Growing cauliflower

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Growing Cauliflowers

Are given practically the same culture as cabbages, starting the plants in the hotbed in April and planting out when danger of heavy frost is past.

Particular attention must be paid to the young plants for the first week, as they are very liable to be cut off by cut-worms. When this occurs, the only remedy is to replace the plants with others from the coldf rame.

Spring outdoor-started plants will not give very early cauliflowers, but will come on in July and August, and are used for pickling as well as for the table. Where it is desired to grow cauliflowers for the summer use on the table, it will be neces- sary to start the plants very early in the hotbeds, or in the South start in the fall and winter them in coldframes, and plant out as early in spring as the ground can be worked. The wintering in cold-frames hardens them, so that this early planting is possible, which is not the case with the tender greenhouse or hotbed plants. At the North, plants of the cabbage and cauliflower cannot well be kept over in coldframes.

If there is a rather wet, low spot in the garden, it may be used for the cauliflower better than for almost any other vegetable.

The cabbage worm often causes serious trouble with the cauliflowers, and as soon as the little white butterflies are seen hovering about the plants, search must be made for the eggs and these destroyed. They will be found on the underside of the leaves a little patch of yellow eggs and are easily removed.

As soon as the curd, or head, is set and is as large as a teacup, the plant must be tied up by drawing the tips of the leaves together and tying them with a string. This must never be done, however, when it is wet with rain or dew. Midday, on a bright day, is the best time for the work. If tied up when the leaves or curd is wet, the heads will decay; if not tied up, a second growth will quickly start and ruin the heads.

Unlike cabbage, cauliflowers cannot be kept during winter, being very perishable, and must be used within a day or two of attaining perfection, or the flavour is impaired. Cauliflower is one of the most delicious of table vegetables and should come into general use; it is far more delicate in flavour than cabbage, and one of the most attractive vegetables which appears on the table.

Very good cauliflower may be raised by the ordinary culture given cabbage cauliflowers averaging eight or nine inches across but to grow really fine heads, a foot or fifteen inches in diameter, snowy white, and perfect, requires special culture.

To this end the plants must have an abundant water supply during the dry months of the summer, watering every other day, and cultivating between times. Liquid manure should be given at least once a week, and twice a week will be better. With this extra care, cauliflowers may be produced that will be the envy of one's neighbours, and may contend for the blue ribbon at the county fair.

Cauliflowers do better during cool weather, and are at their best in the late days of September and October. A light frost seems to benefit rather than injure them, and tying the leaves over the curd protects them from even a severe frost, but when a frost has cut the leaves badly, the curds should be gathered and used, as decay sets in very soon after.

In watering cauliflowers, the water should be poured about the roots, never over the tops of plants which have set heads ; a system of irrigation would be of much benefit to this plant.