Hi everyone, need advice on growing Cauliflowers for the first time please? I am planning to Lime my plot, to grow Cabbages, will this affect me growing Caulifowers? Connie
Lots of feeding Connie! I have a gardeners' encyclopedia which describes them as 'gross feeders' which sounds like something from one of those articles about how the nation is becoming obese!!
Cauliflowers are one of the hardest veg to grow well, so don't be too downhearted if some of them don't produce good heads. Transplant the young plants to their final positions when they have 5 true leaves, give them plenty of space and bury them up to the lowest leaf, firming the ground well around the roots and stem. Adding fish, blood and bone to the soil at planting time will help, after which they need plenty of nitrogen, so regular feeding with home made nettle tea will really help, too. Don't forget to fleece or net them to prevent the cabbage white butterfly. Good luck!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Start Cauliflower's in pots in the greenhouse from seeds when they are big enough put them in individual pots harden them off then plant them outside lots of compost and water them regularly
Hi connie, Yes, it'll be fine. FB&B is a gentle slow-release fertiliser and won't react badly with the lime, which lowers acidity (this helps to release nutrients in acid soil) and helps prevent club-root disease. Hopefully you put the lime down in the winter?
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
No Bob, I didn't we spent all Winter clearing the plot of weeds, it has been left for two years unused so, only found out recently about Limeing when i saw another Gentleman using it on his plot, so is it too late to do it? Connie
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Lots of feeding Connie! I have a gardeners' encyclopedia which describes them as 'gross feeders' which sounds like something from one of those articles about how the nation is becoming obese!!
Cauliflowers are one of the hardest veg to grow well, so don't be too downhearted if some of them don't produce good heads. Transplant the young plants to their final positions when they have 5 true leaves, give them plenty of space and bury them up to the lowest leaf, firming the ground well around the roots and stem. Adding fish, blood and bone to the soil at planting time will help, after which they need plenty of nitrogen, so regular feeding with home made nettle tea will really help, too. Don't forget to fleece or net them to prevent the cabbage white butterfly. Good luck!
Yes - nettle tea does the trick!
Start Cauliflower's in pots in the greenhouse from seeds when they are big enough put them in individual pots harden them off then plant them outside lots of compost and water them regularly
can i feed with fish blood & bone aswell? i am a bit frightened of over doing it! Connie
Hi connie, Yes, it'll be fine. FB&B is a gentle slow-release fertiliser and won't react badly with the lime, which lowers acidity (this helps to release nutrients in acid soil) and helps prevent club-root disease. Hopefully you put the lime down in the winter?
No Bob, I didn't we spent all Winter clearing the plot of weeds, it has been left for two years unused so, only found out recently about Limeing when i saw another Gentleman using it on his plot, so is it too late to do it? Connie