Cauliflower: cultivation and care in the open field, how to photo and video

There are several secrets and techniques of agricultural technology, 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 immediately on the beds.

Preparatory work on site

Today, there are many recommendations from agronomists and amateur gardeners on how to grow cauliflower in the garden. They begin to prepare with cultivating the land in the garden, where it is decided to grow a plant.

For growing cauliflower in the open field, it is important to choose and cultivate the land correctly. In mid-October, they choose a site where cabbage is supposed to be planted next year, dig it up, weed weeds and get rid of pest larvae. A couple of weeks after these manipulations, it is recommended to fertilize. A mixture of superphosphate and a potassium component will come in handy, or wood ash can be added.

In the spring, the soil is slightly loosened, but not dug up, as cauliflower prefers a solid base. At this time, it is useful to add urea at the same time.

Features of growing cauliflower include carrying out a useful mulching procedure (covering the soil where the plant is planted with organic or inorganic matter). Mulching helps keep seedlings he althy and improves soil properties.

A 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 yield;
• fallen leaves - help keep you warm and contain beneficial bacteria that nourish the soil and guard against disease-causing organisms;
• nettle - it contains many useful microelements 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 s alt, boric acid and wood ash.Before planting, the soil is compacted and rammed. Subject to this rule, the heads will be dense and juicy.

Seed Selection

Care begins from the moment you purchase the 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. Seeds are recommended to soak for 25 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Due to this, the fungi and bacteria that are on the shell of the seeds die. After the seeds are washed with plain water and left on the cloth until completely dry.

Given the peculiarities of the climate of a particular region, it is necessary to plant varieties at a certain time. For example, in the Moscow region, the best time for planting early species in open ground is early May (Snowball, Movir, Express).From mid-May to early April, medium varieties can be planted (Pioneer, Bravo, White Beauty). At the end of June or the beginning of July, late species should be left (Cortez, Amerigo). On the Internet pages there is a photo of each variety.

How long does it take for a mature crop to appear? The ripening time of the color depends on which variety was chosen. Early ripe species ripen for three months. It takes 4 months to ripen a mid-season cauliflower. The maturation of late species lasts for 5 months.

Seedling Trouble

A good harvest will please if you grow seedlings yourself. It is desirable 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 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 seedling containers that will 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.

Plant the grains in the grooves made should be at a distance of 1.5 cm. As soon as the seeds are planted, cover the container with foil.

On the 4-5th day, the first shoots should hatch, provided that the air temperature is about 20 degrees. At this stage, it is important not to miss the stretching 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 plants adapt to temperature changes.

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 appearance of the sprouts, it is necessary to pick. Pinch only long roots, without affecting weak and short branches. After the procedure, it is better to plant each sprout in a separate cup, moisten and feed the soil. The video will help you better understand how the procedure works.

After the appearance of 4-5 leaves, the plant becomes ready for transplanting under the open sky. 12 days before transplantation, a hardening procedure is carried out. Seedlings are recommended to be taken outside.

Drop-off time

Growing in the open field begins as soon as the cauliflower gains strength and 2 pairs of leaves develop. From this time, you can start transplanting. You can plant on a ruler or in a checkerboard 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. Planting is best in the evening or early in the morning. It is desirable that the weather be cloudy, as cabbage does not take root well in hot weather. Shading should be considered if the weather is like this for a long time.

The distance that will be between the seedlings in the garden depends on the variety. Early varieties can be planted close together, while later varieties should be planted farther apart as they are more spreading.

During the cultivation and care of cauliflower in the open field, a number of rules must be observed. 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.

Cultivation of cabbage and seeds is possible, 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 appear with a couple of leaves, the rows are thinned out. Leave a distance between seedlings of at least 18 cm. As soon as three pairs of leaves appear, thinning is repeated. On the video you can see the thinning rules.

Cauliflower farming is not complete without nutritious top dressing. 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 feeding. This time you can use the infusion of mullein and bird droppings. Nutrients will give strength and strengthen the plant.

You can continue growing cauliflower in the greenhouse. When planting seedlings, you need to be careful with the roots and it is better to leave an earthen ball. Early types of cabbage in the greenhouse begin to be planted from the end of April.

Greenhouse cauliflower also needs to be properly cared for. Timely water, feed, remove weeds, and also prevent diseases and reproduction of pests.

hilling procedure

Another secret to growing cauliflower outdoors is hilling. For those who doubt whether it is necessary to hill the plant, the answer is yes.

Growing and caring for cauliflower using this procedure helps reduce the risk of developing common cabbage diseases, as well as formed heads do not lie on the ground and therefore are stored for a long time.

When is it better to spud cauliflower? The procedure is carried out twice in the spring. The first time seedling bushes are spudded 7-8 days after planting. This will 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 heaped stem will sit more firmly in the ground and not bend under the mass of the head of cabbage.

How to properly carry out the hilling procedure? Hilling is best done in the evening, when it is dry and there is no wind. The height of the mound around the stem is approximately 30 cm.

Many vegetable growers, caring for cabbage in the open field, begin to get rid of the leaves located closer to the ground. Should the leaves be cut off? Agronomists consider this stage useless and even harmful to the head. The benefits of the lower leaves are enormous. They protect the whole plant from disease and pests, nourish the plant and promote he althy growth.

Juice appears at the site of the breakdown, 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. Wood ash can be used.

Harvesting

Fresh and dense heads of cabbage can be harvested until winter, but only if the technology for growing cauliflower has been observed.

When to harvest? Heads of cabbage are harvested in dry, sunny weather as they mature. Ripeness in certain varieties of cabbage occurs at different times.

If early types of cauliflower were planted in the ground, then the ripening time will fall at the end of June, beginning of July. At this time, you can remove the formed head. Late varieties ripen most often in September.

How to determine that it's time to harvest a head of cabbage? Maturity is determined by the size of the head and its color. As soon as the head turns white, it can be cut. In the photo you can see the finally formed head of cabbage.

If the leaves are powerful and the rosettes are strong, then there is a chance to harvest a second crop of cauliflower. For this purpose, shoots are cut off at the base of the stalk, leaving two strong ones. In the future, care is also accompanied by watering, top dressing.

You can re-sow the soil with seeds. In July, as soon as the crop is harvested, the beds are again sown with cauliflower seeds. By the beginning of autumn, the bushes will already gain strength and begin to form heads. Before the onset of frost, those heads of cabbage are selected that have managed to grow up and gain strength for the growing procedure.

Water the bed thoroughly a few days before transplanting. Two days later, plants with strong leaves and an 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.

In the ground, deepenings are made not far from each other. Deepen should be to the lower leaves. Ripening should take place without light. Therefore, you need to create a structure that will not transmit light.

If the greenhouse is about 11 degrees Celsius, then ripening will be in a month. During this time, cauliflower care continues. The soil should be regularly watered, ventilated, and bad leaves should be plucked from the plant.

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