Growing and caring for cauliflower in open ground

We'll take a detailed look at cauliflower, its cultivation, and care in the open ground in this article. Growing this vegetable in our gardens isn't as popular as white cabbage, but there are those who enjoy this marvel. While this cabbage is typically grown in warm climates, it will also thrive in cooler climates if desired.

It's worth noting that cauliflower requires quite a bit of care; it demands constant attention from the gardener. However, if done correctly, your garden will be a treasure trove of nutrients and vitamins. Needless to say, cauliflower contains several times more of these than cabbage. regular white cabbage.

Interesting! Nutritionists emphasize that cauliflower is a must-eat vegetable. It's great for the gastrointestinal tract, contains many nutrients, and doesn't cause bloating. Therefore, this cabbage is especially recommended for people with gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Growing and caring for cauliflower in open ground in the Moscow region:
1. Cauliflower, unlike white cabbage, requires a lot of light and heat when growing.
2. This type of cabbage has a poorly developed root system.
3. Temperature conditions for growing the vegetable in question should not be lower than 15 degrees Celsius, otherwise the heads will be small and tasteless.
4. Be sure to harden off seedlings before planting them outdoors. This will strengthen the sprouts, but freezing temperatures still pose a significant risk to the vegetables.
5. Oddly enough, excessively high temperatures are also dangerous for this vegetable. If the air temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius, cauliflower growth stops, and its heads become loose over time.
6. Seedlings should be planted in open, sunny areas. However, it's important to plan for shade in advance.
7. If the seedlings stretch a little, this is good; they will be resistant to diseases and pests.
8. With long daylight hours, heads will form quickly, but inflorescences in this situation often break up into small pieces.
9. If there is not enough light, the heads will form densely, but this takes longer.
10. As for the soil, humus-rich soil is suitable for this crop. It should be neutral in pH. If your plot is highly acidic, you should add lime to the soil in the fall.
11. During the growth process, it is essential to add fertilizer to the soil where the cauliflower grows. mineral and organic fertilizers independently and regularly.

Preparing the beds

A lot of useful information on how to grow cauliflower and how to care for it outdoors can be found in the video accompanying this material. As mentioned above, this vegetable requires a high amount of nutrients in the soil, as it cannot grow without them. When digging the beds for transplanting seedlings, it is recommended to add humus at a rate of two buckets per square meter of soil.

As for mineral fertilizers, use two tablespoons for the same area. Also, pay attention to nitrophoska. Cauliflower beds shouldn't be too wide, as this will lead to excessive moisture accumulation. If the beds are too narrow, the cauliflower may not have enough soil, as its root system is weak.

To plant the seeds, use a mixture of soil and peat moss with some humus added. Maintaining adequate moisture after planting will ensure the cabbage sprouts emerge quickly, and then provide the seedlings with regular care until they are planted outdoors.

Briefly about popular varieties:
1. Early-ripening varieties of this vegetable produce a well-formed head of cabbage within 100 days of sowing. To collect seeds for further propagation, you'll need to wait 200 days. Consider the "Garantiya" and "Rannyaya Gribovskaya 1355" varieties. Early hybrid varieties are considered very productive (they produce better fruit, but require even more care).
2. Popular mid-season cabbage varieties include "Parisianka," "Dachnitsa," and "Otechestvennaya," and hybrids are also a safe bet. Heads will form within 130 days, and the seeds reach maturity for further propagation after another 205 days.
3. Late-ripening cauliflower varieties are the most common. However, it's worth noting that these varieties are only suitable for growing in the southern regions of the country. The harvest period is 220 days, and these varieties are mostly hybrids.

Keep in mind that, regardless of variety and ripening time, cauliflower's shelf life is not as good as that of its white cabbage cousin. Varieties with medium ripening times produce the highest yields.

This is the basic information you need to know before planting cauliflower seeds for seedlings. Remember that without taking these care considerations into account, you risk not getting a good harvest.

Cauliflower: Growing and outdoor careFertilizing is essential. This is because this cabbage has a poorly developed root system and often cannot obtain all the nutrients from the soil on its own for normal growth and development. With the right approach, this cabbage variety can be successfully grown even in the Moscow region, not to mention regions with warmer climates.