Cauliflower

Cauliflower is an annual spring or winter plant. The root system is fibrous, close to the surface of the soil . The stalk is cylindrical, 15-70 cm tall, with leaves horizontally located or directly or obliquely upward, very often spirally curved. Separate forms in the vegetative phase are branched. Leaves from whole sessile to lyre-pinnately separate, with petioles reaching 5-40 cm in length. Coloring from light to blue-green and less often bluish with strong anthocyanin pigmentation. The plates are narrow, from truncated-oval, truncated-elliptical and ovate to lanceolate, 15-90 cm long. Wax coating from slight to very strong.
In the most primitive forms of cauliflower, the organ used is individual fleshy flower-bearing shoots (in the budding phase), formed from the sinuses of the upper leaves of the rosette , in other forms - the “head”, when the apical shoots, strongly branching, are closely twisted. The shape of the heads is from round to flat round. Coloring - from green of different tones, violet and yellowish to snow-white. The upper leaves are small, short oval and broadly linear, with a flat edge or lanceolate and elongated-triangular, dentate.

Flower brushes are dense, from very short (3 cm) to long (over 15 cm). The flowers are mainly small and medium in size (1.2-2.0 cm), less often large (up to 2.6 cm), with thin pedicels. The color of the petals is white, pale yellow and yellow, their surface is corrugated or vesicular wrinkled.

The fruit is a multi-seeded pod. The pods are short and medium length (6.0-8.5 cm), mostly cylindrical, less flattened-cylindrical, tuberous with a short nose.

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  General view of the plant in the phase of technical ripeness (figure)

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  "Head" ( inflorescence ) of cauliflower

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  Section inflorescence

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  Inflorescence colors depend on the variety

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  Blooming inflorescence

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  Seeds

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  Seedlings

The biological feature of the species is an annual development cycle. In one year, a food organ is formed - the head, which consists of numerous densely spaced shoots with buds of inflorescences . When the head grows, elongated seed shoots are formed with yellow flowers collected in the brush, in the future - pods and seeds . The duration of the growing season in the non-chernozem zone of Russia from the emergence of seedlings to technical ripeness is 90-120 days, until the seeds ripen - 200-240 days. Cauliflower also has a long period of entry into technical maturity. So if white cabbage has a yield of 10-15 days, then cauliflower 30-35 days.

Thermal and water requirements

At all phases of growth and development, cauliflower reacts strongly to deviations from optimal conditions. Compared to other types of cabbage, it is less resistant to lower temperatures (below 10 ° C). With prolonged exposure to low temperatures, plant growth slows down, and small and coarse heads form. In the phase of the rosette, the plants withstand a short decrease in temperature to −5 ° C. The optimum temperature for seed germination and the formation of dense heads is 15–18 ° C. At temperatures above 25 ° C and lack of moisture, head formation is delayed, they become small, friable and fleecy. Cauliflower is moisture-loving and grows best with 70% soil moisture and 80% air humidity. Sharp fluctuations in temperature and humidity adversely affect plant development. During a drought, cauliflower growth stops, and with excess moisture, the roots suffer from a lack of oxygen. The combination of high temperature and low soil and air humidity is particularly unfavorable. It does not tolerate cauliflower and dry winds .

Light Requirements

Cauliflower requires optimal light conditions. It is photophilous, especially in the initial period of growth, therefore, prefers open sunny areas, protected from the prevailing winds, where the soil heats up faster. With a long daylight, the plants quickly form heads that quickly decay into flowering shoots. Larger and denser heads form on the shortened bottom. When shading or thickening, plants stretch out, become vulnerable to various diseases.

Soil requirements

Of all types of cabbage, cauliflower is the most demanding on the structure, soil fertility and nutrition, both macro - and microelements . This is due to the fact that it has a weak fibrous root system , which develops close to the soil surface. Cold, damp and drying-out soils are not suitable for it. On poor soils and with a lack of moisture, the plants have small leaves, an oppressed appearance and form a small head prematurely. On acidic and alkaline soils, the growth point is deformed, and the plants themselves become ugly. The optimum pH value is 6.5-7.5. With a lack of boron , which most often happens on sod-podzolic soil, terry inflorescences form, and dense brown spots appear on the heads. On peatlands where copper is scarce, chlorosis appears on the leaves. With a lack of molybdenum , and this happens on light acidic soils, the leaf plate becomes threadlike. Lack of magnesium leads to leaf twisting, hollow stump and premature decay of the heads. Potassium fertilizers containing chlorine adversely affect plants.
Cauliflower can grow on fairly poor soils, but subject to a deep arable layer and the use of large quantities of organic fertilizers , which provides nutrient reserves and creates a favorable water-air regime for the root system of the plant.

Fertilizer Requirements

Cauliflower is very responsive to the application of organic (4-8 kg per 1 m²) and mineral (80-100 g of nitrophosphate and at the same time 10 g of double superphosphate ) fertilizers. With a sufficiently high content of potassium and phosphorus in the soil , the application of nitrogen fertilizers ensures good leaf growth and the formation of larger heads.
In contrast to white cabbage, the growth of cauliflower is favored by an increased content of carbon dioxide in the air, which is achieved by introducing large doses of humus , which, when decomposed, releases carbon dioxide into the underground layer of air.

The wild plant is unknown. It is believed that cauliflower was introduced into the culture in the Mediterranean , possibly from cabbage leafy Syrian fellahs and therefore for a long time was called Syrian cabbage. In those days, it was late ripening, had a bitter taste and had a small creamy greenish head. Avicenna recommended eating Syrian cabbage for food in the winter. First described in detail cauliflower by the Arab botanist Ib al-Beitar. For many centuries, cauliflower was grown only in Syria and other Arab countries. In the XII century, the Arabs brought it to Spain , and from Syria this cabbage was brought to Cyprus , and for many centuries Cyprus was almost the main supplier of its seeds to Europe. In the XIV century, individual varieties of cauliflower began to be grown in France, Italy, Holland and England.
Cauliflower was imported to Russia under Catherine II , and it was grown only in the gardens of a few nobles. In the XVIII century, Russian landowners at fabulous prices prescribed its seeds from the island of Malta . For a long time, cauliflower did not take root in Russian latitudes due to the high demands on growing conditions, but gradually learned to grow it after the famous agronomist A. Bolotov brought its northern version. In Russia, cauliflower is currently grown everywhere in an area of ​​several thousand hectares, but in small volumes.

Currently, cauliflower is widely cultivated throughout Europe , in the Americas , in Asian countries - China and Japan . In terms of culture, it is in second place after white cabbage . The area under this species in the CIS is about 0.8-1% of the cabbage crops. In Germany, cauliflower accounts for 10% of the area occupied by vegetable plants.

Cauliflower is superior to all other types of cabbage in terms of nutrient content, dietary properties and taste. It is richer than white cabbage in protein content by 1.5–2 times, and ascorbic acid by 2-3 times. Nutritional value is associated with a high content (mg / 100 g of raw material) of vitamins C (47–93), B 1 (0.10), B 2 (0.08), B 6 (0.16), PP (0, 6), A (0.1-0.2). Its heads contain (mg / 100 g of raw material) sodium (10), potassium (210), calcium (60), magnesium (17), phosphorus (51), iron (1.4). The cauliflower food organs contain (% of raw matter) dry matter 8–11.7, sugars 1.7–4.2, starch 0.5, fiber 0.6–1.1, crude protein 1, 6-2.5. The complex biochemical composition of cabbage puts it in a number of irreplaceable food products, and also makes it a valuable therapeutic agent.

Calorie cauliflower ~ 25 calories / 100 grams.

To extend the consumption period, cauliflower is grown in open ground in central Russia by seedlings and seedlings in several periods: - sowing in greenhouses or greenhouses in mid-March to obtain potted seedlings planted in open ground in late April - early May. - sowing in a cold nursery on May 15-25 with the planting of seedless seedlings in open ground in June. - sowing seeds in open ground under the film (end of April - beginning of May) and without it (end of June - beginning of July).

Growing seedlings

For spring planting, seedlings are grown in heated film greenhouses and, as a rule, in peat pots (cups, etc.). Seed consumption rates when growing seedlings - 0.5 g per 10 square meters. m. Close up the seeds to a depth of 0.5 cm. After sowing, the soil is mulched with a layer of dry sand and watered abundantly. After 8-10 days. after emergence, seedlings are picked. During the growing seedlings, 2-3 root dressings are carried out. 10-12 days after the pick, the plants are fed a solution of nitrophoska (1-5 g per 1 liter of water). The second top dressing is carried out in the phase of 4 real leaves with a nitrophosphate solution (2 g per 1 liter of water), the third - 10 days after the second (g per 1 liter of water): ammonium nitrate - 2, superphosphate - 3, potassium sulfate 4, boric acid, copper sulfate and manganese sulfate - 0.2. To stimulate normal metabolism and accelerate growth processes in a phase of 2-3 leaves, plants are given foliar top dressing with a solution of boric acid and molybdenum ammonium (0.1 g per 1 liter of water).

Outdoor cultivation

Cauliflower is harvested selectively (2-3 times), as the heads mature. They are cut together with 3-4 rosette leaves that protect the head from mechanical damage and greening. Plants of the third sowing period, which did not have time to form heads by the end of the harvesting period, can be grown in a greenhouse, greenhouses or basements. For this, plants with well-developed leaves (at least 20) and heads (with a diameter of about 5 cm) are selected. Plants dug with a lump of earth are carefully transferred to greenhouses cleaned of humus and soil or to the soil of greenhouses and installed in pre-watered furrows with a depth of 15 cm vertically or slightly obliquely, close to each other. 30-40 plants are placed on 1 m². It is necessary to grow cauliflower in the dark. Therefore, plants are covered with wooden shields, mats, dark synthetic film. Then, as the temperature drops, the greenhouses are insulated with sawdust, leaves or other materials with a layer of 20-25 cm, and in the greenhouse they maintain a temperature of 4-5 ° C and an air humidity of 85-90%. The duration and quality of growing depends on the preservation of the leaves, and this, in turn, depends on temperature and ventilation. At a temperature of 10 ° C, the growth of cauliflower heads ends 25-30 days after the start of growing, at a temperature of 4-5 ° C, after 50-60 days. Due to the outflow of nutrients from powerful leaves to the head, its diameter increases to 15-16 cm, and its mass grows to 500 g. Small amounts of cauliflower can be placed in growing stores (cellars, cellars, etc.). To do this, cabbage is tied and suspended on any trellis with its roots up. At a temperature of 1-3 ° C and an air humidity of 80-90%, in one to two months the heads will gain weight up to 200-300 g.

Plants for growth and development require a very long period of moderate temperatures in the range of 15-18 ° C. Therefore, seed production in the Non-Chernozem zone is possible only in film greenhouses. Cauliflower seeds are grown through seedlings. Sow in the first half of February. It is advisable to grow seedlings at a temperature of 15-18 ° C during the day. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the first top dressing is carried out (g per 10 liters of water): ammonium nitrate - 50, boric acid - 0.2, potassium permanganate - 1, ammonium molybdenum acid - 0.5. Seedlings aged 60-65 days are planted in the ground under film shelters according to the 60x30 cm pattern. Further work consists in top dressing, watering, and cultivating. The temperature is maintained within the limits: in sunny weather 17–20 ° C, in cloudy 15–17 ° C. To obtain seeds, leave plants that early formed large heads with tight-fitting green leaves. In the phase of technical ripeness, a seed bush is formed before the head diverges. To do this, remove lateral shoots and leave central ones or remove central ones, leaving 5-6 lateral ones. The second method is used if the preparations have started to grow. Slices sprinkled with powdered charcoal or disinfected with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Bushes of the testes tied to stakes. Flowering lasts 20-30 days. After its termination in adverse weather, it is better to cover the plants again with a film.

Harvesting, ripening , threshing are carried out in the same way as the testes of white cabbage.

Varieties of cauliflower differ in leaf shape, size, density and color of the head, the duration of the growing season. By the duration of the growing season, varieties and hybrids of cauliflower are divided into three groups: early (the period from emergence to maturation of the head is 90-110 days); medium (110-135); late (150 days. in the conditions of the Moscow region). The group of medium varieties includes mid-early, mid-season and mid-late.

Thanks to the fine cellular structure, cauliflower is absorbed by the body better than other types of cabbage. It has less coarse fiber than white fiber, so it is easily digested and less irritating to the gastric mucosa. It is especially useful for gastrointestinal diseases and in baby food. With reduced secretory function of the stomach, dishes from boiled cauliflower are recommended for use. In case of peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum, cauliflower is allowed and white cabbage is prohibited. For diseases of the liver and gall bladder from vegetables, only those that increase the separation of bile and promote regular bowel movement are recommended. These include cauliflower. However, the presence of purine bases limits its use in gout .

Cauliflower is valued for its high taste and dietary qualities. At cauliflower, boiled heads (modified inflorescences), with butter or egg-butter sauce, are eaten. Pre-boiled heads can be stewed or fried with meat, vegetables, potatoes, salted, pickled in pure form or mixed with other vegetables, used in the preparation of homemade canned food. Young inflorescences and thickened flowering shoots of cauliflower are used to prepare transparent dietary broths and soups that are not inferior in nutrition and taste to chicken broths and soups. Cauliflower is part of frozen vegetable mixtures. Fresh young heads are consumed raw, and also added to a variety of salads, they decorate meat and vegetable dishes. The flowers and leaves of cauliflower are also edible, which are used in cooking for preparing various soups, side dishes for second courses, and also added to vegetable and meat salads, they are prepared as independent second courses, fried in butter with breadcrumbs and eggs. When cooking cauliflower, a little sugar is added to boiling water to preserve white color. Cabbage boiled in mineral water becomes especially tasty.

Cauliflower contains anti-cancer components, as well as a flavonoid that strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attacks ^[1] .

Product

A quality head of cauliflower is strong and heavy, surrounded by green leaves. The presence of leaves is an indicator of freshness. Cauliflower inflorescences can be white, ivory, purple. Color does not affect quality in any way, but depends on whether cabbage grew in the sun or in the shade. Dark spots indicate that the cabbage begins to deteriorate, they need to be carefully cut or refuse to eat such cabbage. Cauliflower can be stored for 7-10 days in cold stores at 0 ° C.

Like many plants, cauliflower has fractal , recursive properties. The recursive measurement of cauliflower is estimated at approximately 2.88. The fractal structure is especially evident in Romanesco , a related variety of cabbage.

• Broccoli
• Romanesco

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• Lebedeva A. T. Errors and failures of a gardener: how to avoid them. - M., Kolos, 2002 .-- S. 155-165. ISBN 5-10-003459-9

• A. Lebedev. Cauliflower. Garden Life Magazine, 1-2, 2007
• GOST R 54903-2012 . Fresh cauliflower. Technical conditions