Cauliflower is very similar to its broccoli cousin in appearance. The head – called a “curd” – is made up of a central stalk with offshoot stems. Each cluster (called a floret or floweret) is formed from unopened buds. It is the “jacket leaves” that protect common cauliflower’s white color. As the plant grows, the outer leaves encase the head, protecting from the sun and preventing chlorophyll development.
The preferred garden soil for cauliflower is well drained, moist and has significant organic matter with a pH of 6 to 7. Cauliflower is typically started indoors six to eight weeks prior to setting out in the garden and is typically ready for harvest two months after transplanting. As with all brassicas, seeds germinate best with a soil temperature of 25 °C (77 °F). The vegetable requires a cool, moist climate - if temperatures go too high, the plants will not produce flower heads, if too low a temperature is reached, the plants might button, creating small heads. It is cold tolerant, but will not survive hard frosts. Of all the brassicas, cauliflowers have the largest number of growth requirements, and the ability to successfully grow cauliflower in a home garden is often thought to be the hallmark[citation needed] of well-managed soil and a good gardener.
No customer reviews for the moment.
