Harvesting History

The Caulifower

Cauliflower is nearly identical to broccoli. The only differences are the colors and characteristics of the head. Cauliflowers are generally white, but there are purple, green, and yellow varieties. Also, cauliflowers do not develop smaller heads or side shoots once the main head has been harvested.
The cauliflower is thought to have been cultivated 2000 years ago in the Eastern Mediterranean. By the 1300s, the vegetable was known in southern Europe, and by the 1400s, it was popular in northern Europe. In the United States, cauliflower did not become popular until the 1800s.
In a 1848 seed catalogue it was written, “The Cauliflower is one of the most delicate and curious of the whole brassica tribe; the flower-buds forming a close, firm cluster or head, white and delicate, and for the sake of which the plant is cultivated. These heads or flowers being boiled, wrapped generally in a clean linen cloth, are served up as a most delicate vegetable dish. ‘Of all the flowers in the garden,’ Dr. Johnson used to say, ‘I like the Cauliflower’.”
Cauliflowers are best planted in the summer for a fall or winter harvest. Seeds can be started in flats in the spring and transplanted 4-6 weeks later, or direct seeded in late spring or early summer. Plants should be 18 inches apart in rows that are separated by 24-30 inches. Cauliflowers grow best in cool weather. Excessive heat will cause dwarf heads to form. Cauliflowers need to be fertilized frequently with a fertilizer that has a high middle number like 5-10-5. They require consistent moisture. For the whitest heads, pull the outer leaves over the head as soon as it starts to form, then secure the leaves with a rubber band.