I wouldn’t go as far as saying that cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, but I enjoy a little variety on the plate. Hence this year we decided to learn how to grow cauliflower in containers as we do not have too much space left in our backyard garden.

Unlike other vegetables cauliflower grows best in fall or early spring as it prefers soil temperatures below 75 degrees F but above 45 degrees F. So if you are restless during winter, and cannot wait for gardening season to begin, here is one you can start your garden with.

 

Here’s What You’ll Need

• cauliflower seeds
• compost
• mulch
• rubber bands
• large containers or wooden crate
• potting soil
• organic fertilizer
• small plastic nursery pots

It is best to start your seeds 10 to 12 weeks before your last spring or fall frost. Starts seeds in plastic nursery pots, placing four seeds per pot. Seedlings should then be thinned out and left to one per pot after they are 2 inches tall. As long as you keep them near a window that receives some good sunlight, you can keep them in the pots until they ar ready for transplanting.

When you transfer your seedlings to the bigger pot make sure you leave an inch at the top. Keep them well watered and place the containers outside 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Fertilizer should be applied every four weeks for optimum growth.

When the heads grow to the size of an egg, the leaves should be pulled over them and tied with rubber bands. This protects them from the sun and prevents green or yellow coloring. It is time to harvest the heads when they grow to between 6 to 8 inches. Just use a sharp knife to cut through the main stem to harvest the heads.

You can follow step by step instructions on SF Gate Home Guides site, here…

How To Grow Cauliflower In Containers

You can watch this video on planting cauliflower from seedlings…

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