Cauliflower Seeds

This classic white cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) forms a dense, snow-white curd made of tightly packed immature flower buds, with a mild, gently nutty flavour and a firm, tender bite. It is wonderful roasted, steamed, mashed or baked under a creamy bechamel, and its clean colour and rounded shape make it a centrepiece of the winter table.

Planting

Cauliflower is a cool-season crop that heads best at roughly 10-21°C. In Egypt raise seedlings in a nursery in late summer and transplant in autumn for a winter harvest; in hotter Upper Egypt delay transplanting to October-November. Sow about 1.5 cm deep in a sunny site with deep, fertile soil; seeds germinate in around two weeks at 12-22°C. Transplant 4-6 weeks after sowing, spacing plants about 45-60 cm apart in rows 60 cm apart, and harden off roughly a week beforehand.

Fertilizing

Work a balanced fertiliser such as 10-10-10 into the bed at planting. Three to four weeks after transplanting, side-dress with a nitrogen source like calcium nitrate to keep growth steady. On rich soil extra feeding may be unnecessary; on poor soil, give young plants a nitrogen-rich feed before they begin forming heads.

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged, applying about 2.5 cm of water weekly and more in warm spells. For non-self-blanching types, tie the outer leaves over the curd as it forms to keep it white. Watch for cabbage caterpillars, aphids, flea beetles and diseases such as clubroot and black rot. Harvest 60-70 days after transplanting when curds are firm, compact and 15-20 cm across, before the buds separate.