Allotments 4 All

Hello! sorry I have been absent a while! But I am still plodding (or is that plotting?) on, and have planned my 2010 garden. This year I decided to try something different (try to do that every year), and this year it is cauliflower!
I have bought a variety called "All Year round", which I guess means it will grow all year round! But when can I start to sow them, from this time of year? And should I sow indoors in pots? or outside in my new super duper protected seedling cold- frame? I often don't succeed very well with indoor sowings so I am a bit wary. Can I start sowing now or soon and how long will it take before I can get some heads? Even if they are small, I will be pleased, as I look on caulis as a bit of "advanced gardening" and as I am still pretty hopeless, after 3 years, it would be nice to succeed something a bit difficult!

I grow All-Year-Round. I've just sown mine in the propagator in an unheated greenhouse.
They should sprout within 7-10 days, at which point I'll move them out of the heated propagator and put them under a clear propagator lid.
Towards the middle of next month when it's warmer I'll prick them out and put them in the cold frame, then plant out in mid-April.
I use the small margerine tubs (flora/benecol) to plant in as they fit my Electric 7 propagator, and use a sheet of glass to keep the heat in. You could sow in a 4" pot and use a 2litre drinks bottle as a cloche on a window cill.

Ok so as I don't have a greenhouse or anything, I may have to start them inside on the window sill. If I sow now, when can I expect to see the first heads? And I guess I should just sow 3 or 4 at a time but maybe every few weeks? When is their growing limit? November frosts?
Despite my general uselessness in the garden I am generally reasonably successful at growing brassica from seed. I actually grew some broccoli last season and some nice red cabbage! there is hope yet!

I'm fairly certain AYR are sufficiently frost proof to grow outside all year, esp where you are. Once the weeds seeds start growing you can sow them outside.
:)

Pleased you asked Antipodes as it's my 1st attempt at AYR from seed!

Vortex - is a propogator necessary? i.e. are they that hard to germinate?

Thanks
1066

I've sowed some in a pot on the windowsill today under a plastic bag, once they poke their heads out, the bag comes off, then they go to the polytunnel(unheated) until it's time to plant them out

Thanks manics  :)  Sounds a good un to me!

I bought some compost in the other day to warm up so hopefully I'll get some sowing done tomorrow  ;D

Quote from: 1066 on February 15, 2010, 17:29:58
Pleased you asked Antipodes as it's my 1st attempt at AYR from seed!

Vortex - is a propogator necessary? i.e. are they that hard to germinate?

Thanks
1066

No, as brassicas they take no germinating at all... but then it gets tricky..   :)

that's always the challenge (read problem!) isn't it  :D

I have most success with "Winter" Cauli... I like Purple Cape... if you don't want white cauli.

Over many years of trial and error I have finally discovered the secret to growing reliable cauliflowers. If you take the seed ( All year round or snowball are best for this) and soak it in white wine vinegar for 2 hours then bake the seed in a low oven for a further 2 hours. Then put the seed in a plastic bag in the fridge overnight before sowing in a 2in deep tray of John Innes no 2. Leave for just over a week before taking the tray to your nearest greengrocer. If you leave the tray there and call back 8 weeks later you should be able to get fresh home grown cauliflowers all year round.  ;D


On a serious note, the first 2 years I grew cauliflower they were all excellent. Never succeeded since.

djbrenton -  ;D  ;D  ;D

Mind you, last years' attempt at growing them from plugs was successful - small but looked very good, until I listenedd to my OH (the non gardener!!) who reckoned they needed another week or so. By the following week they had all blown!!. Memo to self ignore OH when it comes to gardening  :D

QuoteI'm fairly certain AYR are sufficiently frost proof to grow outside all year

I have AYR on the lottie which I sowed in the autumn.  Some of the plants have survived the winter. 

I have sown some caulis on the windowsill and they have germinated well but they are rather leggy. 

I have a greenhouse but due to weather conditions it is still in the box.

I have never had success with AYR.  Last year I grew Candid Charm.  One of the shortest growing times from seed to harvest and the caulis were massive, (the size of footballs.)   I harvest my last Candid Charm early-mid November.  Three successional sowings should last you summer and autumn.

This website says you can harvest them up to September but you can harvest to November.

http://www.kingsseeds.com/Ko-transact/productlist.asp?as=True

I might give them ago Ktlawson. I tried growing AYR last year and the largest cali i got was the size of a tennis ball! No doubt i did something wrong! So going to try something else this year  ;D

I sowed my AYR on the 9/2/10 and they were up within 5 days thats 22 out of 25 germinated.    ;D ;D ;D

throwing caution to the wind, I sowed a few last night and they are on the kitchen window sill which is quite cool at the moment. Once it gets a little warmer here and things start blooming, I will transfer them to the cold frame I think! Thanks for the advice.
I have heard that they need to be well watered, I will try to remember that.

Hi, it's my first year growing cauli. Put them in plastic chinese takeaway cartons (Seemed to have cllected quite a few of these  :) ) onto the kitchen windowsill and they germinated in a week. As digeroo said mine are leggy as well. Is this normal? They have shot up quite quickly. Shall I check the growth by putting them in a cooler place? Or when I re-pot on should I cover up most of the stem?
cheers

antipodes  cauli.s don,t need to be well watered but do require a little drink every day when dry

mokanoo , The reason any seedling gets leggy is because of lack of light so putting them in a cooler place will not make any difference. Drop them in to the seed leaf when you pot them on.

Caui,s are not the easiest of veg to grow but if you have good ground preparation then you will get results.
Cauli,s prefer firm ground that was limed in the Autumn as they don,t like acidity. The ideal place is where your beans or peas were grown last year.

I don't believe you will get good resits by just growing them in manured ground you need both fertilizer and manure. My preferred method is to put a circle of growmore or fish blood and bone around each plant after planting this way i know the fertilizer is going to where it is required. From then on i give each plant a little drink every day to keep them moist.

davyw1 many thanks for the tip.