How to grow and care for cauliflower outdoors
There are several secrets and agricultural techniques on how to grow cauliflower in the open field. You should start by choosing a planting site, suitable fertilizers and selecting the right variety. There is an option to prepare seedlings in advance or to sow seeds directly on the beds.
Preparatory work on the site
Today, there are many recommendations from agronomists and amateur gardeners on how to grow cauliflower in the garden. They begin to prepare by cultivating the land in the garden, where it was decided to grow the plant.
For growing cauliflower in the open field, it is important to select and process the right land plot. In mid-October, they choose a site where the cabbage is supposed to be planted next year, dig it up, weed the weeds and get rid of the pest larvae. A couple of weeks after these manipulations, it is recommended to apply fertilizers. A mixture of superphosphate and a potassium component is useful, or wood ash can be added.
In the spring, the soil is slightly loosened, but not dug up, since the cauliflower prefers a solid base. At this time, it is useful to add urea at the same time.
The features of growing cauliflower include a beneficial mulching procedure (covering the soil where the plant is planted with organic or inorganic matter). Mulching helps keep the seedlings healthy and improves the properties of the soil.
Suitable mulch for cauliflower is:
- straw - protects the soil from overheating, retains moisture and reduces the appearance of weeds;
- with compost and humus, cabbage grows faster, in addition, the components enrich the soil with nutrients and prevent the development of many diseases;
- chopped grass - retains moisture, accelerates growth and increases yields;
- fallen leaves - help to keep warm and contain beneficial bacteria that nourish the soil and protect against pathogens;
- nettle - in its composition there are many useful trace elements that, getting into the soil, saturate the plant.
If the deadlines were missed with the preparation of the land, then all the same actions with the soil are done in the spring. It is recommended to add humus, urea, superphosphate, magnesium sulfate, potassium salt, boric acid and wood ash. Before planting, the soil is compacted and tamped. If this rule is followed, the heads will be dense and juicy.
Seed selection
They begin to take care from the moment of purchasing seeds. The variety is chosen based on the characteristics of the climate and growing conditions. Only large, dense seeds are selected. After that, you need to wake them up.The grains are laid out in a cloth bag and placed first in hot and then in cold water.
Seed care includes a disinfection procedure. It is recommended to soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 25 minutes. Thanks to this, the fungi and bacteria on the shell of the seeds die. After the seeds are washed with plain water and left on the fabric until completely dry.
Given the peculiarities of the climate of a particular region, varieties should be planted at a certain time. For example, in the Moscow region, the best time for planting early species in open ground is the beginning of May (Snow Globe, Movir, Express). From mid-May to early April, you can plant medium varieties (Pioneer, Bravo, Belaya Krasavitsa). At the end of June or the beginning of July, late species should be left (Cortes, Amerigo). On the Internet pages there is a photo of each variety.
How long to wait for a mature crop to appear? The ripening time of the color depends on which variety was chosen. Early maturing species mature for three months. It takes 4 months for a mid-season cauliflower to ripen. Maturation of late species lasts for 5 months.
Seedling troubles
A good harvest will delight if you grow the seedlings yourself. It is advisable to plant seeds in the soil from peat and humus. The soil should be disinfected to get rid of pathogenic bacteria and fungi or pest larvae. You can warm up the ground or pour it with a solution of potassium permanganate. It is useful to fertilize the soil with superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
Holes are made in the seedling container to prevent waterlogging of the soil. Then the containers are filled with earth, not reaching the edge of 1 cm.In slightly moistened and compacted soil, grooves are made 0.5 cm deep, between which the space should be 3 cm.
The seeds should be planted in the grooves made at a distance of 1.5 cm. As soon as the seeds are planted, the container is covered with foil.
On day 4-5, the first shoots should hatch, provided that the air temperature is about 20 degrees. At this stage, it is important not to miss the pulling of the stems. Therefore, the seedlings are moved to a cool place where the air temperature is not more than 6 degrees. After a few days, you can add the air temperature to 16 degrees. This, in addition to everything, will help the plants adapt to temperature extremes.
Growing seedlings need constant moisture. At first, it is recommended to water with a watering can, without pressure, so as not to loosen the topsoil. It is recommended to add drugs to the water that prevent the development of diseases. You can use Fitosporin or Fundazol. You can lightly sprinkle the ground with wood ash.
Two weeks after the emergence of sprouts, it is necessary to pick. Only long roots are pinched, without affecting the weak and short branches. After the procedure, it is better to plant each sprout in a separate glass, the soil is moistened and fed. The video will help you better understand how the procedure takes place.
After the appearance of 4-5 leaves, the plant becomes ready for transplantation under the open sky. A hardening procedure is carried out 12 days before the transplant. It is recommended to take the seedlings outside.
Drop off time
Outdoor cultivation begins as soon as the cauliflower gains strength and 2 pairs of leaves have developed. From this time you can start the transplant. It can be planted along a ruler or in a staggered arrangement at a distance of 70 cm.
There are secrets of growing cauliflower, knowing about which, you can get a rich and high-quality harvest. It is better to plant in the evening or early in the morning. It is advisable that the weather is cloudy, since cabbage does not take root well in hot weather. If the weather is like this for a long time, you should think about shading.
The distance between the seedlings in the garden depends on the variety.The early varieties can be planted close to each other, while the later ones should be at a great distance, as they are more spreading.
When growing and caring for cauliflower outdoors, a number of rules must be followed. After planting, the ground around the bush is tamped, moistened and a small layer of soil is placed on top so that a hard crust does not form. It is recommended to water the plant once every 6-7 days.
It is possible to breed cabbage and seeds, but this method is most suitable for regions where the weather indulges in rains.
Furrows are made on the plot prepared for the beds. In order for the seedlings to grow without problems, the distance should be approximately 55 cm. After the sprouts with a couple of leaves appear, the rows are thinned out. Leave the distance between the seedlings at least 18 cm. As soon as three pairs of leaves appear, the thinning is repeated. On the video you can see the rules of thinning.
Agrotechnology of cauliflower is not complete without nutritious feeding. The first feeding should coincide with the first thinning. Components such as ammonium nitrate, mullein, superphosphate will contribute to the accelerated development of the plant at this stage.
After 12 days, it is recommended to repeat the feeding. This time, you can use an infusion of mullein and bird droppings. Nutrients will give strength and strength to the plant.
You can continue growing your cauliflower in the greenhouse. When planting seedlings, you need to be careful with the roots and it is better to leave an earthen lump. The early types of cabbage in the greenhouse begin to be planted from the end of April.
Greenhouse cauliflower also needs to be cared for properly. Water, feed, remove weeds on time, as well as prevent diseases and the reproduction of insect pests.
Hilling procedure
Hilling is another secret to growing cauliflower outdoors. For those who doubt whether it is necessary to huddle the plant, the answer is yes.
Growing and caring for cauliflower using this procedure helps to reduce the risk of developing diseases common among cabbage, as well as the formed heads of cabbage do not lie on the ground and therefore are stored for a long time.
When is it preferable to huddle cauliflower? The procedure is carried out twice in the spring. The first time they spud seedling bushes 7-8 days after planting. This will help protect weak stems from adverse factors.
The second hilling is recommended during the period of active growth of cabbage and the beginning of head formation. A hilled stem will sit more firmly in the ground and not bend under the weight of the head.
How to carry out the hilling procedure correctly? Hilling is best done in the evening, when it is dry and there is no wind. The height of the embankment around the stem is approximately 30 cm.
Many vegetable growers, when caring for cabbage in the open field, begin to get rid of the leaves located closer to the ground. Should you pick the leaves? Agronomists consider this stage useless and even harmful for the head of cabbage. The benefits of the lower leaves are enormous. They protect the entire plant from disease and pests, nourish the plant and promote healthy growth.
At the site of the break, juice appears, which attracts attention with its smell of insect pests and any infection easily penetrates. Only in too rainy time, in order to avoid rotting of the whole plant, it is allowed to remove the leaves close to the ground from the cauliflower. After this, it is imperative to disinfect the plant. You can use wood ash.
Harvesting
Fresh and firm heads of cabbage can be harvested until winter, but only if the technology for growing cauliflower has been followed.
When to Harvest? Heads of cabbage are harvested in dry, sunny weather as they mature. The ripeness of certain varieties of cabbage comes at different times.
If early species of cauliflower were planted in the ground, then the ripening period will fall at the end of June, beginning of July. At this time, you can remove the formed head of cabbage. Late varieties ripen most often in September.
How to determine when it is time to harvest the head of cabbage? Maturity is determined by the size of the head and its color. As soon as the head turns white, you can cut it off. In the photo you can see the finally formed head of cabbage.
If the leaves are strong and the rosettes are strong, then there is a chance to harvest a second crop of cauliflower. For this purpose, at the base of the stump, shoots are cut off, leaving two strong ones. In the future, care is also accompanied by watering, feeding.
You can re-sow the soil with seeds. In July, as soon as the crop is harvested, the beds are sown again with cauliflower seeds. By the beginning of autumn, the bushes will already gain strength and begin to form heads of cabbage. Before the onset of frost, those heads of cabbage are chosen that have managed to grow up and gain strength for the growing procedure.
A few days before transplanting, the garden bed is thoroughly watered. Two days later, plants with strong leaves and a formed ovary of at least 3 cm are selected. They must be dug out together with an earthen clod. The best option would be to grow cabbage in a polycarbonate greenhouse.
Depressions are made in the ground not far from each other. It should be deepened to the lower leaves. Ripening should take place without light. Therefore, you need to create a structure that will not let light through.
If the greenhouse is about 11 degrees Celsius, then ripening will be in a month. During this time, care for the cauliflower continues. The soil must be regularly watered, aired, and bad leaves must be plucked from the plant.
All the tips are correct, but I would advise using the BioGrow growth activator - with it the plant not only grows faster, but also gets sick less, I tried it this year, the cabbage grew excellent! I bought it in this store.