5 Reasons You Should Be Growing and Eating Baby Cauliflower (2024)

FAQs

5 Reasons You Should Be Growing and Eating Baby Cauliflower? ›

It has fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, and so much more! Cauliflower is anti-inflammatory. All of those vitamins provide a significant amount of antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and aid in protecting against chronic diseases.

They generally take three to six months from sowing to maturity, but growth rates vary according to the variety, size and weather conditions. Harvest cauliflowers as soon as the head is large enough, when still firm and compact.

This versatile veggie can be eaten raw, cooked, roasted, grilled, baked into a pizza crust, or cooked and mashed as a substitute for mashed potatoes. You can even rice cauliflower and serve it in place of white rice.

CAULILINI® baby cauliflower is an Asian-style variety rarely seen in the United States – until now. With its long edible stems and blonde, open florets it could be one of the most striking members of the brassica family.

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a sun-loving, cool-season crop to grow in spring and fall. An annual plant in the cabbage family, cauliflower has edible white flesh that is extremely healthy and considered a “superfood.”

Seeded or transplanted cauliflower should be spaced 12-18 inches between plants in the row with rows 2-3 feet apart. Cauliflower grows best when temperatures do not exceed 75°F. Low (32°F) or high (greater than 80°F) temperatures decrease plant growth, lower yields and decrease head quality.

It's the type of high-impact food you want to be eating for a healthy body and lifestyle. It has fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, and so much more!

When can babies eat cauliflower? Cauliflower, when cooked until soft, may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.

“The leaves can be thinly sliced and used in stir-fries or roasted alongside the cauliflower florets,” said Dr Lone.

Is growing cauliflower hard? ›

Cauliflower may be a bit more challenging to grow than other garden vegetables, such as kale and chard, but with these few simple steps you'll be able to grow this hearty vegetable, which is high in fiber, vitamin C and a good source of several other nutrients.

Ricing. Some cauliflower heads may form normally, but with elongated buds that look like grains of rice or, in the worst cases, as though the head is covered in white mould. This issue is usually caused by overfeeding, too much humidity or sudden bursts of warm temperatures.

If you can see a small head forming, then things are looking good. Once it reaches about 5-8cm in diameter you can tie the outer leaves around the head using an elastic band or twine to hold it in place. This helps to keep the nice white colour rather than seeing the cauliflowers turn a bit yellow from the weather.

Flowering occurs in cauliflowers around the 8-leaf stage, but only if there is an average temperature of 10 to 14 °C for about ten days around this time. It is recommended not to grow cauliflowers in a greenhouse unless you are after the cauliflower leaves.

Propagation from root-shoot cuttings proved to be the most efficient method. It was developed at the Institute of Horticultural Plant Breeding, Wageningen. The results obtained with it are generally satisfactory.

Cauliflower takes nearly 80 days before it is ready to harvest. When the head is about 3 inches in diameter, tie outer leaves together with twine or a rubber band. This is called blanching, and it protects the head from the sun. The plant should be ready to harvest about a week or two after blanching.

You would normally expect to see the head about 3 to 4 months after planting out. So if you only planted it in July, then you probably won't see a head forming for another few weeks. However, if you planted them back in May, then you should hopefully have seen a head forming by now.