Derived from the Latin word, caulis, meaning ‘cabbage’ and floris, meaning ‘flower’, cauliflower is a very healthy vegetable that offers versatility in the kitchen.
Though usually white, cauliflower can come in other colours including purple, yellow, and orange. However, the taste is the same: mild and slightly sweet.
Cauliflower can be sliced, stir-fried, and steamed to maintain its high nutrition. There are also numerous recipes that process cauliflower into flour which can then be used as gluten-free, vegan pizza or biscuit dough.
This crisp and nutritious vegetable often commands a high price at the grocery store, so why not learn how to grow cauliflower right from your home, for a fall harvest.
Timing: Start sowing indoors under bright lights, 10-12 weeks before the first average frost date. Then transplant outdoors, first week of September while temperatures are above 10°C (50°F).
Sowing: Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm (¼ ‘’) deep. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 45-60cm (18-24’’) apart in rows 60-90cm (24-36’’) apart.
Plant with humus-rich soil amended with composted manure and mix ½ cup of fertilizer under each transplant.
Growing: Water regularly to maintain even soil moisture however, always water around the plant, as wet leaves attract disease and wet heads may rot. Ideal pH: 6.0 – 6.8.
If the growing process is slow, add fertilizer into the surface of the soil around each plant.
From seedling to harvest, cauliflower must grow steadily to make a large plant and white flower bud in the middle. This is called a curd or button and will turn green and lose its flavour if not blanched.
Blanching is the process of protecting the curd from sunlight. Shade the developing curds by utilizing the plant’s larger outer leaves to tie together or using newspaper.
Once the curd is the size of a hen’s egg, it needs to be blanched.
Harvesting: After about 10 days after blanching, cauliflower heads should be 15 - 20cm (6-8’’) in diameter and florets begin to separate. This is the peak quality and maximum size of the crop. Harvest by cutting the stalk just below the head, leaving a stem of about 2.5 – 5cm (1-2’’).
If whole plants are lifted with the roots still attached, this can be stored in a root cellar for a month.
Otherwise use cauliflower right after harvest or freeze it as broken chunks in plastic bags.
Protection: Put cloche over cauliflower bed at least one week before the average frost date.
Pests and Disease: Avoid planting in the same soil where other Brassicas have grown for 3-4 years to prevent disease and pest infestations.