The "king of cabbages", as cauliflower is called by vegetable lovers, has become an integral part of our vegetable shelves. With the right care, cauliflowers can also grow in your own garden.
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) not only looks similar to broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica), but is also related to him. But what actually is cauliflower? Cauliflower and cauliflower is exactly the same plant, although in German it is more likely to be called cauliflower, in Austrian it is more like cauliflower. It is also called cauliflower, Italian cabbage or cheese cabbage. Here you can find out where it comes from, how it grows and what you have to do to ensure a rich harvest.
Cauliflower: origin and properties
Cauliflower is thought to have originated in Asia Minor, from where it spread across Europe via Italy in the 16th century. Through centuries of selection, crossing and breeding, it became as white and large as we know it from the supermarket shelf today. Today it is grown worldwide and is one of the most popular types of cabbage. In keeping with the name cauliflower, only the sprouts that are together are eaten.
Cauliflower is an all-rounder in the kitchen: it can be cooked, baked, but also eaten raw. It is rich in vitamin C and minerals and is considered to be easily digestible. But not only the cauliflower blossom is suitable for cooking. You can find out what you can do with the leaves and how best to store them in our extra article Harvesting, storing and using cauliflower.
How does cauliflower grow?
Everything starts with the cauliflower seeds, these are brown to black, round and have a diameter of about 2 mm. The seedlings show that the cauliflower belongs to the dicotyledonous plants (Dicotyledoneae). Over time, it forms a very large root system, with the radius of the roots often exceeding the size of the above-ground part of the plant. From a thick but short stalkgrows dark green, elongated oval leaves that are slightly wavy at the edges. Depending on the variety, cauliflower can grow to a height of up to 1 m when the flower is fully developed. In order for the cauliflower to flower at all, it is important for most varieties that it experiences an approximately 10-day, cooler period of an average of 10 to 14 °C in the four to eight leaf stage. This so-called vernalization ensures the change from leaf formation to the formation of flowers. Only about two months later does the cauliflower head stretch into an inflorescence. Cauliflower blooms yellow or white with four crossed petals. After pollination, elongated fruits, so-called pods, develop, which in turn contain cauliflower seeds. In the meantime, more and more colorful variations of cauliflower are becoming a trend here too. Even for growing at home, there are already many different varieties of cauliflower.
Differences between cauliflower, romanesco and broccoli
The Romanesco (Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. botrytis) is also called referred to as turret or minaret cabbage. It is a variant of cauliflower and contains more vitamin C than its relative, which looks hardly similar. The breeding of the Romanesco is believed to match the name in Italy, near Rome.
Broccoli is closely related to cauliflower, but genetically much more distant than Romanesco. However, compared to white cauliflowers, broccoli contains more vitamins.
You can find out which location cauliflower needs and other tips in our extra article Planting cauliflower.
Caring for Cauliflower
The cauliflower requires some attention when it comes to caring for it. The better you take care of your cauliflower, the more successful you will be rewarded with the cauliflower harvest. That's why we explain the most important steps in cauliflower care below.
Water and fertilize cauliflower properly
Since cauliflower is one of the most consuming vegetables, it is important to provide it with sufficient nutrients. A primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is recommended for fertilization, which not only supplies the plant with nutrients but also has a positive effect on soil life. The fertilizer is usually applied once when planting out and a second time about two monthslater incorporated into the soil.
Cauliflower also needs a lot of water and should be watered regularly, especially during dry periods. A lack of water can, among other things, cause cauliflowers to shoot or only develop small heads.
Tip: It is worth regularly loosening the soil between the rows and removing the weeds. That's what makes bigger heads.
Protect cauliflower from the sun
Lots of sunlight supports the cauliflower during the growth phase. However, if there is too much sunlight before harvesting, the white heads should be protected. For this, a good practice is to fold the surrounding leaves in half over the head of the cauliflower. The plant takes only minimal damage and you can prevent sunburn in cauliflower. We will explain exactly what that is in a separate article. If the so-called "covering" is not done, the cabbage heads turn yellowish to purple depending on the variety due to the formation of carotene, but remain completely edible.
Common diseases and pests on cauliflowers
At the beginning of growth, the small cauliflower plants in particular are very susceptible to diseases and pests. The typical crop rotation diseases of cruciferous plants (Brassicacae) such as clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae), black veins (Xanthomonas campestris pv . campestris) or Verticilium wilt (Verticillium longisporum) can best be avoided by a longer break in cultivation of about three to five years at the respective location .
But not only soil-borne diseases, but also animal pests such as the cabbage white butterfly (Pierisbrassicaceae), the cabbage whitefly (Aleyrodes proletella) and the cabbage fly (Delia) bothers the cauliflower. There is a wide range of biological control agents available, although it is still important to detect the infestation early in order to take action. Otherwise, the infestation pressure can quickly be too high for the plant to fully recover.
Cauliflower shoots: What to do?
There can be several reasons why cauliflower shoots, a simple one is harvesting too late. So don't assume that the cauliflowers in your garden will necessarily be the same size as those you get at the supermarket.
Reasons Cauliflower Shoots:
- Harvest time too late
- Not enough water
- Cold shock if planted too early
The whole cauliflower can still be eaten even after the shoot and after the start of flowering, but it increasingly loses its usual, mild taste and consistency. The further the cauliflower blooms, the more bitter substances and mustard oils are stored, making it taste less and less.
Cauliflower does not form a head: causes and measures
You struggle for two months with your cauliflower and it grows and thrives, but you notice: the cauliflower does not form a head. This probably happens in the home garden more often than hoped and is often due to the fact that the cauliflower was doing too well, or rather that it was too warm. Flowering occurs in cauliflowers around the 8-leaf stage, but only if an average temperature of 10 to 14 °C prevails for about ten days at this time. Don't grow cauliflower in a greenhouse unless you're after the cauliflower leaves.
Tip: Cauliflower leaves can be made into a soup, for example.
Can cauliflower tolerate frost?
Cauliflower tolerates short temperature fluctuations of around 0 °C and can be planted as early as March, but a fleece covering is essential here. Depending on the variety and hardening, cauliflower can even withstand temperatures down to -12 °C. The cultivation of so-called winter varieties, which are ready for harvest in April, only makes sense in southern regions. In our latitudes, the last cauliflower varieties from autumn cultivation are harvested between September and November.
Propagation and seed production
In fact, cauliflowers can also be intentionally shot and flowered, which will then turn into seeds. However, it should already flower around July, since the ripening process of the seeds takes a relatively long time. You can propagate yourself, but these are mostly hybrid seeds and crossbreeding can occur if the flower is not isolated.
Another type of cabbage where only the flower is eaten is broccoli. Find out how to grow broccoli in the garden and what you should consider when doing so in our special article.