How to Grow Wrap Cauliflower

Remove the leaves along with the cauliflower when you harvest.

To keep the cauliflower's head clean and white, and away from hungry birds, gardeners wrap and tie the leaves over the head. This is known as "blanching." Some cauliflower varieties are self-wrapping, such as Snowball and Apex. Growing wrap cauliflower removes one step in the growing process, making these varieties easier to grow. Cauliflower enjoys cool temperatures and can be grown in containers or in the garden. Get your seeds started indoors, six to seven weeks before the last frost date.

Things You'll Need

• Potting soil
• Compost
• Container
• Planting pot
• Sand
• Fertilizer
• Ammonium sulfate
• Knife

Instructions

1. Mix three parts potting soil and one part compost in a container, moisten it and pour it to within 1/4 inch of the rim of the planting container.

2. Place the seeds on the surface of the planting mix and cover them with a 1/2-inch layer of sand. Lightly mist the surface of the sand with a spray bottle of water; keep it moist during germination.

3. Set the seed container in an area that receives bright, but filtered, sunlight. The seeds should germinate within 10 days.

4. Move the seedlings into full sun and water when the top inch of soil is dry.

5. Combine 1 cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer and 12 quarts of water. Stir the solution and allow it to sit, undisturbed, for 2 hours.

6. Prepare the planting bed by loosening the soil to a depth of 8 inches and adding a 3-inch layer of compost. Mix the compost into the soil to a depth of 6 inches.

7. Remove the wrap-cauliflower seedlings from the container and plant them at the same depth they have been growing, 18 inches apart.

8. Apply 1 cup of the fertilizer and water solution to each seedling. Pour it slowly around the base.

9. Water the cauliflower to keep the soil slightly moist at all times.

10. Fertilize the wrap cauliflower seedlings four weeks after transplanting. Dig a 2-inch-deep trench, 4 inches to the side of the row of cauliflower. Sprinkle ammonium sulfate, at half the rate suggested on the package, onto the bottom of the trench and fill it in with soil. Water the area to a depth of 8 inches.

11. Harvest the cauliflower seven to 12 days after it wraps. The heads should be compact and the florets tightly packed. Cut the cauliflower's main stem to remove it.

References

• Reimer Seeds: Snowball Self-Blanching Cauliflower
• University of Illinois Extension: Cauliflower
• West Virginia University Extension Service; Growing Cauliflower; John Jett
• Utah State University Cooperative Extension; Cauliflower in the Garden; Dan Drost, et al.; June 2010