, cabbage aphids, cabbage moths, whites and cutworms.
Diseases: alternariosis, clubroot, downy mildew (peronosporosis), ring spot, slimy bacteriosis (wet rot), vascular bacteriosis, fusarium (jaundice), blackleg, viral mosaic.

Read more about growing cauliflower below.

Cauliflower - description

Cauliflower - annual plant with a fibrous root system close to the soil surface. Its stem is cylindrical, from 15 to 70 cm high. Cauliflower leaves are located horizontally or obliquely upwards, often they are curved in a spiral. They can be either whole and sessile, or lyre-separate, on petioles from 5 to 40 cm long. The color of the leaves is different shades of green, up to bluish from a wax coating. The edible organ of cauliflower is the fleshy flower stalks, or heads. Cauliflower inflorescences are eaten in their infancy, they can be different color- well-known green cauliflower, snow white, cream and even purple. Cabbage reaches technical ripeness in an average of 90-120 days.

Cauliflower fruit is a multi-seeded pod 6 to 8.5 cm long, cylindrical or flattened-cylindrical. Cauliflower is grown by seed method - seedling and seedless.

From this article you will learn when to sow cauliflower for seedlings, how to sow cauliflower for seedlings, how to grow cauliflower seedlings at home, when cauliflower is planted in open ground, how to grow cauliflower in open ground. In addition, we will describe to you the most popular outdoor cauliflower varieties that you can successfully grow in your garden.

Growing cauliflower from seeds

When to sow cauliflower seedlings

Planting cauliflower for seedlings is done in several stages: seeds of early varieties can be sown at the end of February, 40-50 days before planting seedlings in the garden, after two weeks, varieties of medium ripening are sown, and then, after a month, late varieties of cauliflower are sown.

Growing seedlings of cauliflower

Before sowing, cauliflower seeds are processed: first they are placed in a thermos with water at a temperature of 50 ºC for 15 minutes, then they are dipped in cold water for a minute, after which they are soaked in a solution of trace elements for 12 hours, and then they are thoroughly washed and placed for a day in the lower refrigerator box. After such treatment, the seeds are dried and sown in several pieces in separate pots, so that later the seedlings are not subjected to picking, which they do not tolerate well.

Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pots, then a neutral reaction soil, which is made up of 4 parts of lowland peat, 1 part of mullein and one and a half parts of rotten sawdust. You can also use a substrate of 10 parts of humus, 1 part of sand and 1 part of lowland peat. Add a little ash to the wet substrate and mix it thoroughly. Sowing cauliflower into the soil is carried out to a depth of half a centimeter, after which the substrate is compacted.

The conditions for growing cauliflower are as follows: before germination, the room temperature should be between 18-20 ºC, and when the seeds germinate, it should be lowered to 6-8 ºC, placing the seedlings as close to the light as possible. After 5-7 days, set the temperature during the day at 15-18 ºC, and at night - 8-10 ºC. Cauliflower seedlings growing indoors with too high a temperature (above 22 ºC) may subsequently not form inflorescences at all.

Growing cauliflower and caring for it during the seedling period is moderate watering, regular loosening of the soil and preventive treatment of the substrate with a pink solution of potassium permanganate from the black leg and other fungi. When the seedlings develop 2-3 true leaves, they are sprayed with a solution of 2 g boric acid in 1 liter of water, and when another leaf or two is added to the seedlings, the seedlings will not interfere with treatment with a solution of 5 g of ammonium molybdate in a bucket of water.

Cauliflower pick

Growing cauliflower does not involve picking, as it is poorly tolerated by seedlings. But if you decide to sow the seeds not in separate containers, but in a common box, choose a deeper vessel, and place the seeds less often so as not to damage the root system of seedlings when transplanting into open ground.

For those who believe that it is necessary to dive cauliflower seedlings, we suggest doing this when the seedlings are two weeks old, planting them in separate containers, carefully cutting the root during transplantation. After picking, keep the seedlings at a temperature of 21 ºC until they take root, after which set the temperature to 17 ºC during the day and 9 ºC at night.

Planting cauliflower in open ground

When to plant cauliflower outdoors

Seedlings of early varieties of cauliflower, sown in late February or early March, are planted in open ground from about April 25 to May 15. Planting cauliflower of mid-ripening varieties, sown from the second decade of April to the second decade of May, is carried out in a month and a half - from May 20 to June 15. Late varieties of cauliflower grown through seedlings are planted in the garden about a month after sowing.

A week before planting in the ground, cauliflower from seeds needs to be fed with a solution of 3 g of superphosphate and 3 g of potassium chloride in one liter of water - this will increase its cold resistance. And, of course, within ten days before planting the seedlings in the ground, they are hardened, gradually accustoming them to the environment in which they are to grow.

soil for cauliflower

Transplantation of seedlings in open ground is carried out in warm cloudy weather. The site for growing cauliflower should be sunny, and the pH of the soil should be close to neutral - in the range of pH 6.7-7.4. It’s good if carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, green manure, cereals or legumes grew in this place last year. But after such garden plants like beets, tomatoes, radishes, radishes and all kinds of cabbages, cauliflower can only be planted after four years.

The soil on the site is dug up to the depth of the bayonet of a shovel since autumn, at the same time liming if the soil has an acidic reaction. In the spring, before planting, a bucket of humus or compost, 2 cups of wood ash, 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and a teaspoon of urea are added to each well. Do not forget to mix all these additives thoroughly with fertile soil.

How to plant cauliflower

The distance between the holes depends on the variety of cabbage, but on average, the gap between plants in a row should be about 35 cm, and the row spacing should be at least half a meter. Seedlings are buried in the ground by the first true leaves, the soil surface is compacted after planting and watered. If planting is done in April or early May, then at first it is better to cover the seedlings for a couple of days with plastic wrap or non-woven fabric - the coating will protect the seedlings from possible night frosts and from the cruciferous flea.

Readers are asking Is it possible to grow cauliflower immediately in open ground. Of course you can. In the southern regions of Ukraine and Russia, from mid-April, seeds are sown directly into the soil, since they germinate already at a temperature of 2-5 ºC, but in cooler areas it is still safer to use the seedling method of growing cauliflower.

How to grow cauliflower

Cauliflower Care

Since cauliflower is poorly adapted to the conditions middle lane, the quality and quantity of the crop depends entirely on how you take care of it. Caring for cauliflower in the open field is not much different from caring for white cabbage - watering, loosening the soil, hilling, weeding, feeding and treating pests and diseases, but all this must be done carefully and scrupulously.

The soil between plants and between rows is loosened to a depth of about 8 cm, while weeds are removed from the site. This is usually done after watering or rain, while the ground in the area is wet.

Watering the cauliflower

Outdoor cauliflower requires regular and sufficient watering. This crop is watered on average once a week, although the first time after planting, it will be necessary to moisten the area with seedlings twice as often. Water consumption during irrigation is approximately 6-8 liters per m², but with the growth of cabbage, the consumption will increase. In order not to overdo it with moistening the soil and not provoke the development of fungal diseases, be guided by weather conditions - with regular heavy rainfall, when the soil is saturated with moisture to a decent depth, you can do without watering.

In order for the moisture in the plants to remain longer and the cauliflower inflorescences not to become covered with dark spots, cover the heads with their own leaves, breaking 2-3 of them up.

Cauliflower nutrition

During the growing season, cauliflower is fed 3-4 times, and the first feeding should take place no later than three weeks after planting the seedlings in the garden. The best fertilizer for cauliflower is a mullein solution - half a liter of the composition is diluted in 10 liters of water. Solution consumption - half a liter jar per plant.

Re-feeding with mullein is carried out ten days after the first, adding a tablespoon of Kristalin to the solution and spending already one liter of the finished composition per copy.

The third dressing can be carried out mineral fertilizers, for example, by dissolving 2 tablespoons of Nitrophoska in 10 liters of water and spending 6-8 liters per m² of land.

Cauliflower Processing

Since cauliflower is often affected by diseases and pests, you will have to protect it from them all. possible ways. The advantage of this particular variety of cabbage is that its pests can be dealt with without the use of pesticides. The best remedy protecting cauliflower from insects and slugs - dusting plants with wood ash or tobacco. Spraying cauliflower with a solution of infusion of onion peel, burdock or tomato tops can be effective.

As for diseases, the use of protective drugs can be avoided only with meticulous observance of the agricultural technology of the culture, but even in this case, success is not guaranteed.

Growing cauliflower in the Moscow region

In the conditions of the Moscow region, it makes sense to grow early and mid-ripening varieties of cauliflower, but late varieties usually do not have time to ripen. Therefore, the most important thing is to choose the right plant variety and not be too lazy to grow seedlings - a seedling method of growing cauliflower in the middle lane is more reliable than seedlings.

Those who categorically do not want to grow seedlings should know that it is possible to sow cauliflower seeds into the ground in the conditions of the Moscow region not earlier than the end of March, since with earlier sowing, the seeds may die in cold ground, and not later than June - if you are late with sowing , the cauliflower may not have time to ripen.

Pests and diseases of cauliflower

Diseases of cauliflower

Outdoor cauliflower is subject to all sorts of risks, such as being attacked by harmful insects or being infected by fungal, bacterial or viral diseases. In your appeals, there are often questions about why cauliflower turns yellow, dries or rots. The reason for everything is the diseases that affect it, which, like pests, cauliflower has a lot, and we will introduce you to most of them. Of the diseases, cabbage is most often affected by:

Alternariosis – fungal disease, manifested by black or dark brown spots and concentric circles on cabbage leaves. The leaves are dying. In a humid environment at a temperature of 33-35 ºC, spores of the fungus spread faster.

Control measures: mandatory preliminary disinfection of seeds with Planriz, treatment of plants with copper-containing preparations - Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur, copper sulfate, for example;

quila- with this disease, growths and swellings form on the roots of cauliflower, leading to rotting of the root system. As a result, plants stop receiving nutrients from the soil, turn yellow and dry out. On too wet and acidic soils, the keel spreads faster.

Control measures: good results are obtained by adding wood ash to the soil throughout the growing season of cauliflower. Do not plant cauliflower in the area where the clubweed was found, 5-7 years old. When planting seedlings, add a little fluff lime to the holes. From time to time, water the cabbage under the root with a solution of 1 cup of dolomite flour in 10 liters of water;

ring spot- a fungal disease that manifests itself in the formation of small black dots on the leaves and stems of cauliflower. With the development of the disease, the points increase to 2.5 cm in diameter, forming concentric circles around themselves. As a result, the surface of the sheet turns yellow, its edges become uneven. Cool wet weather favors ring spot development.

Control measures: to combat the disease, cauliflower is treated with fungicides. After harvesting, remove plant debris from the site;

Mucous bacteriosis, or wet rot, occurs as a result of a violation of the water balance: small dark watery spots appear on the heads of cauliflower, and black oblong spots appear on the stems. Then, in these places, the plant tissue begins to rot, blacken and emit an unpleasant odor. The disease progresses in wet weather, and mechanical damage to the plant also contributes to infection.

Control measures: spots that appear must be cut out immediately, capturing healthy tissue. Severely affected specimens must be dug up and destroyed. In the spring, it is desirable to carry out preventive treatment of cabbage with a 0.4% suspension of colloidal sulfur. After harvesting, remove all plant debris from the site;

Vascular bacteriosis manifested by scattered chlorotic spots on the ground organs of cauliflower, in place of which necrosis develops. Leaves wither, and black rot appears in the heads. If the disease struck the plant at an early stage of development, then the cauliflower heads do not form at all. The disease progresses during heavy rains.

Control measures: observe crop rotation - do not grow cauliflower after cruciferous. Disinfect seed material and soil for seedlings, timely carry out preventive treatment of cauliflower against fungal diseases. In the fight against vascular bacteriosis, plant treatments with Trichodermin and Planriz are effective;

Fusarium, or jaundice, excited by a fungus that enters vascular system plants, as a result of which the leaves acquire a yellow-green color on one, and sometimes on both sides of the plate. Then dark spots appear on the leaves, and the veins darken slightly. The leaves fall off, and the cabbage head is deformed.

Control measures: A disease detected in time can be cured by treating the cauliflower with Fundazol (Benomyl). If you take rainwater or water from reservoirs for irrigation, add Fitosporin-M to it;

Blackleg- this disease affects cabbage even in the seedling stage. The root neck, against the background of too high humidity of the soil and air, turns black and becomes soft, from which the seedling dies.

Control measures: seedlings should be purchased only from well-established companies, but if you bought it from a dubious seller, disinfect the seedlings with Previkur. The soil before sowing the seeds is sterilized with a formalin solution or steam, the seeds are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or Pseudo-bacterin-2. Sick plants should be removed and destroyed immediately;

peronosporosis, or downy mildew, develops on the ground parts of cauliflower, and often the manifestations of the disease can be detected already in the seedling period - slightly depressed spots form on the cotyledons and real leaves of the plant. The leaves of seedlings planted in the ground, if it is infected with peronosporosis, under conditions of high humidity favorable for the fungus, are covered on the underside of the plate with a whitish coating, which gradually turns gray. Necrosis develops in these places, the growth of seedlings slows down, chlorotic spots form on the leaves, they dry and fall off.

Control measures: at the first signs of damage to cauliflower by peronosporosis, it is necessary to treat the plants with a fungicide, for example, Ridomil Gold (0.05% suspension). As a preventive protection, it is recommended to treat the seeds and soil before sowing and observe the agricultural practices of the crop;

Mosaic- growing cauliflower in open ground is often accompanied by this viral disease typical of cruciferous crops, the first signs of which appear a month after planting the seedlings in the garden: the veins on the leaves brighten, and a dark border forms around them. The growth of the veins stops, as a result of which the leaves become wrinkled. Gradually, necrotic spots form on the leaf plates, the leaves die off and fall off, the heads form small, severely deformed.

Control measures: as a rule, sucking insects are the carrier of the causative agent of the disease - that is why it is necessary to wage a merciless fight against them. In addition, there is no cure for viral diseases. You can protect cauliflower from mosaic by strictly observing the mandatory agrotechnical measures, including the removal of cruciferous weeds from the site and the treatment of cauliflower from aphids.

Cauliflower pests

Of the permanent and most persistent pests of cauliflower, the following insects can be called:

cruciferous fleas- small bugs that feed on shoots and leaves of cauliflower. To protect plants from this pest, seedlings are treated twice with an interval of 10 days with a solution of Trichlormetaphos. Since these insects do not tolerate the smell of garlic and tomatoes, it is recommended to compact cauliflower plantings with these plants;

cabbage fly lays eggs in the lower part of the cabbage stems, in clods of earth and cracks in the soil, and after 8-12 days the larvae that appear fill the root system of the cabbage, destroying it, causing the young plants to die, and the adults are gradually destroyed. In order to scare away the cabbage fly, cauliflower plantings are compacted with celery, the smell of which the insect does not tolerate. Water the soil around the cabbage with a 0.2% solution of Karbofos at the rate of a glass and a half per copy - you will need 2-3 such treatments at weekly intervals;

cabbage aphid- the most harmful insect that infects cabbage with viral diseases and sucks juices out of it. Aphids overwinter on cruciferous weeds and plant debris left unharvested after harvest. It is recommended to compact the bed with cabbage by planting tomatoes, the smell of which repels the pest. In the fight against aphids, an infusion of garlic, onions, hot capsicum, decoctions of wormwood, tansy, yarrow, tobacco dust, mustard, potato tops with the addition of grated laundry soap. In the event of a mass occupation of cauliflower, aphids will have to use insecticides - Aktar, Tanrek or Biotlin, for example;

Cabbage white, cabbage scoop And cabbage moth- caterpillars of these insects feed on cabbage leaves, sometimes leaving only veins from them, mine them, bite into heads. It is necessary to destroy masonry and caterpillars manually, good results are obtained by processing cauliflower with a 0.5% solution of the microbiological preparation Entobacterin-3.

Harvesting and storing cauliflower

They begin to harvest cauliflower heads when they reach technical ripeness, which is determined by the following signs:

heads reach a diameter of 8-12 cm;
head weight - from 300 to 1200 g.

Early varieties ripen from 60 to 100 days, medium-ripening varieties can be harvested after 100-135 days, while late varieties ripen for at least 4.5 months.

An overripe vegetable loses not only taste, but also useful qualities. Cut the cabbage very carefully, leaving 2-4 leaves on the head. If the cabbage has formed side shoots, leave a couple of the strongest of them, and new inflorescences will develop from them. Do not leave cut heads in the sun, otherwise they will turn yellow and become unusable.

Cauliflower heads are stored in the cellar, in plastic or plywood boxes covered with foil - such a storage period is up to two months.

If you do not have a cellar or basement, disassemble and rinse the inflorescences under running water, dry them and freeze - you can fresh, you can lightly boiled (no more than 5 minutes). Shelf life 1 year.

You can store cauliflower in a suspended state, like white cabbage, but then do not cut the inflorescences, but dig up the plants from the garden, cut the roots, remove the top leaves, tie the cabbage by the stalk with twine or rope and hang it so that the heads do not touch each other. Shelf life month.

Sometimes late varieties of cauliflower do not have time to ripen even to technical ripeness, and they have to be grown at home. Rather, it is better to do it in the cellar - it is stored there and ripens. Bring a couple of boxes of garden soil into the cellar. Water the cabbage well in the garden, and dig it out in two days, keeping a large clod of earth on the roots. Transplant the dug-up cabbage into boxes in the cellar, immersing them in the soil to the very leaves.

The temperature in the room where the cauliflower will ripen should be from 0 to 4 ºC, and the air humidity should be at the level of 90-95%. Keep the room well ventilated and enjoy cauliflower all winter long.

Types and varieties of cauliflower

Cauliflower is a popular cultivated variety of the kale species. Today, there are many varieties and hybrids of this plant, among which everyone can choose samples according to their taste and adaptability to certain climatic conditions. We offer you an acquaintance with the best of these varieties.

early varieties of cauliflower

Early varieties of cauliflower include those that ripen within 100 days or earlier. For example:

Snowdrift– mid-early productive variety, ripening in 90-100 days, with compact and dense snow-white heads weighing up to 1,200 kg, which are stored frozen for a long time without losing excellent taste;
Snowball 23- productive mid-early variety, ripening at about the same time as the previous one, with the same white heads weighing up to 1 kg. A variety of excellent taste that is not lost when frozen;
Amethyst- medium-early variety, ripening in 80 days from the moment the seedlings are planted in the ground with heads of a purple hue, approximately the same size, weighing up to 1 kg;
Maliba- super-early and super-productive variety, adapted to areas with different climates, which begins to produce a crop in 55-65 days from the moment the seedlings are planted in the ground. The heads of cabbage of this variety are dense, rounded, milky white color, weighing up to 5 kg;
Fortados- A productive, stress-resistant variety that ripens a couple of months after planting seedlings in the garden. The heads are round, snow-white, dense, weighing up to 2 kg;

In addition to those described, such varieties as Fremont, Movir-74, Express, Snowball, Icing sugar, Regent, White Castle, Berdegrusse, Blue Diamond, Purple and others.

Medium varieties of cauliflower

This group of varieties includes those that ripen within 100-135 days. For example:

purple ball- high-yielding, resistant to autumn frosts variety with heads of medium density lilac color weighing up to 1.5 kg. The heads of this variety keep well;
Patriotic- productive variety with small white heads weighing 700-800 g. Vegetation period 100-120 days;
Asterix F1– resistant to powdery mildew and adverse climatic conditions hybrid variety with small white heads weighing up to 1 kg, which are securely covered with leaves;
Yaco- high-yielding variety with a short ripening period and a hard head weighing up to 850 g. The variety is bred for summer and autumn cultivation;
Flora Blanca- productive, winter-hardy, well-kept variety of Polish selection with dense white-yellow heads of high palatability weighing up to 1200 g, which ripen already 110 days after seed germination. The advantage of this variety is that the heads ripen almost simultaneously, so harvesting is quick and easy.

Also in demand are the mid-season varieties Belaya Krasavitsa, Moscow canning, Rushmore, Amazing, Parizhanka, Koza-dereza, Goodman and Dachnitsa.

Late varieties of cauliflower

This group of varieties includes those that ripen from 4.5 to 5 months or longer:

Cortes F1- a high-yielding hybrid that requires fertile soil, resistant to frost, due to the “self-covering” of the head with leaves. The inflorescences of this variety are dense, white, weighing up to 3 kg;
Amerigo F1- high-yielding and resistant to heat and frost hybrid variety with snow-white heads weighing up to 2.5 kg;
Consista- one of the latest varieties, which perfectly tolerates autumn frosts, with large dense heads weighing up to 800 g;
autumn giant- the growing season of this variety of cauliflower is from 200 to 220 days. The heads of this cabbage are dense, white, weighing up to 2.5 kg;
Regent- the mass of the head of this late variety of cauliflower, which endures autumn frosts, is from 530 to 800 g.

Known in culture are such late-ripening varieties of cauliflower as Altamira, Adler winter, Incline, Amsterdam, Sochi and others.

Cauliflower for Siberia

In Siberia, only early varieties cauliflower, and they are grown exclusively seedling way. Popular in culture are varieties such as:

Baldo- extra early high-yielding variety with round milky white heads of medium size;
Candide charm F1- a hybrid variety with a snow-white head weighing up to 2 kg, well protected by leaves;
Opal- productive early variety with uniform dense white heads weighing up to 1.5 kg, ripening almost simultaneously;
Helsinki- a powerful hybrid variety for open ground with large heads of snow-white color;
whiteskel- a hybrid variety resistant to diseases and climatic conditions with uniform, dense, snow-white dome-shaped heads weighing up to 3 kg.

Suitable varieties for the Siberian climate are also Movir-74, Snowball, Lilac Ball and hybrids Amphora F1 and Cheddar F1.

Cauliflower for the Moscow region

Varieties of cauliflower for the middle lane should have the following qualities:

resistance to sudden changes in temperature and humidity;
undemanding to heat and light;
ripening no later than mid-October.

Varieties that meet these requirements include the following:

early ripening- an early ripe variety, relatively resistant to diseases. The heads are round, white, dense and juicy;
Gribovskaya early- an early variety that is not harmed by slight shading. Heads of cabbage of this variety weighing up to 700 g, somewhat loose, but of excellent taste;
Snowball- medium-early, disease-resistant and cold-resistant variety with snow-white large heads, reaching 1.2 kg in weight;
Alpha- an early variety with very large heads weighing up to one and a half kilograms, which, unfortunately, are not stored for long;
Guarantee- an early variety, dense heads of which weighing up to 850 g do not decay for a long time.

Such varieties of cauliflower grow well in the Moscow region, such as Express, Moskvichka, Snezhinka, Broadleaf, Round head, Movir 74 and others.

Properties of cauliflower - harm and benefit

The taste and dietary qualities of cauliflower are more pronounced than in other varieties of garden cabbage, and nutritional value she surpasses them too. There is more ascorbic acid and protein in it than, for example, in white cabbage, 2-3 times - 50 g of cauliflower contains the amount of vitamin C sufficient for the human body for a day. In addition, this culture is high in other vitamins - PP, H (biotin), K, D, A and B vitamins.

Cauliflower includes carbohydrates, fats, starches, sugars, fatty acids, macronutrients chlorine, sodium, potassium, calcium, sulfur, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as trace elements copper, manganese, iron, zinc, cobalt and molybdenum, and iron in it is several times more than in lettuce, zucchini, bell pepper and eggplant. Vitamins and minerals contained in cauliflower strengthen the antioxidant defense of a person, and enzymes actively remove toxins and toxins from the body. Cauliflower is rich in tartaric, malic, citric acids and pectin.

Due to this composition, cauliflower is not only a valuable nutritious product, but is also included in the diet as a remedy for many diseases - diseases gastrointestinal tract, respiratory and urinary tract, endocrine system.

Since there is little coarse fiber in cauliflower, it is easier to digest and assimilate by the body than white or red cabbage, therefore it is recommended by doctors even for patients with gastritis, as well as for patients with diseases of the liver and gallbladder. Shown cauliflower sick diabetes because it normalizes the level of cholesterol and glucose in the blood.

Substances found in cauliflower have beneficial effects on nervous system person and those that are excellent prevention from oncological diseases: regular consumption of cauliflower reduces the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate in men.

Cauliflower holds the record for biotin, or vitamin H, which prevents inflammatory diseases skin, including seborrhea, so biotin is often included in skin and hair care products.

Fresh unsalted cauliflower juice, due to the presence of vitamin U in it, successfully helps to heal ulcers: acidity is normalized, and this contributes to the regeneration of the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum. Freshly squeezed juice, due to the content of tartronic acid in it, helps to get rid of excess weight. Poorly healing wounds or burns are treated with a mixture of raw egg white and cauliflower pulp.

Cauliflower - contraindications

The danger of cauliflower is:

for those suffering from high acidity of the stomach, intestinal spasms and acute enterocolitis - it will increase pain and can cause irritation of the mucous membrane of internal organs;
for those who have recently undergone abdominal surgery;
for patients with kidney diseases and those suffering from high blood pressure;
for patients with gout, since cauliflower contains purines, and when they accumulate in the body, the concentration of uric acid increases, which can cause a relapse of the disease;
for people with a weakened endocrine system, since abuse provokes the development of goiter;
for those who are allergic to cauliflower.

For those who do not cause negative reactions to cauliflower, we recommend baking it in the oven, since with this cooking method it almost does not lose its beneficial qualities.

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Cauliflower is demanding on sunlight

Temperature. At least 120-160 warm days are needed to ripen and achieve technical ripeness of the cauliflower crop, depending on the variety. It would seem that the summer period of the middle zone is quite enough for this. But the difficulty of growing this type of cabbage lies in the fact that it is very sensitive to temperature fluctuations, so a lot of effort is required to protect the plantings during cold snaps and shade the beds from the scorching sun.

Landing place. Cauliflower is demanding on sunlight. Good, dense heads are tied only when grown in open, maximally lit areas. Even close proximity to tall garden crops can adversely affect the quality of the crop.

Advice! Closer to the middle of summer, when the inflorescences begin to form and ripen, break the upper leaves of the head of cabbage and “shade” the head with them - so it will remain white, will not turn yellow and will not crumble.

The best predecessors of cauliflower: potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, as well as peas and other legumes. Do not plant it after "related" crops, such as radishes, turnips, radishes and cabbages of other species, after which pathogenic bacteria and fungal spores may remain in the soil.

The soil. Heavy, clay or poor soils are not suitable for growing cauliflower. These plantings produce crops on sandy loam garden soil, well drained with good moisture and air circulation. To improve the nutritional value of cabbage beds, it is better to use organic fertilizers: rotted manure or mullein, humus, compost masses, non-acidic peat.

Roller Growing Tips

Humidity. Cauliflower plantings need regular watering, especially in the early stages of cultivation. But at the same time, stagnation of water in the soil is often the main cause of the development of fungal diseases, so the frequency and volume of irrigation are set depending on weather conditions and the amount of precipitation. As a rule, in the second half of summer, when the crop ripens, the cabbage is no longer watered.

Planting cauliflower for the full development and high-quality ripening of the crop requires regular top dressing. A rather long growing season gradually depletes the soil, and the culture at different stages needs additional micro-macroelements.

If you doubt the nutritional value of the soil, then it will not be superfluous to feed the cauliflower for the third time

The first feeding is carried out about ten days after planting the seedlings or by the time when there are 5-6 true leaves on the sockets. To do this, use liquid organic matter - an infusion of mullein, bird droppings or herbal infusion added to water for irrigation in appropriate dosages.

Two weeks later, a second top dressing is carried out, already with the addition of mineral fertilizers: infusion of wood ash, bone meal or a ready-made complex preparation - nitroammophoska.

If you doubt the nutritional value of the soil, then it will not be superfluous to feed the cauliflower for the third time, at the beginning of the formation of the head.

Video about planting cabbage and care

Seeding methods

Growing most varieties of cauliflower is often complicated by the fact that temperature fluctuations adversely affect the quality of the future crop. It is bad for her and possible cold snaps below 10 ° C, and hot weather when the air warms up above 26-28 ° C. During such periods, the growth and development of plantings is inhibited, the density and taste qualities forming heads.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out about a month before the expected planting date.

Based on this, and also taking into account the weather characteristics of a particular region, apply various methods growing cauliflower - through seedlings, sowing in open ground or planting under temporary shelter. Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

seedling method

When the rosettes form 4-6 true leaves and a positive average daily temperature of at least 12 ° C is established, the cabbage is planted in open ground according to a pattern of 70 cm between rows and about 30 cm between holes.

This method of growing cauliflower, although quite troublesome, is very effective. There is no other way to grow cauliflower and get a good harvest in temperate weather conditions. But in the southern regions, where summer heat comes already at the beginning of May, there is no need for seedlings and cabbage is sown immediately on the beds.

Video clip about planting and growing

Sowing seeds in open ground

The advantages of this method, compared with seedlings, are obvious:

it is less labor intensive;
plants immediately receive enough sunlight and do not stretch;
rosettes do not require a transplant, which for some period inhibits their growth and development.

As soon as the weather settles and the threat of return frosts blows over, they start sowing cauliflower. The most rational layout is double rows of plantings with wide row spacing for ease of care. Between plants leave 25 cm for early and early varieties and 40 cm for heads late deadline maturation. Usually, 2-3 seeds are sown in each hole, and after germination, one of the strongest and most promising plants is left. Further care for planting the same - watering, top dressing and timely removal of weeds.

Cauliflower seedlings: growing at home

Basic techniques

For the spring-summer cultivation of cauliflower, the soil is prepared in the fall. After harvesting the previous crop, it is carefully treated with a hoe to a depth of 6-10 cm. Then the site is dug up, introducing 7-8 kg of manure or peat-dung compost per 1 sq. M, provided that they were not brought under the predecessors. In the spring, before planting, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil (ammonium nitrate - 30 g, potassium chloride - 20 g and 50 g of superphosphate per 1 sq. M) and re-dig it up, carefully loosening the lumps.

Timing

Fresh cauliflower is stored in dark, cold rooms and is regularly inspected. When black spots appear, it is separated and the damaged places are cut off.

The seed method involves sowing seeds immediately on permanent place in open ground and covering with foil. Held in early May. Without film - not earlier than the end of June.

The first two weeks, the plants are carefully watered every 2-3 days at the rate of 8-10 liters per sq.m, then watering is carried out once a week (12-15 liters per sq.m). It will be correct to transfer the watering time to the morning or evening. Water temperature for irrigation is not lower than 18-20 degrees. The most intensive watering should be carried out during the formation of heads. It is necessary to ensure that cabbage leaves do not wither from a lack of moisture in the soil, which leads to the death of thin roots in the plant.

Land preparation in boxes

After about 10 days, the seedlings are picked. Before picking, the plants are watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. Seedlings dive into pots or cups 6x6 cm in size, filled with the same soil mixture. Each seedling, when picking, deepens into the soil to the cotyledon leaves. Pots with pickled seedlings are kept at a temperature of 17-18 degrees. When the seedlings take root, after 4-5 days the temperature is reduced during the day to 12-14 degrees, at night - up to 10-12 degrees. Seedlings are watered as the soil dries out, the water temperature for irrigation is 18-20 degrees. The room is regularly ventilated.

The advantages of this method, compared with seedlings, are obvious:

Seed preparation

Transplanting

Watering can

In order for the seedlings to grow healthy and strong, it is worth feeding them at least twice with mineral preparations. For the first time, plants are fertilized about 10 days after picking. The second - in 10 days. For feeding, you can use the solution ammonium nitrate.

This procedure is carried out a week and a half after the cauliflower seedlings rise. Growing and caring for it involves correct transplant. It is impossible to delay the timing of the pick. In older plants, when transferred to other containers, the root system suffers greatly. As a result, they take root much worse and develop in the future.

Cauliflower is a very tasty vegetable. And useful at the same time. In order to get an early harvest, it is grown in seedlings. This technology is simple, but it is necessary to follow some recommendations. Further in the article, we will consider how to properly grow cauliflower seedlings at home.

picking

Seedlings of early cauliflower are planted according to the scheme 70x25 cm, mid-season - 70x30 cm. Sometimes the aisles are made narrower (50-60 cm), and the distances in the rows are wider (40-45 cm). When planting seedlings, a pinch of ash is added to each hole, thoroughly mixing it with the ground. Then 1 liter of water is poured into the hole and plants are planted. After planting, seedlings are regularly watered until they adapt to the planting site. A week later, dead plants are replaced with new ones.

Cauliflower is an annual vegetable plant in the cabbage family. Homeland - the Mediterranean, is also widespread in Western and Northern Europe. Cauliflower was brought to Russia from Europe in the 18th century; it is cultivated everywhere in small volumes. Valued for its precocity and palatability and for not too difficult care. The heads (modified inflorescences) of plants containing many vitamins and mineral salts are used as food. The use of cauliflower is very useful for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases.

After sowing, the area must be mulched with dry sand and then watered abundantly. After the shoots appear and get stronger, a pick is carried out. In the process of cauliflower growth, root dressing is carried out with a solution of nitrophoska (3-5 g per 1 liter of water), the procedure is carried out a couple of times per season.

Scheme for protecting cabbage from light.

During the first two weeks, the seedlings grow extremely slowly, gradually their growth will become more intense. Before planting in a permanent place, the plant should have 5-6 true leaves. 15-20 days before planting the seedlings in open ground, they begin to harden with low temperatures and the action of light, taking the seedlings outside during the day or ventilating the room. The first foliar feeding is carried out when the plants have two true leaves. To do this, half a tablet of a microelement is diluted in 1 liter of water. The second top dressing is carried out at the beginning of hardening of seedlings (1 tbsp of potassium sulfate and urea are diluted in a bucket of water). Top dressing is carried out by watering the leaves with a small watering can.
it is less labor intensive;
Two weeks later, a second top dressing is carried out, already with the addition of mineral fertilizers: infusion of wood ash, bone meal or a ready-made complex preparation - nitroammophoska.
ShovelSoil

Preparation of this genus allows you to get the most frost-resistant plants. Start hardening about 12 days before planting in open ground. To do this, during the daytime, the seedlings are taken out to the balcony or placed in a greenhouse at an air temperature of about 5 g. At night, the pots must be returned back to a warm room. Five days before planting, seedlings can be rearranged from the room to the greenhouse. In warm weather, the film is periodically removed from it, gradually increasing the interval for the plants to be outdoors.

Picking is best done in peat pots. In this case, when transplanting plants into open ground, their root system will not be damaged, and they will take root much faster and better. Picking is carried out in such a way that the plants are immersed in the ground to the cotyledon leaves. At the end of this procedure, the cabbage should be mulched with wood ash.

Growing without a pick

Good cauliflower seedlings can be obtained in two ways: regular and potted. In the first case, the seeds are planted in boxes or in a greenhouse. The second uses special peat pots. A rather weak and tender root system is what distinguishes cauliflower. Seedlings, the cultivation of which is not too complicated, will rise well and be strong only when using very loose soil. Therefore, it is best to use the second method. You can also use mixed technology. That is, plant the seeds in boxes or a greenhouse, and make a pick in peat pots.

Planting seeds in open ground is carried out at a depth of 1 cm. Sowing, as a rule, is carried out with pre-soaked seeds. When the first true leaf appears, the plants are thinned out and left between them 15-20 cm (with a row spacing of 70 cm) or 35-40 (with a row spacing of 50-60 cm). Further care for sowing is the same as caring for seedlings.

How to fertilize

The root system of cauliflower is located close to the soil surface and is less developed than the root system of white cabbage. After the formation of a rosette of 25-30 leaves, an inflorescence is formed, which looks like a dense head of green, yellow, white or purple flowers. In general, cauliflower is more demanding to grow than other types of cabbage. It is sensitive to adverse conditions and care, although in general it is not demanding of heat, but is less resistant to low temperatures than the same white cabbage. With their prolonged exposure, plant growth slows down, and small heads are formed used for food. The optimum temperature for the formation of dense and large heads is 15-20 degrees.

Seedling hardening

Feed up two weeks after the pick. Non-root feeding is carried out several times with a solution of ammonium and boric acid, but not earlier than the leaves appear on the plant.

The first inter-row treatment is carried out to a depth of 5 cm approximately 10 days after planting, later loosened as needed after watering or rains, preferably every week. The first hilling is carried out approximately 20 days after planting, again - after 10 days. Hilling must be carried out with moist soil, which will activate the formation of additional roots and increase resistance to lodging.

The scheme of the correct planting depth of cabbage: a-deep, b-normal, c-shallow.

Plants immediately receive enough sunlight and do not stretch;

If you doubt the nutritional value of the soil, then it will not be superfluous to feed the cauliflower for the third time, at the beginning of the formation of the head.

Cauliflower - growing from seeds and further care

Chopper

Using the technologies described above, actually very good cauliflower seedlings can be obtained. Growing it in open ground is also carried out according to certain methods. It is better not to dive all plants at once. A few bushes should be left in boxes just in case. Peat pots themselves are easiest to purchase at a specialized store. But you can make them yourself. 45 days is the period for which you can get large enough and strong enough to carry cauliflower seedlings into the beds. Growing it usually begins in late March - early April. This is the case if they want to get an early harvest. More exact dates depend on the region in which the plot with the garden is located. In the southern regions of Russia, they will be earlier. In the middle lane and in Siberia, they start sowing later. During the growing period, at least 5-6 irrigations are carried out (at least 30 l / sq.m). A prerequisite, especially during the formation of heads, is the loosening of the soil, which is carried out after each watering or rain. Care consists in processing row spacing and hilling plants. If necessary, top dressing is carried out with complete mineral fertilizer. At temperatures above 25 degrees, small and loose heads are formed, especially with insufficient watering at this time. Beyond temperature environment, cauliflower is demanding on lighting conditions, especially during the period of growing seedlings. In the conditions of a long daylight hours, the formation of plant heads is accelerated, but subsequently they grow and flowering shoots form. There are a lot of varieties of cauliflower, we will highlight the best ones. Among the early varieties of hybrids are: Snowball; Movir 74; Express. Mid-season varieties are presented: Patriotic; Yako. Late varieties of cauliflower: Consista; Regent. For the entire growing season, 3-4 top dressings are carried out. The first is carried out to enhance the growth of leaves, for which a complete organic fertilizer is used. To do this, 0.5 liters of mushy mullein are diluted in a bucket of water. Spend 0.5 liters for each plant. After 10 days, a second top dressing is given, where 0.5 liters of mullein or chicken manure and 0.5 microelement tablets are diluted in a bucket of water. Consumption of 1 liter for each plant. The third dressing is carried out in June, only for late varieties, in order to enhance the growth of the head. The solution is prepared by diluting 0.5 liters of mullein or chicken manure with the addition of st. tablespoons of superphosphate and one microelement tablet. Consumption - 6 - 8 liters per sq.m. If necessary, in order to get a more significant harvest, such top dressing can be repeated in August. Grown seedlings of early varieties of white cabbage are planted from April 25 to May 5, late - from May 10 to 20, mid-ripening - from May 20 to May 31, The last date for disembarkation is June 1st. Row spacing for early ripe varieties- 40-50 cm, the distance between plants in a row is 25 cm, for medium and late-ripening varieties, respectively, 60 cm and 35 cm. Rosettes do not require a transplant, which inhibits their growth and development for some period.

Basic requirements and conditions

Video about planting cabbage and care

Seedling boxExpand

Small holes are made under the seedlings with a depth slightly greater than the height of the pots. Cabbage is placed in rows at a sufficiently large distance. The free space between the bushes should be at least 25 cm. The rows are placed at a distance of 70 cm from each other. This planting pattern is suitable for early varieties of cabbage. For later, both distances should be increased by about 10 cm.

By following the above technique, very good cauliflower seedlings can be grown. How to plant it, we found out. Now let's see how to make peat pots for seedlings. For manufacturing, you will need to prepare:

Subtracting 45 days from the period of possible transfer to open ground, you can accurately calculate the time when cauliflower seedlings should be planted. Growing (it is better to use early varieties) in a greenhouse or in pots in this case will allow you to get a crop at the end of summer. Of course, only subject to compliance with all technologies. The most popular varieties of early ripening are Movir 74, Gribovskaya 1355, Otechestvennaya, etc.

In order to grow a full-fledged crop, it is mandatory to shade the cauliflower heads during their intensive formation.

Artificially creating shortened daylight conditions leads to the formation of denser heads and prevents the formation of flowering shoots.

Features of dressing cauliflower

The entire period of growth and ripening, cauliflower is very sensitive to temperature changes. Unlike ordinary cabbage, it does not withstand low temperatures. It develops best at 15-17 degrees.

For prevention against slugs, aphids and snails, plants and the soil around them are powdered with wood ash, spending a glass per sq.m.

As soon as the weather settles and the threat of return frosts blows over, they start sowing cauliflower. The most rational layout is double rows of plantings with wide row spacing for ease of care. Between plants leave 25 cm for early and early ripening varieties and 40 cm for heads of late ripening. Usually, 2-3 seeds are sown in each hole, and after germination, one of the strongest and most promising plants is left. Further planting care is the same - watering, fertilizing and timely removal of weeds.

Seeding methods

The pots are lowered into the ground and dug in such a way that the plant is buried to the first leaves. On final stage grown seedlings should be carefully watered.

Lowland peat with a pH not higher than 6.5. More acidic can be limed. Carry out this procedure no earlier than two weeks before planting seedlings.

Late varieties of cauliflower are often planted at the end of April - in May in a greenhouse. In this case, the harvest can be obtained in September - October.

In addition, the top two sheets are tied over the head or broken.

Of all the cabbages, the cauliflower is the most picky about the composition of the soil, its fertility. Need in nutrients ah, it is twice as high as that of the white-headed one. In addition to the main mineral and organic fertilizers used, it urgently needs fertilizing with manganese, magnesium, boron and molybdenum. With a lack of trace elements, there is a weak development of the heads, hollowness of the stalk, the leaves are deformed and the heads themselves usually rot.

Cauliflower belongs to moisture-loving plants. Unfavorable for this culture are considered heat and simultaneous insufficient soil and air moisture.

A worthy reward for every owner of a dacha is a good harvest of vegetables grown by the labor of his own hands. Now we will describe the process of harvesting the crop we have grown.

. During planting, 0.5 - 1 liter of water is poured into the hole, the seedlings are buried to the level of the first true leaves and pressed with soil. The first 2 - 3 days the planted seedlings are shaded. 4 - 5 days after planting, new plants are planted in place of dead plants.

How to grow cabbage in your own country house? White cabbage is a cold-resistant plant, demanding on soil and air moisture, intensive plant growth is possible only with sufficient water supply. Friendly shoots gives at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Temperatures above 25 degrees act depressingly on it, and in hot weather (over 30-35 degrees) a head does not form.
Based on this, and also taking into account the weather characteristics of a particular region, various methods of growing cauliflower are used - through seedlings, sowing in open ground or planting under temporary shelter. Consider the advantages and difficulties of each of them.
Landing place. Cauliflower is demanding on sunlight. Good, dense heads are tied only when grown in open, maximally lit areas. Even close proximity to tall garden crops can adversely affect the quality of the crop.

Well, now you know how good cauliflower seedlings can be obtained. Growing it at home, as well as carrying it into open ground, are simple procedures, but require strict adherence to certain technologies. The main thing is to observe the planting dates, prepare a good soil mixture and do not forget to water the plants.

Growing a good crop of white cabbage in the country

Wood sawdust. The day before the pots are made, they need to add a little ammonium nitrate (1 kg per 1 m3). It is introduced in order to prevent depletion of the soil mixture. The fact is that the bacteria that process sawdust absorb a lot of nitrogen from the environment (in this case, the peat mixture).

Cauliflower seedlings, which must be grown correctly, react very painfully to a lack of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, the soil under it should be prepared very carefully. Just fine for growing strong healthy plants, a mixture consisting of equal parts of soddy soil, humus and peat is suitable. It would be very good to add a little phosphorus fertilizer to the soil for cabbage (for example, 20 g / m2 double granulated superphosphate).

This is done so that the head does not fall apart and retains its color.

Currently, about 10 varieties of cauliflower have been released. Early ripe (vegetation period - 85-100 days) - Movir 74 (suitable for canning), Early Gribovskaya 1355, Snezhinka. Mid-early (vegetation period - 95-120 days) - Domestic (suitable for canning), Moscow Canning and Guarantee. Late-ripening (vegetation period - 175-230 days) - Adler winter 679, Adler spring and Sochi.

Growing seedlings of cabbage

The site for planting cauliflower should be located in a well-lit area, protected from the effects of the wind. Preferably at a height where the earth will warm up faster by the sun. If the cabbage has little space and light, then it will deform and become vulnerable to diseases.

Harvest cabbage of early ripening varieties is harvested in July - August, selectively, as heads of commercial maturity are formed; mid-season - from the end of September, late-ripening - from mid-October. Sauerkraut can also be harvested at the end of October (it can withstand frosts down to -10 degrees). Heads are cut with a sharp knife. In cabbage intended for long-term storage, be sure to leave a long stalk with 2-3 loosely fitting leaves. The harvested crop is stored at a temperature of 0 - 5 degrees and an air humidity of 80-85%.

Happy owners of dachas and garden plots located in the southern regions of the country practice planting seeds immediately in a permanent place in open ground and at the same time manage to get a good harvest of white cabbage in their dacha.

Types of cabbage: 1. Wild annual. 2. Headed. 3. Colored. 4. Kohlrabi. 5. Brussels. 6. Savoy.

Seedling method

Planting seedlings in the ground

Tip! Toward the middle of summer, when the inflorescences begin to form and ripen, break the upper leaves of the head of cabbage and “shade” the head with them - so it will remain white, will not turn yellow and will not crumble.

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Sowing seeds in open ground

Back to content Cauliflower grows only on fertile soil, as it has a weak root system, which is also located close to the surface. This makes it impossible for this crop to germinate on cold, damp and clay soils.

I welcome you friends to the website tips for gardeners. Cauliflower is tasty, healthy, rich in vitamins and minerals.

For sowing seeds of white cabbage in the ground, we select the largest seeds (with a diameter of at least 1.5 - 2 mm).

To get a good harvest of white cabbage on your personal plot or cottage, first of all, you need to seriously approach the choice of a landing site. It should be an open and sunny flat area with at least a slight south or southeast slope. The site is prepared in the fall, freeing it from plant debris, and after two weeks they dig it up to a depth of 25-30 cm. Since white cabbage is responsive to the application of mineral or organic fertilizers, we add 3-4 kg of manure or 4-5 kg of compost sq.m. On soils rich in organic matter, spring application of mineral fertilizers is sufficient (20-30 g of superphosphate, 20-35 g of potassium chloride and 15-30 g of ammonium nitrate per sq.m). In the spring, before planting, the soil is dug up or loosened to a depth of 15-20 cm.

White cabbage care

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out about a month before the expected planting dates, usually this is the period from late March to mid-April. Seeds are sown in loose, moist and nutritious soil in separate cups or in a common container, deepening them by about 1-1.5 cm. The crops are covered with a piece of glass or film and placed in a warm place for germination. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, and the container is transferred to the windowsill, providing the outlets with maximum illumination. Care for growing seedlings consists in timely watering and spraying, and they begin to harden it a week before planting. The best predecessors of cauliflower: potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, as well as peas and other legumes. Do not plant it after "related" crops, such as radishes, turnips, radishes and cabbages of other species, after which pathogenic bacteria and fungal spores may remain in the soil.

NECESSARY TOOLS

Fresh mullein diluted with water 1x1.

Planting material must first be calibrated, warmed up and pickled. For growing seedlings, large seeds should be taken. The use of such planting material can improve the yield by about 30%. When sowing large seeds, stronger seedlings of cauliflower are also obtained. Growing at home will be even more successful if you preheat the planting material. To do this, it is placed in a gauze bag and the latter is immersed for 20 minutes in very warm water (50 gr.). Next, the seeds are dried and proceed to dressing. Disinfection can be done with formalin solution (1:300) or garlic juice (1 tsp per 3 tsp of water) for an hour.

Proper care is not only cultivation, but also competent harvesting. Heads of cauliflower are harvested when they reach sufficient size. From 1 sq.m of landings, 2 or more kilograms of heads are removed. Cut the heads together with 3-4 rosette leaves. Plants that do not have time to ripen before the end of the harvesting period are pulled out along with the roots and used for growing them. To do this, they must have heads with a diameter of about 5 cm and at least 20 leaves.

The conditions for growing cauliflower and caring for it are almost the same as for growing white cabbage seedlings. Seeds of early varieties are sown in seedling boxes installed in heated greenhouses or other heated premises. About 2-3 g of seeds prepared for sowing are spent on each seedling box. It is recommended to soak the seeds, for which they are placed in a gauze bag filled with 0.5 volume and soaked in clean water at room temperature for 10-12 hours. The soil is moistened before sowing and the seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm. After planting the seeds, the sowing is mulched with a thin layer of sand.

Harvest

If you plant cabbage on infertile and dry soil, then the fruits will be small, weak and not developed. The same applies to alkaline and acidic soils, which are not acceptable for the normal growth of cauliflower.

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Belongs to the cabbage family, but surpasses all relatives in the content of proteins, fiber, vitamins, ascorbic acid.

Selected seeds are subjected to heat treatment to disinfect them from pathogens of fungal diseases. To do this, we hold the seeds for 20 minutes in hot water at a temperature of 50 degrees, then quickly cool them by placing them in cold water for 2-3 minutes. Scatter the treated seeds in a thin layer to a loose state. Seeds are ready for sowing.

It will be correct to grow white cabbage in one place for no more than 2-3 years in a row. You can not use the same area for planting cabbage earlier than 4-5 years later. The best predecessors for planting cabbage are onions, cucumbers, potatoes, root crops, legumes and cereals. White cabbage is grown both in seedlings and by sowing seeds in the ground.

Ways to grow cauliflower

Soil. Heavy, clay or poor soils are not suitable for growing cauliflower. These plantings produce crops on sandy loam garden soil, well drained with good moisture and air circulation. To improve the nutritional value of cabbage beds, it is better to use organic fertilizers: rotted manure or mullein, humus, compost masses, non-acidic peat.

Bucket

Three parts of peat take 1 part of sawdust and 0.2 parts of sand. You need very little mullein (5% of the total amount) - only for gluing the mixture. Otherwise, the walls of the pots will turn out to be very dense and rigid, and the roots will not be able to break through them. To a mixture of sawdust, peat and sand, you need to add some mineral fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride) and lime. It is best to make pots on the same day when the pick will be held.

The soil in the boxes is carefully leveled. Next, the actual seeds of such a crop as cauliflower are planted. Seedlings, which are grown at home on window sills, will germinate well and quickly when the seeds are buried in the ground by about 1 cm. After embedding, the surface is sprinkled with calcined sand or ash. Next, the soil in the boxes should be thoroughly shed using a spray gun.

For rearing, they are placed in heated greenhouses or greenhouses cleared of biofuel, placing 35-40 plants per 1 sq.m. Then the plants are covered with shields, mats, black film and the temperature in the greenhouses is maintained at 5 degrees. Greenhouses, as it gets colder, are insulated with sawdust or other improvised means. Such a crop is harvested in December or January.

About two weeks after germination, seedlings are picked. seedlings of the most early dates plantings are grown in peat-humus pots. Seedlings of later dates can also be grown in a potless way. To do this, seedlings dive into the peat-humus soil of greenhouse beds or into seedling boxes.

Site selection and soil features

Fertilize the soil in the garden! To fertilize the beds for planting, potash fertilizers that contain chlorine cannot be used. Take only mineral and organic fertilizers and dig deep into the ground.

Such important elements as: calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Contains essential nutrients.

Scheme of small shelters for cabbage.

Seeds of white cabbage of early varieties are sown from March 5 to 10, seeds of late varieties - from March 15 to 30, seeds of mid-season - April 15-20. The soil mixture for seedlings is prepared by mixing equal amounts of soddy soil, peat and sand. It is better to take turf land from places of growth perennials. Add 1 tbsp to a bucket of soil mixture. a spoonful of superphosphate, 2 tbsp. spoons of wood ash and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of chalk or lime - fluff. The seedling boxes are filled with the finished soil mixture, carefully leveled and watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. Grooves are made in the soil for seeds 1 cm deep at a distance of 3 cm from one another. Seeds are sown in these grooves 1 cm apart and covered with the same soil mixture. Watered through a strainer big amount warm water.

How to grow cauliflower so that it is large and juicy?

Growing tips video

This is a fairly new technology that allows you to get very strong plants. Purchased peat tablets just need to put in plastic cups and pour warm water. After a while, they will swell and transform into a nutrient mixture. One or two seeds are placed in each cup.

Caring for small seedlings consists in periodically moistening the soil and weeding if necessary. About the same way, cauliflower is planted in a greenhouse. It is best to cover it with a special film, for example, "Svetlitsa". Such material transmits sunlight well and is hygroscopic (does not collect condensate).

You can also grow cauliflower heads in basements or cellars. In this case, the plants are tied and hung on trellises with their roots up. At the end of the growing process, the mass of cauliflower heads reaches 0.5 kg, and the diameter is 15-20 cm.

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When 2-3 true leaves are formed, plants are fed with a solution of potassium or ammonium nitrate, for which 5 g of ammonium and 15 g of potassium nitrate are diluted in a bucket of water. When 3-4 leaves are formed on the plants, foliar top dressing is carried out, spraying with a solution of boric acid and ammonium molybdate (2 g per 10 l of water). Seedlings are watered rarely, but plentifully, after watering the room is ventilated. About two weeks before planting in open ground, the seedlings are gradually hardened off, accustoming the plants to the outside temperature. Seedlings are ready for planting at the age of 45-50 days. By this time, the plants should have at least 4-5 leaves.

The organic mixture will provide a favorable environment for the development of the cabbage root system and provide all the necessary supply of nutrients. It is necessary to apply from 4 to 8 kg of organic matter per 1 m2 and 80-100 g of mineral fertilizers.

Before planting seeds, the soil is well cultivated, breaking up lumps and loosening it to a depth of 15–20 cm. Seeds are sown in prepared grooves in a nested manner. The distance between rows and nests in a row is similar to the distance when planting seedlings. 3-5 seeds are sown in each nest, sprinkled with a mixture of peat and humus. When the second or third true leaves are formed on the plants, the crops are thinned out, leaving two in the nests, and then one of the most viable plants. Next, they take care of the sowing, as well as in the case of growing seedlings.

Boxes with seedlings are placed on the windowsill, every other day the soil is sprayed with water. At a temperature of 18-20 degrees shoots appear on the 5-7th day. After the emergence of seedlings, it will be correct to move the box with seedlings to a room whose temperature does not exceed 7-8 degrees. If this is not done, the seedlings will quickly stretch and then die.

Video clip about planting and growing

Cauliflower: growing seedlings

rake

This method has recently become more and more popular among domestic gardeners. With its use, very good seedlings of cauliflower can also be obtained. Cultivation in this case is carried out from the first day in peat pots. However, this method is best used for late seedlings. That is, when the transfer to the ground is supposed to be carried out in the summer.

Before shoots appear in the boxes, the air in the room must be warmed up to at least 18-20 degrees. The same temperature should be maintained in the greenhouse. In order for the air under the film not to cool down at night, you should cover the structure with some improvised material: straw mats, old blankets, etc.

That's all the secrets - nothing complicated.

Growing cauliflower outdoors

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The application of nitrogen fertilizers has a positive effect - the key to a large ovary and large leaves. When plowing the soil, add humus, which will provide the site with the necessary carbon dioxide. Water regularly and clear the area of weeds until the end of the season and full maturity.

If we talk about how to grow cauliflower, then there are two ways: seedling and seed:

In areas with mild winters, if there is a greenhouse in the country, the winter method of growing white cabbage is used. In this case, the planting of seeds to obtain seedlings is carried out in September, and seedlings in the ground - in November. The crop is harvested in mid-May, while the cabbage can be eaten even before the head is formed, which is especially valuable in the spring.

Scheme for picking cabbage seedlings.

Sowing seeds in open ground Planting cauliflower for the full development and high-quality ripening of the crop requires regular top dressing. A rather long growing season gradually depletes the soil, and the culture needs additional micro-macroelements at different stages.

Without a pick, you can grow late seedlings right in the garden. Seeds in this case are sown quite rarely (according to the scheme 10x56 cm). Care for plants in the same way as when growing in boxes, pots and greenhouses. To protect seedlings from frost, arcs are installed and a film is pulled over them. Usually a small cabbage takes up only a small part of the garden space. After four leaves grow on it, it is distributed over the entire area.

Harvest Secrets

After the cabbage rises, the ambient temperature can be reduced during the day to 6-8 degrees, at night - up to 5-6 degrees. This will help strengthen and harden the plants. After a week, the temperature should be raised to 10-12 gr. and maintain at this level for about 10 more days, until picking. This mode will allow you to grow healthy, strong, not pampered seedlings.

Cauliflower heads are used fresh, boiled, fried. They are also pickled, used to make soups, casseroles, side dishes and salads.

Regardless of the method of planting, do not forget that cauliflower is planted in the area after predecessors such as legumes or root crops, onions, early potatoes or early cucumber varieties. When grown as a re-crop, cauliflower is placed after early green crops and winter root crops.

After harvesting, you can freeze the cabbage inflorescences. This will provide Better conditions storage for consumption all year round. And vitamins will save.

With the seedling method, the seeds are sown in a heated film greenhouse, in pots with peat-humus soil in mid-March. Planted in open ground in mid-May.

Care includes watering, weeding and row spacing, fertilizing, pest and disease control.

Basic techniques

Good cauliflower seedlings can be obtained in two ways: regular and potted. In the first case, the seeds are planted in boxes or in a greenhouse. The second uses special peat pots. A rather weak and tender root system is what distinguishes cauliflower. Seedlings, the cultivation of which is not too difficult, will rise well and be strong only when using very loose soil. Therefore, it is best to use the second method. You can also use mixed technology. That is, plant the seeds in boxes or a greenhouse, and make a pick in peat pots.

Timing

45 days is the period for which cauliflower seedlings, large enough and strong enough to be transferred to the beds, can be obtained. Growing it usually begins in late March - early April. This is the case if they want to get an early harvest. More exact dates depend on the region in which the plot with the garden is located. In the southern regions of Russia, they will be earlier. In the middle lane and in Siberia, sowing starts later.

Late varieties of cauliflower are often planted at the end of April - in May in a greenhouse. In this case, the harvest can be obtained in September - October.

Land preparation in boxes

Cauliflower seedlings, which must be grown correctly, react very painfully to a lack of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, the soil under it should be prepared very carefully. Just fine for growing strong healthy plants, a mixture consisting of equal parts of soddy soil, humus and peat is suitable. It would be very good to add a little phosphate fertilizer to the soil for cabbage (for example, 20 g / m2 of double granulated superphosphate).

Be sure to also disinfect the soil by spilling it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. To prevent the disease of seedlings with a black leg, calcined sand should be prepared. They cover the surface of the soil in boxes after planting the seeds. Sand can be replaced with high-quality wood ash.

Seed preparation

Planting material should first be calibrated, warmed up and pickled. For growing seedlings, large seeds should be taken. The use of such planting material can improve the yield by about 30%. When sowing large seeds, stronger seedlings of cauliflower are also obtained. Growing at home will be even more successful if you preheat the planting material. To do this, it is placed in a gauze bag and the latter is immersed for 20 minutes in very warm water (50 gr.). Next, the seeds are dried and proceed to dressing. Disinfection can be carried out with formalin solution (1:300) or garlic juice (1 tsp per 3 tsp of water) for an hour.

Transplanting

Cauliflower seedlings: how to grow

After the cabbage rises, the ambient air temperature can be reduced during the day to 6-8 degrees, at night - up to 5-6 degrees. This will help strengthen and harden the plants. After a week, the temperature should be raised to 10-12 gr. and maintain at this level for about 10 more days, until picking. This mode will allow you to grow healthy, strong, not pampered seedlings.

picking

This procedure is carried out a week - one and a half after the cauliflower seedlings sprout. Growing and caring for it also involves the correct transplant. It is impossible to delay the timing of the pick. In older plants, when transferred to other containers, the root system suffers greatly. As a result, they take root much worse and develop in the future.

It is better not to dive all the plants at once. A few bushes should be left in boxes just in case. Peat pots themselves are easiest to purchase at a specialized store. But you can make them yourself.

How to make peat pots

By following the above technique, very good seedlings of cauliflower can be grown. How to plant it, we found out. Now let's see how to make peat pots for seedlings. For manufacturing, you will need to prepare:

Lowland peat with pH not higher than 6.5. More acidic can be limed. This procedure is carried out no earlier than two weeks before planting seedlings.
Wood sawdust. The day before the pots are made, they need to add a little ammonium nitrate (1 kg per 1 m3). It is introduced in order to prevent depletion of the soil mixture. The fact is that the bacteria that process sawdust absorb a lot of nitrogen from the environment (in this case, the peat mixture).
Sand.
Fresh mullein diluted with water 1x1.

Three parts of peat take 1 part of sawdust and 0.2 parts of sand. You need very little mullein (5% of the total) - only for gluing the mixture. Otherwise, the walls of the pots will turn out to be very dense and rigid, and the roots will not be able to break through them. To a mixture of sawdust, peat and sand, you need to add some mineral fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride) and lime. It is best to make pots on the same day when the picking will be carried out.

How to grow cauliflower seedlings in peat tablets

Growing without a pick

How to fertilize

In order for the seedlings to grow healthy and strong, it is worth feeding them at least twice with mineral preparations. For the first time, plants are fertilized about 10 days after picking. The second - in another 10 days. For top dressing, you can use a solution of ammonium nitrate.

Seedling hardening

How to transfer to open ground

Using the techniques described above, actually very good cauliflower seedlings can be obtained. Growing it in open ground is also carried out according to certain methods.

The pots are lowered into the ground and dug in such a way that the plant is buried to the first leaves. At the final stage, the grown seedlings should be carefully watered.

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

How to grow cauliflower

Which variety to 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 indicators of their growth and ripening rate.

Early maturing. Movir 74, Early Gribovskaya 1355.
Mid-early. Mid-season Fargot, Pioneer, etc.
Cauliflower Pioneer
Late ripe. For example, Skywalker F.

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

Amazing F1, a hybrid of the Dutch selection, 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 will get only a lot of leaves without a fully formed head. Cabbage likes moist soil and air. The best option is sandy and loamy soil with a neutral pH (between 6.8-7.2) and rich in humus.

We define best type soil for planting cauliflower

Cauliflower can be planted in areas previously used for beans, cucumbers, carrots, as well as grains, onions, and potatoes. Territories that previously grew turnips and radishes, tomatoes, radishes, beets, and cabbages can be used for growing cauliflower only 4 years after the last harvest of these crops.

IN preliminary preparation need both seeds and soil.

cauliflower seeds

The seeds are first 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 keep the seeds in a solution containing trace elements for 12 hours (we buy them in a specialized store), 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. In each prepared well, add a mixture of a couple of large spoons of superphosphate, a small spoon of urea and a couple of glasses of wood ash.

Growing indoor seedlings

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

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

Sowing cabbage seeds in the ground

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

The order of growing seedlings

Traditionally used boxes are about 100 mm high, about 300 mm wide and half a meter long. For convenience, the longitudinal wall of the box is made detachable.

Wooden box for seedlings

We lay stones on the bottom of the box small size to provide drainage.

Expanded clay can be used for drainage

Fill the container with soil mixture. Align it, slightly moisten and slightly compact. 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 about 10 mm distance. We fill the seeds with soil mixture and compact it a little.

Sowing seeds in seedling boxes

After sowing, we maintain approximately + 20-25-degree temperature in the room with future seedlings. When shoots appear, reduce the temperature to approximately +10 degrees. After a week of such a regime, during the day we maintain the temperature at + 15-17 degrees, at night - + 9-10 degrees. Warmer is not necessary - the heads will form too early.

We water moderately. Excess moisture will provoke the development of a black leg, while watering too little 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 level of deepening of seedlings is up to cotyledon leaves. Within 3 days after picking, we maintain the temperature at a level of about + 19-20 degrees, then we 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 late ones - within 2-3 weeks of the same month. Approximately 2 weeks before transplanting, seedlings begin to gradually accustom to temperature changes, wind and sun, i.e. harden.

This is the standard layout.

During the first 4-5 days after sowing (that is, before the first shoots appear), the soil is sprayed with water. It is very convenient to do this with a spray gun. The container with future seedlings during this period is in a room with a temperature of + 18-20 degrees.
Spraying seedlings
After the appearance 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.
After 9-14 days, the seedlings are transplanted into separate containers. Recommendations for the correct implementation of this stage were given earlier.
An example of planting seedlings in separate cups
After the germination of true leaves in the amount of two pieces, foliar feeding of the emerging cauliflower seedlings is carried out. We prepare the mixture for top dressing as follows: dilute half a small spoonful of fertilizer containing a complex of trace elements in a liter of cool clean water. The mixture is used for spraying. The second time we feed before hardening with a mixture of 0.15 g of ammonium molybdate, 0.2 g of boric acid, and also 0.15 g blue vitriol per liter of pure water. The final foliar feeding is carried out when the head of cabbage grows to the size of a walnut. This time, spraying is done with a solution of this 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.
Seedling nutrition. foliar spraying
5-7 days before transplanting seedlings into the ground, we stop watering. A couple of hours before planting, properly water the seedlings with clean water at room temperature.
Watering seedlings at the root

Landing in the ground

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 seedlings, it is covered with pieces of plastic film laid on small arcs.

For 1 plant of early varieties, a plot with dimensions of 0.4x0.5 m is needed, mid-season - 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

We water every 5-7 days, moderately. Watering is best done using the sprinkling 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 planting the cabbage. 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 apply top dressing in the form of liquid mullein or other suitable composition (we check in a specialized store in accordance with the variety of cultivated cabbage). For dusting the soil and cabbage, you can use wood ash in the amount of one glass per square meter. Such processing will get rid of pests and at the same time act as a top dressing.

Growing cauliflower in a greenhouse

Cauliflower pests and their control

Cauliflower Care

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

Insecticides

The leaves of young cabbages can be affected by cabbage moth eggs. Caterpillars hatched soon from them will be 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 product.

cabbage pest

Important! Treatment with chemicals is not carried out if the heads have already begun to tie.

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

Against the caterpillars of whitefish, moths and scoops, milkweed infusion is well suited. 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 by approximately 3 times. Use for watering affected plants.

Against the same pests, burdock helps a lot. We fill the bucket with burdock about a third of the height and pour 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 finally, a useful note: do not waste time and effort 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

Video - How to grow cauliflower in the garden

Cabbage is a popular product in the country. But with all varieties, gardeners grow cauliflower much less often. Although beneficial features it is higher than that of the white head. The reason lies in the capricious nature of the vegetable. But if you fulfill all the requirements of cultivation correctly, you can get a healthy crop with a bountiful harvest.

When to plant

Cauliflower is rich in useful trace elements and vitamins. It is indispensable for diet food. Cabbage heads can be white, green, yellow.
Growing a vegetable in your garden is not for everyone. Since cauliflower is very capricious. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to agronomic requirements. Gardeners mainly use seedling propagation method. This culture does not tolerate temperature extremes.
The key to a successful harvest is the timely sowing of seeds. Cabbage differs in terms of ripening, therefore, each group is planted at its own time.

Sowing dates

Cauliflower seedlings are planted in open ground after 45 days. Knowing the climatic conditions of your region, you can independently calculate the day of sowing seeds at home.
Average times:

early ripe varieties and hybrids - March 5-20;
mid-season varieties - in the third decade of April;
mid-late varieties - April 20-May 10;
late-ripening varieties - in the first decade of April.

Approximate landing time is used for the middle lane. In the southern regions, sowing is shifted 2 weeks earlier. In the northern regions, on the contrary - later.

Sowing at home

The soil for cauliflower is used purchased or prepared independently. In any case, the soil should be loose, breathable, nutritious, with neutral acidity.
In the classic version, they use: sand, peat, garden soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. Peat is used both lowland and surface. Only with the first option sawdust is added. Some gardeners add mineral fertilizers to the classic mixture: superphosphate, potassium, ammonium nitrate. Garden soil and sand can be replaced with sawdust and mullein in the following parts (3:1:1). Where 3 parts - peat.
All components of the soil are disinfected: by freezing, heat treatment under steam or in the oven, microwave.

Seed preparation

Seed material can be purchased at a specialized store or obtained independently. At home, you should know the timing of collection, for example, early-ripening varieties ripen 170-205 days after germination, mid-ripening hybrids - 205 days, late-ripening - 220. Seeds remain viable for up to 5 years at proper storage(humidity - 35-50%).
Planting material is not processed if purchased from well-known manufacturers. Since they have already been calibrated, etched. You can sow them dry. Seeds from the market and self-collected must go through preparatory procedures.

Calibration

Seed germination is tested in two ways. In the first case planting material calibrated. The largest grains are selected. The optimal diameter for early ripe varieties is 1.5 mm, medium - 2. To speed up the procedure, select a sieve with the desired cells.

Second method. A 3% saline solution is used. To obtain 1 liter of solution, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of salt with a slide. Pour the seeds into the working solution and stir continuously with a spoon for 3 minutes. Then leave for 30 minutes. Seeds that float to the surface are not suitable for sowing. Grains are collected from the bottom, washed, dried a little.

Disinfection

The grains are immersed for 15-20 minutes in water heated to 50 ° C. The seeds are very small, so it is better to put them in a gauze bag. After a hot bath, dip the bag instantly into cold water for about 2-3 minutes. This procedure protects the seeds from fungal diseases.

Then, dip the seeds into a solution with microelements for 8-18 hours, for example, with Albit, Maxim. This allows you to protect the cabbage from other diseases.

Germination

Planting material is immersed in water to swell for 12 hours. The water must cover upper layer seeds. During this time, change the water 3 times. Maintain the temperature in the range of 15-20°C.

The cauliflower will spend the next day in the refrigerator. The temperature of the content is 1 ... + 3 ° С. First, the water must be drained and the seeds placed under a damp cloth. Make sure the seeds don't dry out. All actions are aimed at hardening, rapid germination and improvement of cold resistance. After 24 hours, the seeds are dried and sown in the soil.

To increase the yield, accelerate the development of early hybrids, vernalization should be carried out. The method consists in long-term hardening (15 days) of germinated seeds in the refrigerator. The temperature in this case should be within 0 ... + 3 ° С. After hardening, the grains are sent to the ground.

Sowing

Seeds are sown in containers or individual pots. Simply put, with and without picking seedlings.

Planting boxes choose standard height- 4-5 cm. They fill up the soil and make grooves, 1 cm deep, in steps - 4. Then, they spill it with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Seeds are sown at a distance of 2 cm from each other. The groove is covered with the same soil. Containers are covered with glass and placed in a shaded place, for example, on a cabinet. The temperature is maintained at 20-25°C. Airing up to 3 times a day. The soil should be moist, but not wet.

If the seeds are sown in separate pots, then their height should be 25-30 cm. Since cabbage has a branched root system, picking is not needed in this case. Planting in smaller pots will require transplanting into larger boxes. Increasingly, gardeners are using peat pots for sowing.

When planted in open ground, they are planted along with the crop. This allows the seedlings to take root better in a new place. Two seeds are placed in each individual cup. Weaker shoots are subsequently removed. Using the method without picking, it is worth paying special attention to the preparation of the soil. Here it should be more nutritious.

How to grow cauliflower at home

You can get healthy and strong seedlings at home, if you give proper care to the seedlings.

Care

Until germination, keep the temperature between 18-22°C.
As soon as shoots appear, boxes or flowerpots are rearranged for 14 days in a consecrated and cool place with a temperature of 10 ° C during the day, and + 6 ° C at night. In the future, the optimum temperature is 14°C. It is undesirable to allow an increase in temperature, as the seedlings will begin to tie buds.

illumination
Cauliflower loves equal consecration for 12 hours a day and a night. If there is not enough daylight in spring, illuminate the seedlings with fluorescent lamps.

Watering

Keep the soil moist after sowing. When shoots appear, irrigate with a spray gun so as not to flood the culture. It is overflow that is the enemy of seedlings, which provokes infectious diseases.
Remember to ventilate the room, but avoid drafts.

top dressing

During the seedling period, cauliflower needs a balanced diet.

The first top dressing is carried out a week after the dive. To obtain one liter of nutrient solution, add 4 g of superphosphate, 2 g of ammonium nitrate, 2 g of potassium.

The second top dressing is needed by the plant 2 weeks after the first. The composition does not change, but double the amount of ingredients.

The third top dressing is needed 2 weeks before planting seedlings in open ground. You can use a purchased product, for example, Kemira Lux. For self cooking for one liter of nutrient mixture water, you will need 5 g of superphosphate, 3 g of ammonium nitrate, and 8 g of potassium. Potassium fertilizers should be superior here. The microelement will help seedlings to take root better in a new place.
If the cabbage seedlings were not dived, then fertilizers begin to be applied in the presence of two true leaves and the appearance of the next two sprouts. In the future, carry out top dressing as in the variant with a pick.

picking

Seedlings appear 4-8 days after sowing. Seedlings develop until two true leaves appear. During this period of time they need a pick.

Seedlings are separated into soil or substrate. Sawdust is suitable as a landless specimen, with the addition of mineral fertilizers: lime, potassium and ammonium nitrate, superphosphate.
For seedlings prepare cups of 180 ml. The soil is poured, a recess is made in the center. Seedlings, together with a clod of earth, are planted in funnels. Make a deepening to the cotyledon leaves.
Previously, the day before picking, increase the temperature of the medium, up to 22 ° C. This makes it easier to deal with stress.

After sowing, the cups are cleaned in a shaded and cool place for 2 days. The air temperature during the day is maintained at 13 ° C, at night - 10. Resourceful gardeners plant seedlings in plastic tubes to save space. A sprout is placed in the center of each roll.

Problems and Solutions

When growing cauliflower seedlings, gardeners face some problems.

Seedling disease with black leg. For the preparation of nutrient soil with their own hands, garden soil is used. Some novice gardeners ignore the disinfection of the earth. As a result, pathogens remain. There is only one solution here - always disinfect the earth by any available methods. Also treat the seeds before planting.

The seeds don't germinate. The reason is that the seeds have expired. Remedy: Re-sow the seeds. The second reason may be improper growing conditions. Read carefully on the package the requirements under which the seeds germinate.

Seedlings disappear. Cause - dry bottom layer soil. Remedy: Adjust watering. Perhaps only spraying was used, and moisture did not get inside.

Root rot. The reason is overflow, cold air temperature. Remedy: adjust watering, temperature. Transplant the seedlings into another soil and treat the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The seedling stretched out. The reason is high temperature, lack of lighting. Remedy: lower the temperature to 14°C, extend the daylight hours up to 12 hours with additional lamps.

Cabbage does not grow after a pick. The reason is that the roots are damaged, they pressed the ground badly near the stem.

The leaves turned yellow - lack of fertilizer. Elimination: dilute slurry with water in a ratio of 1:10 and feed the seedlings.

Growth point dead. Too much fertilizer. There are two ways to solve the problem. Transplant plants to another soil or spill with plenty of water. Provided that the liquid will flow freely.

Sluggish seedlings. The reason is a lack of nitrogen. Remedy: Fertilize with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

The leaves are red-violet in color from the bottom. The reason is the lack of phosphorus.

Yellow edging of leaves - lack of potassium.

Marble leaves - lack of magnesium. Remedy: replenish the supply of trace elements.

When to transfer to open ground

Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, stop feeding. Seedlings are accustomed to temperature extremes. To do this, take out seedlings of cauliflower on Fresh air during the daytime. The air temperature should correspond to +5°C. Start a walk with a few minutes and gradually increase. They bring it into the house at night.

Holes are prepared in the ground deeper than pots. Leave a step between them at least 25 cm, in rows - 70.

As soon as a stable temperature (15 ° C) is established without frost, seedlings can be planted in the ground. Night temperatures vary from 8 to 10°C.

Early varieties of cauliflower, in the middle lane, are planted in the range of April 25-May 15. In this case, the age should correspond to 25-60 days.

After planting, seedlings require care: watering, top dressing, weed removal, pest control.

Cauliflower is demanding on sunlight

Advice! Closer to the middle of summer, when the inflorescences begin to form and ripen, break the upper leaves of the head of cabbage and “shade” the head with them - so it will remain white, will not turn yellow and will not crumble.

Roller Growing Tips

If you doubt the nutritional value of the soil, then it will not be superfluous to feed the cauliflower for the third time

Two weeks later, a second top dressing is carried out, already with the addition of mineral fertilizers: infusion of wood ash, bone meal or a ready-made complex preparation - nitroammophoska.

If you doubt the nutritional value of the soil, then it will not be superfluous to feed the cauliflower for the third time, at the beginning of the formation of the head.

Video about planting cabbage and care

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out about a month before the expected planting date.

Based on this, and also taking into account the weather characteristics of a particular region, various methods of growing cauliflower are used - through seedlings, sowing in open ground or planting under temporary shelter. Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

seedling method

Video clip about planting and growing

Sowing seeds in open ground

The advantages of this method, compared with seedlings, are obvious:

it is less labor intensive;
plants immediately receive enough sunlight and do not stretch;
rosettes do not require a transplant, which for some period inhibits their growth and development.

As soon as the weather settles and the threat of return frosts blows over, they start sowing cauliflower. The most rational layout is double rows of plantings with wide row spacing for ease of care. Between plants leave 25 cm for early and early ripening varieties and 40 cm for heads of late ripening. Usually, 2-3 seeds are sown in each hole, and after germination, one of the strongest and most promising plants is left. Further planting care is the same - watering, fertilizing and timely removal of weeds.

cauliflower, like the white one, plant seedlings. Before planting, it is useful for beginners in this matter to familiarize themselves with the nuances of its cultivation. In one of the issues of the Encyclopedia of Country Life, it is described in detail how how to grow cauliflower seedlings at home. Let's review this information. I'm sure it's useful not only for us.

In boxes and greenhouses for growing seedlings, the soil is prepared in the same way as for white cabbage. The beds on the site are prepared in the fall (dig up, fertilize, lime).

Seeds must be prepared for planting: disinfect and pickle. The manual shows this method of preparing seeds:

Dry seeds are taken from the bag and lowered for 15 minutes in hot water temperature around 50 degrees.
After 15 minutes, take out and place in cold water for 1 minute.
Another option: hold the seeds in potassium permanganate. But many believe that this is the last century.
After treatment in hot and cold water planting material is immersed in a solution of trace elements for half a day.
Then the seeds are washed in clean water and put in the refrigerator for another day.
It remains to dry the seeds so that they do not stick to the fingers.
Now you can sow.

Sow seeds for seedlings in rows. The distance between rows is recommended to be kept at 3 cm. The sowing depth is 1 cm. The distance between plants is approximately 1 cm.

When to plant cauliflower for seedlings?

Many summer residents in matters of landing are accustomed to relying on lunar or sowing calendar. They can be found in reference books or on the Internet.

It is also logical to use the data indicated on the package with seeds. Depending on the variety, recommendations, when to plant cauliflower seedlings, may differ.

As a rule, seeds for seedlings of early varieties of cauliflower are recommended to be sown from March 5 to March 10. Late - from March 10 to March 20 or in April directly into the ground, but under the film. At a temperature of already +2, +5 degrees, the seeds are able to germinate.

As seedlings appear, special attention is paid to air temperature: if it exceeds 20 degrees, there is a risk that the plant will form a dwarf head. A dwarf head will also appear ahead of time if the seedlings do not have enough moisture and light.

In the magazine "Dachny Klub" we came across such a plate of the timing of sowing cauliflower seeds for seedlings, depending on the variety:

picking

Seedlings are picked as needed, already on the 9th day after germination. Before picking, the plants are watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. Picked seedlings are buried in the soil up to cotyledon leaves in cubes 6 × 6 or 8 × 8 cm.

Seedling care: feeding, watering, hardening

For the first time, foliar top dressing of cauliflower seedlings is carried out in the phase of 2 true leaves. Prepare the solution as follows:

half a tablet of microelements or half a teaspoon of complex fertilizers with microelements is dissolved in a liter of water.

Seedlings are sprayed with the finished solution.

Water the sprouts with water at room temperature, regularly, as the soil dries. Enough 1 time in 2-3 days. Watering is stopped altogether 1 week before planting seedlings in open ground. But on the other hand, immediately before planting (2 hours before), cauliflower seedlings are watered abundantly.

Important! Excessive watering of seedlings can provoke a disease of young plants with a black leg.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, they are hardened and fed a second time. For hardening, seedlings are taken out to the balcony or the greenhouse is ventilated if it grows there.

The second foliar top dressing is carried out as follows: urea (1 tablespoon) and potassium sulfate (also 1 tablespoon) are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Plants are sprayed with the resulting solution. Solution consumption: 1 cup per plant.

Landing in open ground

Early varieties of cauliflower begin to be planted in open ground in early May (until the 15th), later varieties - from May 10 to May 20.

Important! In Central Russia, as a rule, only early varieties ripen well. Weather conditions can adversely affect young seedlings planted in open ground. If the sun is small and cool, the cabbage may go into the arrow (after a month).

Landing pattern: 50x25 cm.

After planting, the plants are covered with a film.

Cauliflower, like its white sister, loves water, especially in the first period after planting in the ground. Without moisture, plants develop poorly, do not grow. The handbook recommends paying special attention to watering. There are no sharp differences in the cultivation of white and cauliflower. They are very similar.

Sowing cauliflower for seedlings: video

In one of the videos on Youtube, the author tells in detail and shows about sowing cauliflower for seedlings at home. We are also talking about tomatoes and eggplants. Specifically, about cauliflower, you need to watch from the 2nd minute (or rather, 2 minutes 14 seconds).

Video: planting seedlings in open ground

Another useful video about growing cauliflower. This time we are talking about planting seedlings, which were grown at home, in open ground.

Cauliflower: our photos

But such a cauliflower grew in our country house last summer:

Baba Lucy's favorite vegetable. The rest of the household, by the way, do not really like the taste of cauliflower. Apparently for an amateur

Have you tried growing suburban area cauliflower. Share your experience in the comments, we will be glad!

How to grow cauliflower: the secrets of a good harvest

It is best to grow cauliflower in seedlings because of its fastidiousness: it is much more thermophilic than its white sister. Harvesting a good crop of cauliflower is not difficult if you follow a certain growing technology.

Sowing periods for cauliflower

For good growth, cauliflower requires an air temperature of +18°C. It is not easy to maintain a constant indoor temperature, so it is recommended to sow cabbage seeds in greenhouses (greenhouses) 45–55 days before transplanting seedlings into the soil. The growing season is approximately 100 days.

Early - if you want to eat early cauliflower at the beginning of the second summer month, then plant your favorite vegetable in early March.
Mid-season - sown in late April-early May in a greenhouse. The growing season is 120 days.

If you do not have a greenhouse, use the following method: put wet soil on the edge of polyethylene (20 × 12 cm), roll it up with a tube and put an elastic band on it so that it does not unwind. Seeds are sown directly into the prepared soil. The resulting design is placed in a well-lit place. After the appearance of two or three leaves, the sprouts are planted in the ground and covered with a film.

It is better not to sow early cabbage at a time, but it is better to sow seeds every 10-15 days. So you will regularly receive a fresh vegetable. Try to sow cabbage with different ripening periods at the same time, or sow only part of the cabbage seeds, and sow the second part directly into the black soil in May.

There are many ways to sow cauliflower for seedlings, but all methods have one requirement - excess water must be removed so that the roots do not rot.

Sowing cauliflower seedlings

Before sowing, cauliflower seeds are disinfected. Dip them in water heated to 52-53 for 15-20 minutes.

The grown seedlings of cabbage are planted in a greenhouse (greenhouse). It does not tolerate frost, and even an air temperature of -1 degree will destroy tender sprouts. If you do not have a greenhouse or greenhouse, then either wait until the frost has passed or cover the cabbage seedlings immediately after planting.

Seedlings are planted that have reached a height of 12-15 cm (4-6 true leaves). Discard diseased seedlings. You should be alerted by long seedlings, a plant with a dried or blackened stem. This indicates blackleg disease.

To avoid such situations, seedlings must be seated on time and not watered too much. Excess moisture is the main cause of root rot. Seedlings with thickened roots should be discarded. This is a manifestation of kila.

Planting cauliflower seedlings

You can grow healthy cauliflower if you follow a certain procedure:

Landing is carried out in pre-prepared pits filled with water with the addition of calcium nitrate (1 dessert spoon);
It is necessary to plant a plant so that the lower leaves are immersed in the ground, and the first two leaves of cabbage lie on the soil, partially sprinkled with earth. After a few days, it must be removed. If this is not done, the seedlings may lose leaves during transplantation. When planting an overgrown plant, cut off a few lower leaves;
Seedlings are planted in the late afternoon, when there is no bright sun, but in order to be safe, it is better to shade the sprouts with newspaper caps;
Careful watering and fertilization is a must for a good harvest.

Cauliflower seedling fertilizer

Before planting seedlings, the black soil is well fertilized. Feeding cauliflower with fresh manure is prohibited. Do not overdo it with nitrogen-containing fertilizers either. You need to start fertilizing immediately after the appearance of the first leaf. This fact will indicate the full engraftment of the plant.

Fertilization should be carried out according to the following scheme:

Feed every two weeks, alternating organic (manure tincture, chicken manure, weeds, humate) and mineral fertilizers. Any mineral mixture containing nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium is suitable for mineral subcortex. Pour half a liter of the finished fertilizer solution under the very root of the seedling;
Before the ovary of the head, cauliflower must be fed with microelements with the addition of boron and molybdenum (2 g per 10 l of the finished solution). You can also use fertilizers such as Uniflor-micro (Uniflor-bud) 2 teaspoons per bucket of fertilizer. They include a full-fledged complex of all microelements and are perfectly absorbed thanks to the natural shell;
Chernozem should be alkaline all the time (pH 6.5–7.5). Therefore, once every two to three weeks, half a liter of calcium nitrate solution is poured into the hole (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). It can be replaced with one glass of lime for 10 liters of water. If this is not done, the plant will be susceptible to a disease called quila. It is better to burn the infected plant and do not plant cabbage in this place for 4 years.

Caring for cauliflower seedlings

How to effectively grow cauliflower seedlings at home, because it is so capricious? Let's look at the basic requirements for care:

Do not let the seedlings get supercooled (the temperature should not drop to + 4-5 ° C), otherwise the head will crumble early in adulthood;
You will get the same result when the seedlings are exposed to elevated air temperature (+ 20 ° C);
Do not allow the soil to dry out near the seedlings, as you will get small heads and even further fertilization will not help them;
As an adult, cauliflower is resistant to temperatures as low as -3-4 ° C, but still play it safe and cover it;
The plant has a large number of leaves, but the head did not start before the onset of frost - grow it in a greenhouse (basement). Dig up the cabbage along with the soil. Heads that have begun to tie will grow to right size thanks to the accumulated nutrients in the leaves;
Do not overgrow the head. When outgrown, it will break up into branches with flowers;
To avoid blackening of the head, cover it with cabbage leaves. If you, after all, did not manage to protect her from sun rays, then you can refresh the head with ordinary water to which you add citric acid(1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water);
The reason for a bad head of cabbage is overgrown seedlings at one time, insufficient watering, temperature changes, poor lighting;
Cauliflower does not grow well in shade or partial shade. This plant loves the sun and grows well in a well-lit plot of land;
Make no mistake - do not cut off the leaves of cabbage for better maturation of the head. The result will be the opposite;
Regularly carry out pest control with agents identical to cabbage.

As you can see, growing cauliflower is not so difficult, you just need to follow certain rules and make a little effort. But as a result, you will get not only a tasty, but a healthy vegetable.

How to grow cauliflower in the open field, seedlings, picking, care

How to grow cauliflower outdoors? It will not seem difficult to you if you know some of the nuances. Despite a somewhat exotic look, cauliflower is still a relative of white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kohlrabi. It belongs to the cruciferous family. Cauliflower has been on our table all summer since June. It's very tasty diet dish. Its use is especially important for diseases of the stomach, for baby food. Many gardeners complain that cauliflower does not grow. Yes, there are some features of growing cauliflower.

Cauliflower, photo

For a long time it was called Syrian, because it originates from the Middle East. From there she went to Spain, then to Cyprus. For many centuries Cyprus was the only source of cauliflower seeds. Thanks to this, it flourished, so the seeds were then very expensive. It did not grow well in the climate of the northern countries. She came to Russia only under Catherine II. Then it was known as a vegetable for the rich and was a rarity.

Growing cauliflower, features

Compared to the head, the color is more demanding on heat, moisture and soil fertility conditions, pH is not higher than 6.0. On light soils, organic matter is necessarily introduced.

Where does cauliflower grow? good harvest can be obtained on the fertile loose soil with a high content of humus. The site should be chosen well-lit, monitor the reaction of the soil.

It tolerates fluctuations in temperature and humidity worse than white cabbage. At temperatures above 25 ° C and poor watering, loose or small heads are formed. She is photophilous, prefers not shaded sunny areas. Even with partial shading (less than 6 hours in the sun), the heads will form small or may not even start at all.

The beginnings of inflorescences are formed already when growing seedlings. The temperature regime is very important. If the seedlings are kept at temperatures above 20 ° C, then the heads begin to form too early, they will be looser. If the temperature is about 10-12°C, then the growth of the heads is delayed, but they will be more dense.

Cauliflower does not tolerate frost. This must be taken into account when choosing landing dates. In open ground, it is grown both in seedlings and in seedlings. But still, growing through seedlings is preferable.

Usually, seeds are sown for seedlings in mid-February (in the Kuban) or mid-March (middle lane). In open ground, seeds are sown in the last days of March - early April (in the Kuban). Gardeners in central Russia grow it only through seedlings.

Planting cauliflower seeds for seedlings and care

Want to get early cauliflower? Seeds for seedlings should be planted in January to get cabbage in June. When sowing seeds in January, the plants are ready for planting in the ground in March.

To grow late cabbage, seeds for seedlings begin to be sown in April-May, and planted in a permanent place at the end of June. With these growing dates, the crop is harvested in September, but this depends on local conditions. It should only be taken into account that the feeding area must be increased to 70 × 70 cm, since large and powerful plants are formed in late varieties.

The basic technology for growing seedlings of color is the same as for white-headed seedlings. But here it must be borne in mind that when growing it, hardening of plants is used, because it is more tender and should be prepared for lower night temperatures by the time of planting.

How to do it at home? I must say right away that this is very difficult, if not impossible, to do. Still, I am opposed to growing seedlings of any cabbage at home. Increased (for cabbage) room temperature, flaw solar lighting promotes stretching and weakening of plants. If you cannot maintain a cool temperature regime, you will lose plants, be left without seedlings.

My hotbed

Do not be afraid to sow cabbage seeds for seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse. If, nevertheless, the temperature in the greenhouse is below 10 ° C, then I advise you to pour nutrient soil into wooden box, sow the seeds, cover it with a double layer of film or spunbond until germination.

How long does it take for cauliflower sprouts to appear? Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days. After the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to arrange, as it were, a micro-greenhouse above the box, lifting the film to a height of 30-35 cm with arcs or sticks. In this case, the shoots should not touch the film. That is, in the greenhouse you will have a micro-greenhouse with seedlings. In sunny weather, you can leave one layer of film over the seedling box or even remove it, ventilate it more often.

If the temperature in the greenhouse during the day is higher than or equal to 13-14°C, and at night not lower than 10-12°C, then the box with seedlings can be additionally not covered with anything.

Thus, cabbage seedlings should be grown in a greenhouse or greenhouse, but in warmer conditions than white cabbage.

Picking cauliflower seedlings

Is it possible to dive cauliflower and when should it be done? Of course, she, like any other seedlings, dives.

I usually, when determining the timing of the picking, I focus on the leaves. After the first two true leaves have appeared, and the 3rd-4th is about to appear - it's time to pick. I transplant seedlings into cups. If you count the days, then usually 30 days after germination, the seedlings from the cups are planted in a permanent place and there they already grow until ripe.

Plant seedlings in open ground at a distance of 60-90 cm from each other. All cabbage crops grow well in fairly fertile, well-drained, moist soils with plenty of added organic matter. The mulch will help keep the soil cool and moist.

If you are unable to provide the necessary conditions for growing seedlings, you will have to buy ready-made, better grown by greenhouse plants.

Cauliflower nutrition

Cauliflower reacts poorly to a lack of boron and molybdenum. I save myself with Fertik Lux fertilizer (formerly Kemira Lux). I feed the seedlings twice and one or two more times in the open field. The empty core of the stump will tell you about a boron deficiency, and narrow leaves will tell you about a lack of molybdenum - there will be no lush plant. The head, of course, will not grow in the same way.

Irrigation Features

Like any cabbage, cauliflower really needs watering. But slugs love her, so excessive watering, especially at the end of the growing season, is not recommended.

After tying the head, it must not be watered by sprinkling or from a hose from above. Only at the root. Moisture, when it enters the inflorescences, immediately causes a disease - mucous bacteriosis, which affects the junction of the petioles with the stalk. It is impossible to get rid of this disease. The harvest will be lost.

Harvest

After cutting the heads, do not rush to pull out the remains of the plant from the ground. Lateral shoots will appear from the sinuses near the root neck in two weeks. Leave the strongest escape, break the rest. In two months, a new head will grow, however, smaller in size than the first. This will be the second crop of cabbage from the same plant. Do not forget to water and spud it on time.

There are several methods for preserving the cauliflower crop. There is a way to grow cabbage. You can dig it up by the roots, plant it in a box in a dark basement. You can dig up cabbage with an already formed head or with a head that has just begun to grow. Its quality from this method of growing only improves. She will gain her weight, will be snow-white, tasty.

Varieties to grow in the country

Now there is a very large selection of varieties and hybrids. For example, the Malimba F1 and Boldo F1 hybrids have proven themselves well for several years. These are very early hybrids. From planting seedlings to harvesting - 55-65 days. Head weight - from 1 to 2 kg.

One of the new varieties of cauliflower of domestic selection - Polar Star - is recommended for personal subsidiary plots. The variety is early maturing. Head weighing up to 1 kg. The taste is excellent.

Useful properties of cauliflower

Now this type of cabbage is not uncommon, but, nevertheless, we do not grow enough of it to satisfy demand. Perhaps ignorance of other forms of cabbage, except for white cabbage, has led to the fact that cauliflower is not so popular with us. But its useful qualities far exceed the properties of white cabbage.

It is one of the few plant foods that contains a lot of iron. Of course, it is less than in meat, but this iron is of plant origin - it is better absorbed by our body. Vitamin PP protects our blood vessels from loss of elasticity. Vitamin K affects the clotting of our blood. And most importantly, it contains complex substance diindolylmethane, which inhibits the growth cancer cells prostate in men.

Color is considered the most useful of all cabbage varieties. In value, it approaches chicken meat, is not as coarse as white cabbage, is easier to digest, less irritates the mucous membrane, and is better absorbed by the body due to its cellular structure.

For food, the head is used - these are shortened inflorescences located close to each other. Cauliflower is grown as an annual plant. The height of the stem is 15-20 cm. It grows best where the climate is moderately warm and humid.

Thus, a feature of growing cauliflower is warmer conditions for seedlings compared to white cabbage. They create a reserve for the development of a large dense head. Of course, the size, density of the head, its whiteness also depends on the choice of variety or hybrid.

I hope we answered the question of how to grow cauliflower in the open field.

Cauliflower seedlings: sowing and care

The general principle of preparing seeds, soil and growing seedlings of cauliflower is the same as for white cabbage (see Sowing white cabbage and caring for seedlings). Below, only the individual features of cauliflower agricultural technology will be considered in detail.

Approximate age of cauliflower seedlings for central Russia:

for early varieties and hybrids - 25-60 days,
for medium-early - 35-40 days,
for later - 30-35 days.

Sowing seeds is done:

early varieties and hybrids - from March 5 to March 30,
mid-early - from April 10 to May 10,
late - from May 25 to June 10.

Terms of planting seedlings in open ground:

early varieties and hybrids - from April 25 to May 15,
mid-early - from May 20 to June 15,
late - from July 1 to July 10.

Such an age "scatter" when growing seedlings of early varieties and hybrids is not accidental. To get the earliest finished products from the end of June or the first days of July in open ground, the maximum possible age of seedlings is required - 50-60 days. It is planted at the end of April, early May, often under temporary cover with a film. This seedling for better survival is grown only in pots. Then comes the time for 40-45 day old seedlings of early cabbage, which take root more easily and already have the potential to give a higher yield. But to achieve the maximum yield of early ripening varieties and hybrids is possible only when planting 20-25 day old seedlings, here the largest heads of high quality are obtained.

Unlike white cabbage, cauliflower has a less developed root system. This cabbage is even more moisture-loving and demanding on soil fertility. The bulk of the roots is located in a soil layer of 25-40 cm. For growing seedlings, it is better to use the pot method without picking. However, it has been observed that during early spring and spring planting seedlings grown with picking and without picking, in the future, give almost the same yield. But during the summer time for planting seedlings, the potted method without picking has a significant advantage, especially in dry seasons. Plants take root better and develop a more powerful root that goes deep into the soil.

For spring-summer and summer-autumn crops with growing by winter, you can use the potless method of growing seedlings. For the Moscow region optimal time sowing - from the end of April to June. For growing by winter, crops are carried out in 2-3 stages from mid-June to July 10. For better survival, seedlings are planted more young age with 3-4 true leaves.

In the northern regions, due to the shorter warm period, it is more expedient to grow cauliflower seedlings older than 50-60 days old. In this case, the feeding area of one plant should be slightly increased to 7x7 or 8x8 cm.

During the cultivation of seedlings, there should be no stops in growth, otherwise there is a danger of shooting. This is especially common in early cabbage when planting adult seedlings.

Seedless growing method for the south

For dry regions, the less common seedless growing method can also be used. In this case, the root system is not as branched, but more deeply penetrating into the soil. Seeds are sown directly into the ground with a distance between rows of 45-60 cm, depending on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid and soil fertility. When the first two true leaves appear, thinning is carried out, leaving 10-15 cm between plants in a row. Final thinning is done in a phase of 5-6 leaves, leaving between plants at a high fertile soils 15-20 cm, on less fertile soils 20-25 cm. Thinning should be carried out when the soil is well watered. With careful carrying out of this event, the root system of the uprooted plants is well preserved and the best of them can be planted in the places of dead plants or in another plot.

Care during the growing period

Since cauliflower is a very moisture-loving plant, the optimum soil moisture throughout the growing period should be in the range of 70-85%. It is very important not to allow the soil to dry out during the seedling period, as this leads to the formation of a small head or even to a complete loss of yield due to the rapid transition of plants to the flowering phase.

Not less than an important factor is compliance temperature conditions. During the period of growing seedlings, the temperature should not be allowed to drop below +8 ° C for a long time, 10 or more days. Otherwise, a rapid transition of the plant to the flowering phase may occur, without the formation of a dense commodity head. Temperatures above +20 ° C for 10 or more days, especially at night, provoke seedling extension and the formation of small, loose, rapidly decaying heads.

The optimum temperature before germination is +21. +23 o C, then +10 for 5 days. +12 o C. After the seedlings get stronger and become stocky, the temperature is gradually increased to +16. +18 o C in sunny weather and +13. +15 o C - in cloudy. At night, the temperature is maintained within +10. +12 o C.

As already mentioned, cauliflower is more demanding on nutrition than white cabbage. This must be taken into account from the very beginning, i.e. at the seedling stage. With a lack of trace elements in the seedling period (especially when grown in a pot without picking), regardless of the conditions further cultivation cabbage forms ugly heads or does not form them at all. It is especially sensitive to the lack of boron and molybdenum.

With a lack of molybdenum, cabbage grows deformed leaves and does not proceed to the formation of a head.

With a lack of boron, vitreous spots form on the heads, which become brown in color. Under these spots, voids soon form up to the very stalk, covered from the inside with a black crust.

To avoid such troubles, during the period when the first true leaf appears in the seedlings, it is watered directly over the leaves with a complex fertilizer containing trace elements.

Some literary sources say that when feeding cauliflower seedlings, the doses of mineral fertilizers per feeding are increased by 1.5 times compared to the doses for white cabbage seedlings. During the growing period (depending on the age of the finished seedlings), she is given 2-3 top dressings. Here I will take the liberty of disagreeing. To obtain more uniformly developed seedlings and tissues in plants, it is still better to carry out 1-2 additional top dressings with a solution of normal concentration, simply reducing the period of time between top dressings a little. For 30-day-old seedlings, 2 top dressings are enough, 35-40 days old - 3, 45-50 days - 4, for 55-60 days - 5.

The first top dressing is given 10 days after picking, or in the phase of the first two true leaves with a potless method of growing seedlings. The second and subsequent top dressings are given with an interval of 10 days. Regardless of the age of the seedlings, the final dressing is given 3-4 days before planting in open ground. It is best to alternate organic and mineral top dressing with each other.

In addition to the main dressings, cabbage is given 3 foliar top dressings with microelements. The first - in the phase of 1-2 true leaves, the second - in the phase of 5-6 true leaves and the third - when the cabbage forms a head the size of Walnut. For 1 liter of water, dilute 0.5 tablets of microelements or 0.5 tsp of complete fertilizer with microelements and spray the plants on the leaf. Depending on the age of the plants, the consumption of the working solution is 30-60 ml/m 2 (3-6 l/hundredth). You can use liquid microfertilizers for these purposes, for example, Uniflor micro, MicroFe or others. If complex fertilizers with microelements are used for basic dressings, then additional top dressing with microelements can be omitted.

First dressing.

For 10 liters of water: 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potash fertilizer. Consumption: 150-200 ml per pot, or 8-10 l/m2 for potless growing.

Second and subsequent top dressing any of the following solutions:

For 10 liters of water: 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 50 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potash fertilizer.
For 10 liters of water: 0.5 liters of mullein or chicken manure.

Consumption: 150-200 ml per pot, or 8-10 l/m2 for potless growing.

In the absence of mullein and chicken manure, you can buy dry granular chicken manure, liquid extract of cow manure "Biud", or liquid extract of horse manure "Biud", "Bucephalus", "Cowry" in stores.

Top dressing before planting seedlings: for 10 liters of water: 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 80 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potash fertilizer.

If the seedlings are well developed, then you can give such a solution: for 10 liters of water, 40 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium fertilizer.

Consumption: 150-200 ml per pot or 8-10 l/m2 for potless cultivation.

When growing seedlings in a potless way (for example, in seedling boxes without internal partitions between plants), the soil between plants is cut along and across the rows 3-5 days before planting. This technique, in combination with the above "top dressing before planting seedlings", contributes to the formation of an extensive root system.

1. Cabbage. //Book series "Homestead farming". M. "Rural news", 1998.

2. Matveev V.P., Rubtsov M.I. Vegetable growing. M.: Agropromizdat, 1985. 431 p.

3.Andreev Yu.M., Golik S.V. Growing cauliflower using growth regulators // Bulletin of the vegetable grower. 2011. No. 4. S. 13-20.

www.greeninfo.ru

How to Grow Cauliflower in Containers, Pots (and Bags)

Cauliflower can be grown in containers from seeds. Like most cruciferous plants, cabbage loves the cool and can be started up to 10 weeks before the expected first frost. Potted cauliflower will be the icing on the cake in your home garden by the end of the season. You can’t feed a family with your cabbage from the balcony, but we don’t set such a goal, right? We enjoy the garden on the windowsill to the fullest!

Cauliflower in containers

We start by running the seeds:

The ideal temperature for the germination of healthy cauliflower seedlings is 15 to 20°C.
Seedlings are unpretentious to the soil, at this stage only acidity is important (6.5-7).
Fill pots for seedlings with soil and deepen 4 seeds per centimeter. Can be covered with a hood if the temperature is below 15°C.
The soil should always be moist, but not wet. Moisten the surface with a spray bottle, this makes it easier to control soil moisture.
Germinate up to the first 4-5 leaves of cabbage should be in a sunny place. After reaching 5 centimeters, the seedlings can move into permanent containers.

Growing cauliflower:

The diameter of the pot should be from 30 cm per plant, the depth should be from 20 cm. Drainage holes are required. You can also grow vegetables in build-garbage bags, the roots also breathe in them, you just have to be more careful with watering.
The soil should be loose, well-drained, enriched with perlite and vermiculite, slightly clayey. garden soil is not the best option, but it can be mixed with peat and coconut coir and always with perlite. Simple earth quickly sags in pots, the roots begin to rot.
Cabbage needs up to 6 hours of sunshine a day. It does not tolerate drought - irrigate, keep the soil constantly lightly moist. The formation of kachanchikov requires a lot of moisture.

Cauliflower Care

When the fork (kachanchik) grows to 5-8 cm in diameter, the leaves around the head must be lifted and fastened over it so that the kachanchik does not dry out in the sun and remains white and fragrant.
Cabbage is very fond of compost fertilizers, humus, rotted manure.
You can mulch the plant to keep moisture near the surface. Mulching at home can be done with sleeping coffee grounds, straw. Mulching on open balconies will help to keep the roots at the first frost.

Harvesting cauliflower

Cabbage bears fruit constantly, already 3 months after planting you will harvest the first crop - heads from 15 cm in diameter. You need to cut the forks higher, leaving, if possible, the leaves on the bush.

Cauliflower care and cultivation

Cauliflower: care and cultivation in a greenhouse

Today, summer residents in the garden plant almost all vegetables in order to please the family with variety and collect fruits for canning. Growing cauliflower outdoors is becoming more popular than planting regular white cabbage. This is due to the amazing properties of this type of cabbage and the variety of useful substances contained in it. If you know how to properly care for seedlings in a greenhouse or at home, then you will be able to grow cabbage in the country with your own hands.

Rules for growing cauliflower in open ground

There are two main methods of growing cabbage: from seeds or seedlings. In this case, planting can be carried out in open ground or in a greenhouse. Before planting, make sure that there are suitable plants in the greenhouse or outdoors. temperature conditions, within + 15- + 18 degrees, otherwise the cabbage heads will turn out small and lose their taste. Seedlings require careful care, as they do not tolerate frost. It is also dangerous for her and high air temperature.

Cauliflower loves the sun, so choose sunny areas for planting it. Remember to protect the seedlings from the wind by shading lightly with other plants. At the same time, make sure that the seedlings do not grow close to each other, otherwise the cabbage will grow in height, weaken and become less resistant to various diseases.

The maturation and formation of the cauliflower head directly depends on the length of daylight hours. With a short light day, the head will be denser, although the ripening of cabbage will be slightly delayed. If you are growing cauliflower in a greenhouse, you can adjust the lighting time.

Planting seedlings of cabbage

Unlike white cabbage, cauliflower is demanding on the soil, which must be non-acidic and at the same time fertile. To neutralize the acidity of the earth, it is preliminarily limed.

Before planting seedlings, add humus to the soil at the rate of up to 2 buckets per 1 sq.m of soil. According to gardeners, it is necessary to feed with mineral fertilizers, for example, 2 tablespoons of nitrophoska per 1 sq. m plot. Particular attention should be paid to the soil when growing cauliflower from seeds.

Growing cauliflower at an industrial level

When to plant cauliflower seeds

In early March, gardeners recommend planting early varieties of cauliflower, and by the end of March, you can start sowing late ones. This should be done at home to maintain a suitable temperature for the entrances. Already in the month of April, you can sow seeds in the Moscow region directly in open ground, however, be sure to cover it with a film to create a greenhouse effect. Remember that the germination of cauliflower seeds occurs at a temperature not less than +2 degrees.

Technology for planting cauliflower

After germination, it is important to maintain the temperature in the greenhouse at about 10 degrees, otherwise the head will immediately form from poor care. Two weeks after germination, you can carry out a pick, then raise the temperature to +21 degrees for a couple of days and lower it again to +10-+17.

Want to long time harvest cauliflower? Then use proven technology: plant seedlings at intervals of several days. This will achieve different terms head maturation.

How to plant cauliflower

Cauliflower seedlings are planted in open ground in early May, when the weather conditions have stabilized. At the same time, make sure that it is more than +15 degrees outside, otherwise you will not achieve the appearance of cabbage heads, but you will get an arrow with seeds.

Growing cauliflower for seeds

Now you know cauliflower cultivation technology outdoors, as well as how to prepare the soil and care for seedlings in a greenhouse. Experiment by planting different varieties cauliflower and harvest ripe heads.