Top Tips on growing cauliflowers

Perfect Conditions - Cauliflowers prefer fertile, firm soil and plenty of sun – loose or less fertile soil results in small heads.  Use a three year crop rotation, planting them where peas and beans grew the previous year. After any digging, allow 4 months or more for the soil to settle before planting.

Sowing Seeds - Sow summer cropping varieties under glass from mid January, transplanting outdoors in late March for a June/July crop. Or sow outdoors in early April and transplant in June for a crop in August/September. Autumn cropping varieties can be sown outdoors April to May (transplant in late June).

Cauliflowers are usually raised in an outdoor seed bed before transplanting into growing beds. Fertile soil gives the seedlings the best start. In early spring rake over and level the seed bed. When the soil is dry sprinkle the seed bed with sifted compost and firm by treading, followed by a light raking.

Mark out rows 15cm (6”) apart using string and make 13mm (1/2”) deep drills along the length of the string with a trowel. Sow thinly into the drills and cover with soil. Keep the seed bed moist, using a fine spray. When the seedlings are 2.5cm (1”) tall, thin them to 7.5cm (3”) apart in the rows.

Planting Out - When the seedlings are 10cm (4”) high they can be transplanted to the growing bed. Apply a general fertiliser to the planting bed 2 weeks ahead and water the bed the day before transplanting. Ideally move the young plants in the evening as this helps the plants recover quickly. Use a string line to mark the row. Make a hole large enough to take the root ball. Plant the seedlings 60cm (24”) apart in the rows to the same level as they were in the seed bed and firm in gently. Water well.

Aftercare - Hoe regularly to keep down weeds but do not loosen the soil too deeply. Keep well watered - especially when young. Apply foliar feed in summer - more nutrients are absorbed than by feeding at the roots. For summer varieties break a few leaves over the developing curd to protect it from the sun.

Pests and Diseases - Birds like cauliflower plants - protect the seedlings from sparrows and the bigger mature plants from pigeons. Acid soils encourage club root - add lime to get achieve pH of 6.5 to 7.0 (use a soil test kit or ph meter).

Top Tips on Growing Carrots

When you plant your carrot seeds directly in your garden, make sure you work your soil early in the spring so that it is loose and well draining. When there is no risk of a hard frost, plant your seeds about 3/8 of an inch into the soil. Space your rows about 15 inches or a little wider if you prefer.

Note that carrots are not usually grown as transplants because when you place them in the garden, the roots have a propensity to fork.

Cover the seedlings with a thin layer of organic mulch such as straw or shredded bark. This will keep your soil moist while the seedlings are developing. Once your seedlings emerge, you can add more mulch around the plants. A layer of mulch about 3-4 inches deep is recommended after the seedlings emerge.

Once the carrot seedlings begin to appear, you should thin them out -they’ll need at least ¾” between plants. As the carrots mature, thin them out to about 3-4 inches apart. As a general rule, the larger the carrot you want, the wider the spacing should be. Wider spacing also helps with an easier harvest.

Thin your carrots when they are about 1 inch tall. Be careful not to disrupt the other plants while you’re thinning your garden. Root vegetables are often sold as pelleted seeds. These seed varieties will help with even spacing and will reduce the time you spend thinning out your carrots.

If you want to have carrots throughout the growing season, you can grow a new batch after the first carrots have grown for about 3-4 weeks. Carrots will germinate after about 2 weeks, and sometimes your plants will germinate unevenly throughout your garden.

If you want a late crop of carrots, give yourself at least 2-3 months before the first autumn frosts. This will ensure that you carrots will be ready to harvest in time.