How to plant cauliflower in open ground: terms and rules for planting

Some are interested in the question of whether it is possible to grow cauliflower at home on a personal plot. Agrarian experts say that it is possible to harvest this plant, but for this all stages of cultivation must be observed, as well as the cauliflower planting scheme and the rules for caring for this vegetable.

Descriptive feature

Cauliflower is one of the varieties of kale. It is believed that it was bred in Syria for food in the winter. Back in the XII century. it was brought to Spain, and from the next century it was planted by all of Europe. Currently, this plant is also planted on the American continent and in Asia.

Cauliflower has a fibrous root and a cylindrical stem. In height, the stem grows from 15 to 70 cm. Horizontal leaves are often bent in a spiral. Their shades can be from green to bluish due to the presence of a waxy coating.

The heads of cauliflower, which are massive peduncles, are used for food. They are cut off in an unripe state. Such technical ripeness in a plant occurs approximately 90-120 days after germination. There are varieties with a white tint, cream or even purple. The seeds are obtained from the pods. You can grow both seedlings and seeds.

How to properly plant seeds for seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings of early cabbage varieties is carried out in the last days of February. Planting dates for a plant with an average ripening period begin after 15 days, and after another 2 weeks, seeds of late varieties can be sown.

Before sowing cauliflower, the seeds are treated with warm water for 15 minutes, then washed with cold water and filled with liquid with dissolved nutrients. After 12 hours, the seeds are washed and placed in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After preparing the seed material in this way, sowing is carried out in separate pots so as not to expose the plant to further picking. The lower part of the peas is filled with drainage, and then soil with a neutral reaction is poured. It is prepared from lowland peat (4 parts), humus (1 part) and sawdust (1.5 parts). Seeds are placed to a depth of 1.5 cm, after which the soil is slightly compacted.

Cauliflower for seedlings in containers, until germination, is taken out to a room whose temperature is from +18 to +20 degrees. After the first sprouts appear, the containers are transferred to the cold part of the house, but at the same time providing access to light.If the seedlings are in rooms with a higher temperature, then there is a possibility that the cauliflower will subsequently not be able to form inflorescences.

Seedling care consists in the regularity and moderation of watering, loosening the top layer of soil and carrying out treatment to disinfect the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After the appearance of 2-3 leaves in plants, a solution of boric acid (2 g per 1 liter of liquid) is sprayed onto the containers, and after 1-2 weeks, the seedlings are treated with ammonium molybdate dissolved in water (5 g of the drug per 10 liters of water).

Seedling picking is not desirable. Since the delicate root system suffers. If large containers are used when sowing seeds, then the seeds should be placed away from each other so that the grown seedlings do not interfere with the development of neighboring plants and do not injure the roots during planting in open ground.

If you still have to pick, then it should be done 2 weeks after planting the seeds. When transplanting into separate pots, it is necessary to slightly shorten the root. The dived seedlings are left for several days in a room with a temperature of +21 degrees, and then lowered to +17 degrees during the day, and +9 degrees at night.

How to plant seedlings in open ground

Cauliflower should be planted outdoors 50-55 days after planting in containers. Usually, it starts from late April to mid-May for early varieties, and the dates for mid-season and late varieties fall at the end of May, and planting ends in June.

A week before planting cauliflower in open ground, fertilize it with a prepared solution (3 g of superphosphate and potassium chloride per 1 liter of water). In addition, such top dressing helps seedlings withstand temperature fluctuations.To harden plants, they are accustomed to lower temperatures.

Required soil composition

It is recommended to plant cauliflower seedlings in the ground in warm weather. Abundant sunshine on this day is undesirable. The soil pH should be almost neutral, and be 6.7-7.4.

It is advisable to plant it in beds where garlic, potatoes, carrots or legumes were planted before. It is not advised to plant it after tomatoes, radishes or radishes. Also, do not plant cauliflower if beets were grown on the beds before. You can re-plant this vegetable only after 4 years.

Pre-planting soil preparation consists in digging it to a depth of about 30 cm. At the same time, liming can be carried out if the soil has an increased acidic index.When planting cabbage in the spring, a handful of compost and wood ash are poured into the holes. Also at this moment, 1 tsp is added. urea and 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate.

How far to plant

The distance between the holes in a row is approximately 35 cm, and the row spacing should not be more than 50 cm. Plants are deepened to the first true leaves, and the soil nearby is compacted. The container in which the seedlings are planted is carefully watered.

When planting early varieties, it is better to cover the planted seedlings for several days with polyethylene or other cloth until it takes root. This will protect the young plant from the cold and from the invasion of certain types of pests.

Planting cauliflower seeds directly on open beds is possible only in the southern regions. At the same time, the seeds are sown starting from the second half of April, as they germinate already at a temperature of +2 to +5 degrees.You should not use this method in colder conditions.

Caring for planted cabbage

In the middle lane, when planting cauliflower, special care is required. This depends on the harvest. During the growth of the vegetable, loosening of the soil, watering, hilling, feeding and measures to combat pests and diseases are carried out.

The main condition is to carry out these processes carefully following the recommendations.

Row spacing is loosened to a depth of 8 cm. This process is carried out on the second day after watering, until the soil is completely dry.

Irrigation mode

Cabbage requires regular and abundant watering. This is done 1 time in 7 days, but at first after planting the seedlings are watered after 2-3 days. Water during irrigation is consumed in the amount of 6-8 liters per 1 sq.m. on newly transplanted plants, and subsequently this amount should increase.

The amount of water introduced must be adjusted depending on weather conditions. If rainwater seeps into the depth of the plant's root system, then watering can be omitted.

To retain moisture and protect the cabbage from spoilage, its head is covered with lower leaves, breaking 2-3 pcs. up.

Feeding

In total, cabbage is fed 3-4 times per season. The first feeding is done no later than three weeks. For the first time, the introduction of chicken manure dissolved in water (0.5 liters per 10 liters of water) is considered optimal. About 0.5 l is applied under each plant. such a solution.

The second fertilizer is carried out after a 10-day interval. The same mullein solution is used, with the addition of 1 tbsp. l. Kristalina. Under each plant, this time 1 liter is introduced. solution.

The third time feeding is carried out using only mineral fertilizers. For 1 bucket of water, add 2 tbsp. l. Nitrofoski. For 1 sq. m. beds are brought in at 6-8 l.

How to deal with disease and pest problems

Cabbage gets sick very often and is affected by pests. We have to use all sorts of methods to protect the planted plants. It is possible to resist the invasion of pests, allowing plants to grow, without the use of pesticides.

Good protection against slugs and dangerous insects - dusting with ash beds with planted plants left over from burning wood or crushed dried tobacco leaves.

A good effect is given by spraying cabbage with a strong infusion of onion husks, burdock leaves or tomato stalks. Protection from diseases can only be in the application of the basic rules for growing cabbage.Even this method will help protect the plant from certain types of diseases.

Typical cabbage diseases

Cauliflower in the open field may be affected by some fungal, viral or bacterial diseases, and it may also suffer from pest invasion. The most typical diseases affecting cabbage are:

1. Alternariosis is a disease caused by a fungus. It appears as dark spots and circles on cabbage leaves. The most rapid spread of this disease occurs at high humidity and its temperature from +33 to +35 degrees. To get rid of this disease, pre-sowing disinfection of seeds is carried out by one of the means: Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate, colloidal sulfur.
2. Kida - is characterized by the formation of small swellings and outgrowths on the roots of cabbage, which lead to the formation of rot on the roots.As a result of this process, the plant cannot get enough nutrients and dries up. This disease spreads rapidly in acidic soils with strong moisture. It is possible to prevent the disease by constantly introducing wood ash into the soil. It is also not recommended to plant cabbage for 5-7 years in areas where this plant disease has been established. A little hydrated lime is added to the seedlings to be planted in the hole, and the soil is periodically watered with a solution of dolomite flour (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).
3. Ring spot is a type of fungal disease of cabbage. At the beginning of the disease, many small black dots form on the stem and leaves of plants. Subsequently, the points increase and can reach a size of 2.5 cm in diameter. Concentric circles are visible around the spots. Gradually, the sheets acquire a yellow tint, and the edges become uneven. Humid weather with low air temperature contributes to the appearance and rapid development of the disease.Fungicide treatment is used to control ring spot, and plant residues are carefully removed after harvest.
4. Wet rot appears when the water balance is disturbed. Dark-colored spots form on cabbage heads and stems. The next stage of this disease is characterized by decay of the affected areas. The accelerated development of the disease occurs in wet weather conditions. It can also start due to mechanical damage to the plant. So that the disease does not spread further, they are dug up, and in the spring they are treated with a 0.4% suspension of colloidal sulfur.

In addition to the above diseases, cauliflower can be affected by the following types of diseases: vascular bacteriosis, fusarium, black leg, transferorosis, mosaic.

The plant can be affected by such pests: cruciferous flea, cabbage fly, aphids, moths. In order to prevent the invasion of insects, cabbage is treated with fungicides or folk remedies are used.

Harvesting

The harvesting time is determined by the parameters of the weight and size of the vegetable. Usually, they start harvesting cabbage in July. The average weight of the heads can be from 0.6 to 1.2 kg. The time to reach the required technical ripeness suitable for harvesting is 60-100 days for early varieties, from 100 to 135 days for plants with an average ripening period, and for late varieties it will take about 4.5 months.

Cabbage is cut with careful movements, and a couple of leaves are left near the head. Vegetables collected from the beds are immediately removed in the shade. The shelf life of the crop reaches 2 months. Storage takes place in the cellar. Cabbage heads are placed in plastic boxes and covered with foil.

In apartment conditions, cabbage is frozen in the freezer, after washing and drying individual inflorescences. Also, cabbage can be stored in a suspended position. In this case, digging is carried out along with the root.

Sometimes the last crop of late varieties of cauliflower does not have time to acquire technical maturity, so it ripens in the cellar. It is dug up along with the root and planted in the cellar in a box with garden soil.

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