Oddly enough, the novice gardener is always a little reluctant to start growing cauliflower. Perhaps he thinks that she is as tormented as the appearance of this strange cabbage? He is wrong, production is easy even in the amateur’s vegetable garden.
It was in 1933, while seeking to know the nutrients essential for the growth of yeast, that Roger John Williams, an American biochemist, discovered vitamin B5. A few years later, he isolated it from liver tissue and seven years after his first discovery he succeeded in synthesizing it. After numerous explorations we realized that this vitamin is present in practically all foods, in very variable contents: hence its other name pantothenic acid, from the Greek pantothen which means “everywhere”.
B5, did you say B5?
Precursor of co-enzyme A which plays an essential role in the production of energy for the cell from the metabolism of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, it also contributes to the synthesis of steroids by the body, i.e. cholesterol and of its derivatives. It participates in the healing process of the skin, in the growth of hair and in general in the growth of tissues. It is not synthesized by the body, it is therefore provided by food; and as it is not stored by the body, it must be supplied every day.
Why cauliflower?
The most important sources of vitamin B5 are of animal origin, liver, poultry, offal, meat, cheese, plant contributions are those of yeast, breakfast cereals and wheat germ. In this day and age where there are more and more supporters of vegetarianism and veganism, it is good to find other supplies. In the family vegetable garden, cauliflower (and broccoli which is also cauliflower) is best provided: it contains 1.1 mg per 100 g, the recommended daily intake being 7 mg per day for an adult. Here is its identity sheet: annual plant sometimes cultivated as a biennial in the vegetable garden. Leaves greyish green, petiolate, oblong, slightly toothed. Hermaphrodite flowers, yellow, solitary in simple spike, many abort. Before they blossom, they are united into a large, thick mass (the apple we eat) generally white in color, otherwise green, yellow or purple.
Culture
Experienced gardeners produce cauliflower over a long period of time by varying the cultivation method and choice of varieties. For a first approach, the beginner can make do with autumn and winter cauliflowers. Depending on the harvest period we distinguish:
- Spring cauliflowers should be sown, in mild climates, from mid-August to mid-September for planting in the fall. In the coldest regions, winter under a frame and set up only in March-April.
- Summer cauliflowers to be sown in the heat, under a frame in February-March, to be planted two to three months later.
- Autumn cauliflowers to be sown in May and June for planting a month and a half later.
- Winter cauliflowers or broccoli, to be sown between May and the end of June, for planting approximately two months later.
The harvest is done at the indicated times; consume apples soon after picking.
Whichever option you choose, growing cauliflower is always the same. Two months before sowing, prepare a plot fertilized with an organic fertilizer rich in nitrogen but not fresh (a very mature compost does the trick): in fact fertilizations applied at the last moment make the plants too weak and expose them to diseases . In small furrows, sow 2 cm deep. When the plants have 5 to 7 true leaves, transplant in place, leaving 70 cm in all directions. Water regularly, always at the base, avoiding wetting the foliage. The harvest is done between 2 and 5-6 months later depending on the cultivation method. Apply crop rotation: wait 3 to 4 years before returning the cauliflower to the same plot.
They will try to upset you
Downy mildew is the main disease, it occurs mainly in damp and cold weather, and develops first on young plants. For prevention, opt for a spray of Bordeaux mixture (it is compatible with organic gardening) as soon as the weather turns hot and humid. Young plants are also attacked by the cabbage maggot at the time of spring planting. Treat with a plant insecticide. In the most affected regions, a protective net is spread (like for carrots) from June. Also be wary of caterpillars devouring the cabbage moth and the moth, especially in mid and late summer.
Here again an insecticide will do the trick (it will also be effective on gray aphids, which appear at any time during the crop), aided by sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis.
The right varieties
Each season has its own cauliflower, the choice of variety has a lot to do with the success of the crop.
“Wonder of all seasons”, also called “Wonder of the 4 seasons”, is suitable for different types of cultivation. Its apple is white, of medium size, and its cultivation is relatively easy, all things considered because this vegetable should not be the beginner gardener’s priority.
The Angers region has contributed to the history of French cauliflower. Its particularly plastic cauliflower is available in four varieties: “Extra hâtif d’Angers”, “Hâtif d’Angers” or “Early de Saint-Laud”, “d’Angers tardif” and “Extra tardif d’Angers”. Enough to cover the entire range of crops and extend harvests. But this is a matter for an experienced gardener, the beginner must limit himself to “Extra hâtif d’Angers”, a very early cauliflower. Its apple is large, with a very fine grain.
“Autumn Giant Primus” is remarkable for the whiteness of its apple. It is heavy, very full, fine-grained, well covered by foliage. It is a good variety for the fall harvest (until frost) which lives well in temperate and humid climates.
“Sicilian Violet”, with its intense purple apple and light green foliage, is very decorative. As good as it is pretty, it nevertheless loses its intensity when it turns green during cooking. The apple is medium sized, to be harvested in late summer and autumn.
Vitamin B5 content of some foods (in g/100 g)
- Baker’s yeast: 10.5 mg
- Calf liver: 6.22 mg
- Egg yolk: 3.17 mg
- Beef kidney: 2.34 mg
- Cauliflower: 1.10 mg
- Chicken: 0.88 mg
- Raw cereals: 0.50 mg
- Fortified cereals (breakfast): 2.5 to 5.0 mg
How many do we sow?
A transplanted plant is a harvested cauliflower, the calculation is quickly done. The quantity to grow this vegetable depends on individual tastes; one beautiful cauliflower is enough for four people. The choice between purchased plant and sowing will be made accordingly, knowing that one gram of seed contains 550 seeds, but there is loss at the time of sowing because they are very fine. Surplus seeds will keep for 5 to 6 years.
