It is widely known to many people that cauliflowers are hard to grow. This often discourages them to plant this vegetable. If you are interested in growing this plant, you will be happy to know that there are new varieties which grow easily. You can likewise read the tips for successfully growing cauliflower which are stated below.

If you are planning on planting cauliflowers it is important for you to understand that most failures are due to improper or lack of soil preparation. This particular plant is a heavy consumer of nutrients. Because of this, it is imperative that the soil is prepared properly since it will be the main source of nutrition of the plant as it grows.

In order to grow cauliflowers properly the first step occurs even before planting. Before you plant this vegetable, you first have to prepare the soil. You need to insure that the soil has enough nutrients for the plant. One source of nutrient is compost. You can dig in compost before planting. However, if the soil was previously planted with beans or peas, you no longer have to dig in a lot of compost. But, the soil should have been previously planted within a year.

You have to consider the quality of the soil to identify how much compost has to be added. If the soil is poor, you will have to dig in a lot of compost. As I have mentioned earlier, cauliflowers are heavy nutrient feeders. They require a lot of nutrient in the soil. To ensure that the compost really sets into the soil, it is best to place them during the autumn season.

Another soil preparation technique is the identification of the soil pH. This particular plant thrives on soil which has a pH level of 6.5 to 7. There are various tools such as the pH meter and soil testing kit which can be utilized to check the pH level. If it is below the recommended level, you can increase it by adding lime to the soil. However, there should be at least 1 month gap between the time that you add compost into the soil and the adding of lime.

Another area that needs to be looked into to ensure the proper growth of the cauliflower is the weather. You have to understand that this plant is sensitive to sudden climate changes. The most common effect of this is the changing of the curd to color yellow. During hot summers, there's a method that can be used to protect the curd from extreme heat. Fold the outer leaves inwards to protect it from the sun.

Proper watering of the plant is also important. You have to water it regularly specially in the dry season. Irregular watering will usually result in a poor and small head formation.