When is the best time to plant cauliflower
This article answers questions about the best time to plant cauliflower and related content about the planting and management of green plants. Next, the editor will introduce the information to netizens.
Cauliflower is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant of the brassica oleracea species, a variant of cabbage. Also known as flowering cabbage or choy sum, it is a vegetable with low crude fiber content, tender texture, rich nutrition, and delicious taste, which is popular among people. It is cultivated in various parts of the country.
I. What season is best for planting cauliflower
In our southern regions, cauliflower can be planted all year round, but it is mostly cultivated in autumn and winter. In warm areas, autumn cauliflower is sown from mid-June to mid-July, in temperate areas from early June to early July, and in cool areas from mid-May to early June. In warm areas, winter cauliflower is sown from mid-August to early September, in temperate areas from mid-July to mid-August, and in cool areas from late June to mid-July.
II. Cultivation methods
1. Variety selection
Cauliflower is adaptable and can be planted throughout the year, but different varieties should be selected for different seasons. For autumn cauliflower, which is sown in summer and harvested in autumn, choose heat-tolerant varieties with a short growth period, such as Dutch cauliflower, Shanghai cauliflower, and Fujian cauliflower. For winter cauliflower, due to the lower temperature during the growing period, choose late-maturing varieties with strong cold resistance, such as Chengdu cauliflower and Yunnan large cauliflower.
2. Seedling raising
Select fertile, loose, well-drained, and cool and ventilated land for the seedbed. Before sowing, deeply turn the bed soil, apply decomposed manure and a small amount of compound fertilizer, mix evenly with the bed soil, and apply a thick layer of diluted animal waste water. After 2-3 days, loosen the soil, moisten the bed soil, sow about 10 grams of seeds per square meter, cover with about 1 centimeter of fine soil, cover with sunshade net, water once more, and then water as needed to keep the soil moist. After 3-4 days, most seeds have germinated, and half-shade cover is applied to prevent direct sunlight and rain impact. As the seedlings grow, gradually uncover the sunshade net.
3. Seedling management
After emergence, timely thinning and transplanting are key to growing strong seedlings. When the seedlings are about 10 days old, thin the overgrown ones, and do it again when the seedlings are a bit larger, maintaining a distance of 3-5 centimeters between plants. When the seedlings are about 20 days old, the original nutrient area is limited, and a transplanting is necessary. The requirements for the transplanting bed are the same as for the sowing bed, with a spacing of 7-10 centimeters. Cover with sunshade net for shading and water while transplanting. Keep the bed soil moist after transplanting to ensure survival. Cauliflower seedlings require little fertilizer in the early stage, and watering is sufficient. In the middle and later stages of growth, if fertilizer is needed, apply decomposed animal waste water or a 0.2% solution of urea or compound fertilizer 1-2 times to promote healthy growth of the seedlings.
4. Land preparation and fertilization
Select fertile, loose land, deeply plow and level, and create narrow high ridges 1 meter wide or wide high ridges 2 meters wide. Plant 2 or 4 rows per ridge with a hill spacing of 40-45 centimeters and apply 3000 kilograms of decomposed manure and 20 kilograms of compound fertilizer per mu.
5. Transplanting
When autumn cauliflower is about 35 days old and has 5-6 true leaves, and winter cauliflower is about 40 days old and has 6-7 true leaves with a stem diameter of 0.5 centimeters and a plant height of 12-15 centimeters, it can be transplanted to the field. Older seedlings with severe root damage are difficult to transplant, and young seedlings have weak resistance after transplanting. Therefore, in addition to paying attention to strong seedling cultivation and standardizing seedling age, it is also important to choose overcast days or before and after rain for transplanting. Thoroughly water the seedbed before transplanting, and wait about an hour before pulling the seedlings to ensure they retain more soil and fewer roots are damaged.
6. Field management
Cauliflower prefers moist conditions and requires a lot of water and fertilizer to produce high-quality and high-yield curds. Therefore, it is important to apply 1-2 times of clear manure water after transplanting. Especially after entering the rosette stage, the plant grows vigorously and requires more fertilizer and water. You can add 50-100 grams of urea and compound fertilizer to each担 of animal waste water and apply it 3 times. Cauliflower likes water but is afraid of waterlogging. After rain, it is important to drain the water, and during dry weather, it is necessary to water. Apply heavy fertilizer during the budding stage to promote the development of the curd and increase yield.
Bundling the leaves is an important measure to ensure the quality of cauliflower. When the curd first appears, bring the large outer leaves inward to wrap the curd and tie them with straw.
7. Harvesting
When the green, flat spherical inflorescence cluster at the top of the main stem of the cauliflower begins to firm up and then gradually becomes loose, but before the flowers open, it is time to harvest to ensure quality. The best time and standard for harvesting is when the curd is fully grown, the surface is smooth and round, the color is pure white, the edges are not yet open, and the base of the curd has slightly loosened.
The above information about the best time to plant cauliflower and the specific content of cauliflower planting and management techniques are provided for everyone's reference and operation.