Brassica oleracea botrytis
HEIGHT x WIDTH: 50cm x 50cm.
DISTANCE APART: 50cm
WHEN TO HARVEST: The cauliflower needs to be harvested while it is still white and the curds (tiny flowers) are nice and tight; the head will be around 20cm across.
HOW MUCH WATER: Water every day unless it rains.
WHERE TO PLANT: Full sun
CAN I GROW THEM IN A POT? Yes. Fill a large pot that is 50cm deep with premium potting mix, plant the seedlings and water them well. Make sure that the container gets plenty of sunlight.
CAN I GROW THEM IN A GARDEN BED? Yes, choose a spot that gets 6 hours of sun. Mix lots of compost or animal manure into the soil, plant the seedlings and water well. Spread some mulch such as pea straw or lucerne hay over the soil.
BEST BUDDY PLANTS: Cauliflowers are best buddies with onions, leeks, kale and most herbs.
OTHER ‘SMARTY PLANT’ TIPS:
- When you get your seedlings home, let them sit in a shallow tray of water which has had a tablespoon of seaweed solution added for an hour or two. This will get them ready for transplanting.
- After planting, water the seedlings with a very soft hose or a watering can several times a day until they settle in.
- Water every day and apply a liquid fertiliser every fortnight.
- The head of the cauliflower can start to turn yellow if it gets too much sunlight so to give them some shade by breaking the largest outside leaves so that they fold inwards and tie them together over the top.
There’s more information at the Smarty Plants website.