Collecting cauliflower seeds: where do cauliflower seeds come from?
I love cauliflower and I usually grow it in the garden. I usually buy bedding plants, although cauliflower can be picked from seed. This fact made me think: where do cauliflower seeds come from? I have never seen them in my plants. Read more about it.
Growing cauliflower seeds
Cauliflower is a biennial of the cold season family Bassicaceae. Among the species whose name is Brassica oleracea , cauliflower shares links with :
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
In general, cauliflower is white, although there are some purple colored varieties and even a pointed green variety called Veronica Romanesco.
Cauliflower needs a well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter. Although it prefers a pH of 6.0-7.5, it tolerates slightly alkaline soil. Prepare the bed by cultivating the soil to 12-15 cm and mix it with fertilizer to a depth of 6 cm. Choose a site with at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Plant seeds three weeks before the last frost for spring crops or seven weeks before the first frost for fall crops, or start seeding indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the average date of the last free frost. If you start transplanting cauliflower indoors, remember that cauliflower doesn’t like its roots to get dirty. It is therefore preferable to start the seeds in peat or paper pots.
Plant the seeds ½ to ¼ inches deep and keep them moist and in a warm place between 65-70 degrees F. (18-21 C.). When the growing cauliflower seeds are ready to be transplanted, be sure to harden them before placing them in the garden.
Space the plants 18 to 24 cm apart to give them enough room for their large leaves. Keep the plants moist, otherwise the heads will turn to vinegar. Also feed the plants with an organic fertilizer every 2 to 4 weeks.
Where do cauliflower seeds come from?
Well, now we know how to grow cauliflower from seed, but what about preserving cauliflower seeds? Like other members of the Brassica, cauliflower only sends stems in its second year. In the first year, the plant produces a head and, if not harvested, in the second year, the seed pods emerge in the summer. In a warm climate, it is easy to make them emerge, but in a cold climate, the harvesting of cauliflower seeds is a little more labour-intensive.
The first thing to know if you save cauliflower seeds is that the plants are pollinated by insects and will therefore crossbreed with all the other members of the Brassica. An isolation zone of ½ mile is necessary for pure seeds. Buildings, tree rows and cut wood in this isolation zone.
If you are committed and determined to save seeds, you will probably want to save at least 6 of the healthiest plants. Do not harvest the heads. They should remain for the second year. If you live in a warm climate, cauliflower can stay in bed for the two years it takes to produce seeds. But, if you live in an area where the frost has been prolonged, the plants should be dug up in the fall. Store them over the winter and then replant them in the spring.
If your temperatures only drop below freezing for a few weeks, but not below 28 degrees F. (-2 C.), you can plant cauliflowers in the fall and harvest the seeds the following summer.
Cauliflower seed harvest
To harvest the seeds, the seed stems should be collected when the pods are fully ripe and dry on the plant. Use a sieve to separate the straw from the seed. You can store the seeds in a cool, dry place for 5 years.
