»How To Grow Organic Cauliflower«

Cauliflower is known as the most temperamental member of the mustard family as it is quite intolerant to warm temperatures and any changes in moisture.

Despite all this, cauliflower is a delicious crop that will provide abundantly as long as its needs are met. Cauliflower is a vinyl crop meaning that it is a flower plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle. Cauliflower belongs to the family Brassicaceae of the species brassica oleracea meaning it is relative to broccoli, sprouts, cabbage and kales. When choosing the right spot for your cauliflower crop, remember that this is an especially temperature and moisture sensitive vegetable. Cauliflower plants like nearly all vegetables require soil with adequate drainage in order to prevent root rot.

When planting your garden, be sure to pick an area that has good natural drainage or build a raised bed. 

Cauliflower is a vegetable that will perform quite well in a raised bed and you may find that the elevated bed better assists you in controlling the size of your crop and the quality of soil.

Cauliflower seeds will take approximately between four to six weeks of growing indoors or in a nursery bed before they are mature enough for transplanting into the garden.

It is critical to keep the seeds moist and warm. You should keep them between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout this time. By doing so, you will encourage and ensure germination. Transplanted seedlings should be placed 18 inches apart in rows.

Cauliflower is a heavy feeder so make sure the plant is getting adequate nutrition by topping off the soil with nitrogen rich organic fertilizer every two to three weeks during the plant growth stages.

Additionally, you can apply your own homemade worm castings to the soil or add farmyard manure and compost to retain water in the soil. Cauliflower is typically ready to harvest within two weeks. However, check the crop frequently since weather variations may lengthen or shorten the time.