Prepare for Spring Bulb Planting and Sow Cauliflower Seeds

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Spring Bulb Preparation: No Time Like Now
Have you ordered your spring bulbs yet?
Spring might seem far away, but for the prepared gardener there’s planning and preparation to be done right now.
Especially if you like spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, freesias and many more.

photo M Cannon

Some of the planning involves looking at bulb catalogues, either ones you received in the post or online.
Let’s find out more.
I'm talking with Landscape Designer,  Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au


Fun decisions need to be made as to which bulbs to buy and plant.
Spring bulbs include,tulips (cooler climates) snowflakes, jonquils, daffodils, freesias, spring stars, alliums (cooler climates), anemones, ranunculus, sparaxis,

• Glenice mentioned. Allium giganteum, the giant alliums, and Allium atropurpureum from Southern Europe that carry golf ball sized heads of dark, almost black, maroon-purple flowers from late October well into November. 
• If you want to grow these in temperate climates you need to place a 2 litre bucket of ice-cubes on where the bulbs are planted every morning.

TIP:Remember, bulbs are a living thing, and need to be planted out mostly in Autumn. If you wait too long, they will dry out and be totally worthless.

Photo M Cannon

• Soil preparation: The big tip from Glenice, is dig in plenty of organic matter into the soil before adding your bulbs. Before planting, cultivate the soil and ensure that it is well drained  with plenty of compost and decomposed manures. 

TIP: When sowing ranunculus, soak in a weak solution of seaweed liquid for 1 hour before planting, claws pointing downward.

• Bulbs in pots: don't place a saucer under the pot so that when it rains, the pot is sitting water.

If you want to know more or if you have any questions about spring bulbs, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea, Botrytis group)

 Cauliflower is native to the Mediterranean and Middle East region, but did you know that it’s been grown as a crop from at least 600 BC?

 Cauliflower is related to broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnips, rutabagas, and Brussels sprouts.

Why is Cauliflower called a cruciferous vegetable?Because the flowers have four petals and look like a Greek cross.

• Did you know that Cauliflower leaves are edible, but have a stronger taste than the florets?

A bit of history

Some of the first crop plantings in Australia way back in 1788 were cauliflowers on Norfolk Island.

How we know this is because a letter exists from Governor Arthur Phillip the (first governor appointed by the British,) to Sir Joseph Banks, telling him that ‘colly flowers’ had been growing at Sydney Cove for weeks.

They were also recorded as growing in a garden at The Rocks, Sydney, in 1803 with some being as large as 4.5 - 5.5kg.

They obviously liked their cauliflower in the early life of the colony.

• Botanical Bite

An interesting fact about Cauliflower is that it’s actually a flower that hasn’t fully developed yet.

Yes that’s right -  Cauliflower, is actually a flower growing from a plant.

In its early stages, it looks a bit like broccoli, its closest relative.

Cauliflower amongst broccoli

• The difference is that broccoli opens outward to sprout bunches of green florets, but cauliflower forms a compact head of undeveloped white flower buds.
• The cauliflower head itself is a sterile flowering structure whose buds are kept white by green leaves that cover the head, protecting the flower buds from the sunlight.

If the leaves are covering the floral head and so keeping the sun out, the cauli stays white because the green or chlorophyll in the plant, doesn’t get a chance to develop.

When to Sow.

In Arid zones, plant direct into the garden from April until June, in cool temperate and temperate zones, February was the recommended time to sow seeds but you can sow seedlings until the end of May.

If your district is sub-tropical, you might be able to squeeze in seed sowing if you do it straight after the show, otherwise, transplant seedlings until the end of June also.

Caulflower seedlings

There is one exception, a variety called Caulifower All Year Round-Hybrid.

This robust variety is available from your local nursery and is ready for harvest very early at 15 weeks.

It grows quite big with a tight curd, and tastes great.

Soil and Site for Cauliflower

All cauliflowers need a neutral or slightly alkaline soil to do well.

• If the soil is too acidic, the plants won’t be able to access the trace elements they need, and may develop whiptail.
•  On the other hand, soils which are too limey or chalky can lead to stunted and discoloured cauliflower. If you’re at all unsure, whip out that pH test kit and give it a workout. If you need to add lime to the soil because it’s too acidic, leave at least four weeks between liming and manuring. 
• As with all brassicas, avoid using a plot on which a brassica crop was grown within the past two years. Cauliflowers will definitely suffer if they are grown on the same plot for two or more years in a row. Winter cauliflowers are much more tolerant of soil conditions, and will grow on most types of soil, as long as there is no water-logging. 

• Because they grow slowly over a longer period of time, and have to face winter conditions, the one thing you want to avoid is lush, rapid and therefore vulnerable growth.  No heads will form so go easy on the liquid food.

If plenty of organic ferts have been dug in, there is no need for additional fertilizers, before planting out winter cauliflowers.

• Some tips are (i)they need a sheltered site, with some protection from winds. (ii)They do better in sun rather than in the shade.

So when do you pick your cauliflower?

A cauliflower is ready for cutting when the upper surface of the curd is fully exposed and the inner leaves no longer cover it. 

As usual in your veggie garden, cauliflowers are ready at the same time. 

If the weather is warm and you leave the cauliflowers in the ground once they have matured, the heads expand and start to yellow looking not that great.

Cauliflower

Here’s a tip to not have to eat cauliflower everyday for a month, gather up the leaves and tie them together over the curd so that they cover it, using garden twine, an elastic band or raffia. 

It will also protect the winter ones from the frost.

Why is it good for you?

Cauliflower contains a high amount of vitamin C, and complex carbohydrates.

They’re a great source of dietary fibre and  a good provider of folate (one of the B vitamins)

Like cabbages cauliflowers contain substances called indoles which are responsible for the sulphur smell that can be released if they’re overcooked.

Today, thick cauliflower soups are popular in France and Eastern Europe. Sardinian cooks combine garlic, olive oil and capers with it to make zesty salads and hot dishes. In India, it's cooked with potato and onion to make a rich vegetable curry. Go on , plant some cauliflowers today.

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!