Cauliflower All The Year Round

Sowing: the germination temperature of 'All The Year Round' Cauliflower is around 12° and takes about 14 days.

It is sown from February to May and then in October for a harvest from March to November.

You can either sow directly in place or prepare seedlings that will then be planted in their final position in the garden.

Preparation of seedlings: at home or in a heated greenhouse from late autumn to late spring, or in a cold greenhouse or propagator for the rest of the year, sow cauliflower seeds to a depth of 1 cm (0in) in a tray filled with good seed compost. Cover lightly with compost or vermiculite. Cover with the transparent lid of the tray or plastic film until germination. Don't forget to keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged!

When the young plants appear strong enough to handle, transplant them into pots and, for seedlings in heated greenhouses, gradually acclimatize them to cooler temperatures before transplanting them to the garden, when there is no longer any risk of frost.

Direct sowing: In properly amended and finely worked soil, make furrows about one centimeter deep, spaced 60 cm (24in) apart. Sow the seeds and cover them with a thin layer of fine soil. When the seedlings are well developed, thin them out, leaving one plant every 60 cm (24in) or so.

Cultivation:

Cauliflower is a demanding vegetable that requires well-rotted, nitrogen-rich and potassium-rich soil. It is advisable, preferably in autumn, to generously apply mature compost (about 3/4 kg per m2), by digging it in to a depth of 5 cm (2in), after loosening the soil, as is necessary for all vegetable crops. It is not very tolerant of soil pH, which should be between 5.6 and 6.5. In acidic soil, it will be necessary to gradually increase the pH by adding calcium in the form of Dolomite or Lime.

Cauliflower, like all cabbages, is quite susceptible to diseases such as Clubroot and pests (Cabbage White, Cabbage Fly, Flea Beetle, Onion Fly...), so it is very important, for this crop, to pay attention to crop rotation.

It is beneficial to associate it with many vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce... But avoid planting it near other Brassicas as well as zucchini, fennel, lamb's lettuce, leeks and strawberries.