Cathy Isom has a few great tips for growing cauliflower at home. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Cauliflower is the most versatile member of the brassica family. Like broccoli, cauliflower’s edible part is the flower bud. Rows of compact heads – either white or in eye-catching oranges and purples — is a magnificent sight in any garden.
These vegetables are happiest in a cool climate, and have an unfair reputation for being difficult to grow. Be sure to select a cauliflower variety that grows best in your climate, with full sun, and make sure to grow when the temperatures are between 65 and 70 degrees F. Anything warmer can trigger bolting. Blanching is one of the most important things to master when learning to grow cauliflower. You must blanch cauliflowers if you want them to remain white. Unbalanced cauliflowers turn yellow-brown, which is their natural color. They’re still edible, but just a bit unappetizing to look at. Colored varieties don’t require blanching.
I’m Cathy Isom…