If your cauliflower creates small buds, not a single large curd, chances are it suffered a temperature or water shock. Cauliflower will start creating small buds if the temperature drops too low (below the 60’s). Later on, if the temperature rises too high (above 75), it may flower before the curd has a chance to grow fully. Inconsistent watering can also cause it to have challenges. Plant covers can help regulate the temperature, and the urbaculture planter system will help you keep watering consistent.
A variety of issues can cause cauliflower leaves to turn yellow or blotchy. Below are some specific situations, what causes them, and what to do about them.
This is downy mildew, which sucks the nutrients from the leaves where it grows. It grows in damp areas, and suggests that there isn’t enough air circulating to keep the undersides of the leaves dry. Make sure there is plenty of space between the leaves and your soil, and remove any plant debris that might be blocking air flow.
If your cauliflower plant starts turning yellow near the soil, then rising up the leaves, this typically means it doesn’t have enough nitrogen. Add some compost tea or alfalfa to rebalance the nitrogen levels.
Dull yellow leaves are known as “Cabbage yellows” or “Fusarium wilt” and are the result of infestation by Fusarium fungi. This can occur from bottom to top as well, as the fungus grows from the roots, but unlike nitrogen deficiency, Fusarium is accompanied by a browning of the veins. The leaves eventually curl as the fungus clogs the plant.
Fusarium appears in warm temperatures. When it appears, there isn’t a lot that can be done. Fusarium is very hardy, and while its growth is stopped by cold temperatures, there isn’t any good cure. The plants must be removed, and the soil replaced, as the fungus can survive dormant up to seven years.
It can be prevented by keeping the garden free of leafhoppers, which can spread this fungus, and by making sure that your soil is well-drained.
This is black rot, a seed-borne bacterial infection. While the plant itself is irretrievable, this is not as damaging to the planter as Fusarium wilt. While the bacteria can travel between densely populated plants, if they are spaced further apart the other plants may avoid contracting this. The best preventative step is to use the planter only every other year for cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages) and plant other vegetables that don’t contract this disease during those alternate years.
This is a sign of aphid infestation. Cover the leaves with soapy water to remove the spots and deter the aphids. You can also place aluminum foil as a mulch around the plants to confuse them. (Which sounds adorable — weaving aphids bumbling into the ground….) Fabric cover helps prevent them from reaching the plants.
This is a sign that whiteflies have come to visit. The sticky substance is a secretion from their ingesting the leaf juices.
Whitefly traps can be useful, although they may also capture beneficial insects. They can also be repelled with a spray made of the following mixture:
This can be a sign of harlequin bugs and stinkbugs. Harlequin bugs are black with bright red, yellow or orange markings, while stinkbugs look like green shields, or pistachios with legs. Both bug types suck the life out of the leaves, causing this issue. They and their eggs need to be removed by hand. Keeping the planter free of detritus and weeds removes their living spaces. Fabric cover prevents them from getting close.
When your cauliflower just isn’t looking right, here’s what’s up.
Yes, long bugs have joined the party. Whether it is caterpillars, cabbage worms, or other larvae, the solution is to find them and pick them off the plants. You can also spray the plants weekly with Bacillus thuringiensis if there are too many to deal with by hand. Again, the simplest solution is garden fabric preventing the adult insects from getting close enough to lay eggs.
Yup. Slugs and snails. A couple of simple ways to keep them away from your food:
You can also use beer and citrus rind baits, but they require cleaning out snail and slug remains.
These are the result of flea beetles, which tend to show up in the spring to eat your plants. They can be repelled with the same mixture used to repel whiteflies.
If the plant has misshapen, gnarled roots, this is a result of clubroot, a particularly nasty fungal infection that spreads easily through the soil. The plants must be dug up and disposed of, not composted. Increasing the soil pH to above 7.2 can help to clear the fungus, or the soil should be sterilized or replaced.
This is typically a sign of worm or larval infestations. Infected plants and the surrounding soil should be removed. While individual worms and bugs can be removed by hand, the best solution is prevention. Keeping the soil well-drained helps and, of course, plant covers.
]]>Although most plants can be started in the same planters they will be harvested from, cauliflower takes so long to grow, you can find the growing season running out. To avoid this, start your cauliflower in seedling containers when it’s still too cool for them outside. After about 6 weeks growing inside, give them more and more time outside, bringing them back in for the night times, until they’ve had time to be outside over a couple of weeks. Then transplant them into a standard Type A planter, flush them with water from above, then watch them.
Read more about transplanting seedlings here.
Mulching is one of best ways to keep down weeds and pests, improve water evaporation, and insulate plants from temperature changes. A compost mulch will also help bring more nutrients to the plant, a valuable addition for a nutrient-hungry vegetable like broccoli.
If you are using urbaculture’s Loamy soil, this won’t be an issue. But if you are using your own, poor drainage will increase the chances of mold and fungus issues arising.
Keeping airflow unobstructed under cauliflower leaves is an important part in keeping the vegetables from developing dampness issues. Removing debris also makes it harder for pests to find homes.
Garden fabrics and row covers are great for preventing attacks by insects, worms and other pests.
]]>Mulching is one of best ways to keep down weeds and pests, improve water evaporation, and insulate plants from temperature changes. A compost mulch will also help bring more nutrients to the plant, a valuable addition for a nutrient-hungry vegetable like broccoli.
If you are using urbaculture’s Sandy soil, this won’t be an issue. But if you are using your own, poor drainage will increase the chances of mold and fungus issues arising.
Keeping airflow unobstructed under the broccoli leaves is an important part in keeping the vegetables from developing dampness issues. Removing debris also makes it harder for pests to find homes.
Garden fabrics and row covers are great for preventing attacks by insects, worms and other pests.
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The head will start out loosely clumped, then fill out, forming a compact “curd.” When the curd reaches about 2 inches across, you will want to blanch the curd. This means taking the outer leaves and gathering the tips over the curd, to protect it from sunlight. You can use twine, clothespins, pretty much anything. This keeps the curd bright white.
About a week after you’ve gathered the leaves together, the head will typically fill out to a 6–8″ compact bundle. This is when you’ll want to harvest the curd, cutting it off below some of the leaves.
If the curd starts to loosen up, it will start tasting bitter, and this is about as far as it will go and remain palatable. If the curd looks coarse, heading towards looking like white broccoli, then it is going to be pretty nasty.
]]>A variety of issues can cause broccoli leaves to turn yellow or blotchy. Below are some specific situations, what causes them, and what to do about them.
This is downy mildew, which sucks the nutrients from the leaves where it grows. It grows in damp areas, and suggests that there isn’t enough air circulating to keep the undersides of the leaves dry. Make sure there is plenty of space between the leaves and your soil, and remove any plant debris that might be blocking air flow.
If your broccoli plant starts turning yellow near the soil, then rising up the leaves, this typically means it doesn’t have enough nitrogen. Add some compost tea or alfalfa to rebalance the nitrogen levels.
Dull yellow leaves are known as “Cabbage yellows” or “Fusarium wilt” and are the result of infestation by Fusarium fungi. This can occur from bottom to top as well, as the fungus grows from the roots, but unlike nitrogen deficiency, Fusarium is accompanied by a browning of the veins. The leaves eventually curl as the fungus clogs the plant.
Fusarium appears in warm temperatures. When it appears, there isn’t a lot that can be done. Fusarium is very hardy, and while its growth is stopped by cold temperatures, there isn’t any good cure. The plants must be removed, and the soil replaced, as the fungus can survive dormant up to seven years.
It can be prevented by keeping the garden free of leafhoppers, which can spread this fungus, and by making sure that your soil is well-drained.
This is black rot, a seed-borne bacterial infection. While the plant itself is irretrievable, this is not as damaging to the planter as Fusarium wilt. While the bacteria can travel between densely populated plants, if they are spaced further apart the other plants may avoid contracting this. The best preventative step is to use the planter only every other year for cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages) and plant other vegetables that don’t contract this disease during those alternate years.
This is a sign of aphid infestation. Cover the leaves with soapy water to remove the spots and deter the aphids. You can also place aluminum foil as a mulch around the plants to confuse them. (Which sounds adorable — weaving aphids bumbling into the ground….) Fabric cover helps prevent them from reaching the plants.
This is a sign that whiteflies have come to visit. The sticky substance is a secretion from their ingesting the leaf juices.
Whitefly traps can be useful, although they may also capture beneficial insects. They can also be repelled with a spray made of the following mixture:
This can be a sign of harlequin bugs and stinkbugs. Harlequin bugs are black with bright red, yellow or orange markings, while stinkbugs look like green shields, or pistachios with legs. Both bug types suck the life out of the leaves, causing this issue. They and their eggs need to be removed by hand. Keeping the planter free of detritus and weeds removes their living spaces. Fabric cover prevents them from getting close.
When your broccoli just isn’t looking right, here’s what’s up.
Yes, long bugs have joined the party. Whether it is caterpillars, cabbage worms, or other larvae, the solution is to find them and pick them off the plants. You can also spray the plants weekly with Bacillus thuringiensis if there are too many to deal with by hand. Again, the simplest solution is garden fabric preventing the adult insects from getting close enough to lay eggs.
Yup. Slugs and snails. A couple of simple ways to keep them away from your food:
You can also use beer and citrus rind baits, but they require cleaning out snail and slug remains.
These are the result of flea beetles, which tend to show up in the spring to eat your plants. They can be repelled with the same mixture used to repel whiteflies.
If the plant has misshapen, gnarled roots, this is a result of clubroot, a particularly nasty fungal infection that spreads easily through the soil. The plants must be dug up and disposed of, not composted. Increasing the soil pH to above 7.2 can help to clear the fungus, or the soil should be sterilized or replaced.
This is typically a sign of worm or larval infestations. Infected plants and the surrounding soil should be removed. While individual worms and bugs can be removed by hand, the best solution is prevention. Keeping the soil well-drained helps and, of course, plant covers.
]]>When a broccoli head starts growing, have patience. Broccoli that has grown in too warm an environment will create a small bud on a tall, thin stalk. Perfect broccoli will also create a small bud. But the stalk won’t be as thin, and it will keep growing. Give it a chance to grow.
When the time finally gets close, the broccoli head will start to loosen up. While the broccoli head is growing, the clusters of buds will be tightly pressed against each other. As it ripens, “fissures” will begin to appear in the head, so that it starts spreading into clumps, like what you would cut up to create a side dish of broccoli, instead of being a single solid mass. You will want to harvest it a few days into this stage.
When the individual florets start yellowing, it means that the broccoli is heading into the flowering stage, and it will start to become bitter. If flowers start to appear, harvest it as soon as possible. Once broccoli starts flowering, it gets more and more bitter.
When harvesting, cut the main stalk at an angle, about 6–8 inches below the head. After the main stalk is harvested, smaller side heads will continue to grow, and can be harvested later.
Once all the heads are harvested, the leaves can be harvested and used in salads, much like kale or collards. The remainder can then be composted.
If the broccoli head does not appear to be spreading, and appears to be a tall sprout, it probably grew too quickly for use as a vegetable. If the temperature is too hot, or there is too much nitrogen in the soil, it will create a stalk with a tiny head. If this begins, add mulch to shade the soil and cross your fingers.
]]>Broccoli is a cool-weather plant, best-suited for planting in the early fall. It really likes temperatures between 65° and 75°F, and won’t create good heads if the temperature rises above that or if it fluctuates rapidly from cool to warm.
Because of its temperature sensitivity and long time to maturity, broccoli does best when it is transplanted. If starting your own seedlings, start indoors up to 12 weeks before last frost, if you are in a colder climate, down to 4 weeks before the temperature gets its coldest in a not-frosty environment.
Place 2 seeds per seeding pot. Once 2–4 leaves appear within a couple of weeks, remove the tinier or less healthy of the two plants and start hardening the plants. They should be ready to transplant to your main garden 4–2 weeks before that last frost/last-coldest-time date.
]]>Place cauliflower where it can get plenty of sun, at least 6 full hours. Because they have such voracious appetites, they need plenty of space — 18–24″ between plants, with 30″ between rows. Roots are fairly shallow, so Urbaculture’s Type A-2, -3 or -4 planters will work fine.
Cauliflower is a fairly temperamental cool-weather plant, really thriving only in temperatures in the 60’s. Because of this, cauliflower only really grows well in the fall. If the temperature is too warm or cold, this may trigger the cauliflower to bud early, creating tiny little stalks with buds instead of the large “curd” we’re looking for.
Cauliflower requires a thick, rich, loamy soil. Soil should have a pH level of 6.5–6.8, to encourage growth while making it harder for fungus to grow. Our standard Loamy soil works well.
Like most plants, cauliflower benefits from having a layer of mulch surrounding the plants. We recommend compost as a mulch, as it continues to fertilize the plants while protecting them from moisture loss and weeds.
Cauliflower requires a steady supply of water, to prevent it from prematurely budding. Urbaculture’s planter system will make this an easier prospect, as the plants draw up what they need as they need it. You may want to check the planter’s water gauge more frequently than you might with other, hardier vegetables, however, to ensure that they don’t run out.
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