Growing Cauliflower (continued page 3)

Care of Cauliflower
The secret of success with summer cauliflowers is rapid and continuous growth. From transplanting time onwards they need copious watering, if checked at any time, they are liable to form very small heads. Even though the soil may have been very rich as a result of its preparation, it can do with even more feeding.  

Mulch the soil around the plants with rotted manure or garden compost three weeks after planting, drenching it with water afterwards.  When the curds have started to form, give the plants a top dressing of nitrate of soda.  Winter cauliflowers have the hazard of too much water to contend with in the winter, as well as too little in the summer. Earth up the soil in early to mid-autumn to form a continuous low ridge.  This ensure that the excess water drains away from the stem.  It also helps to strengthen the plants against the winter winds.  It is not necessary to feed winter cauliflower during the early part of their life, in summer or autumn.

Harvesting and Aftercare of Cauliflower
A cauliflower is ready for cutting when the upper surface of the curd is fully exposed and the inner leaves no longer cover it.  Unfortunately, cauliflowers tend to mature all at once.  If the weather is warm and you leave the cauliflowers in the ground once they have matured, the heads expand and they become discoloured and less appealing. To avoid this lift some early, they will be quite edible. Alternatively, gather up the leaves and tie them together over the curd so that they cover it, using garden twine, an elastic band or raffia.  It will also protect the winter ones from the frost.  

To keep them for two or three weeks once hey are mature, lift the whole plant, including roots and hang them upside down in a cool shed and syringe them daily. Cauliflowers freeze well and you can deal with an over abundant crop by freezing the surplus for later use. When harvesting, cut in the early morning when the plant is freshest, ideally with dew on it. During frosty weather however, it is better to wait till the warmest part of the day.  Cut through the stalk with a sharp knife, leaving enough leaves around the curd to protect it.  

Unlike some brassicas, the cauliflower will not produce worthwhile shoots after its head has been cut, so clear the remains of the crop as quickly as possible.

Pests and Diseases 

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