Defiant cauliflower for early spring harvest

Growing cauliflower for early spring harvest has been a long and somewhat laborious process. Winter Aalsmeer was sown almost 11 months ago, planted under the bionet in August, protected from severe frost by wrapping the gradually too long sticks in non-woven fabric - and yet only 4 of the original 9 plants survived the winter. The others rotted on the stem just below the lower leaves. In March, the last survivors were even subjected to an unplanned move when I suddenly decided to drop the bed they were in. Thus, after almost a year of constant crises and worries, the first head can be harvested today - just over a month earlier than overwintering cauliflower sown in the fall, but probably a lot later than usual due to the cold spring weather.

Unfortunately, the course has not resulted in me becoming wiser about how it can succeed better next time. I had given my son 9 plants from the same sowing that I had in surplus - which he then forgot and only had time to plant a lot later and then since has largely not taken care of. All his plants have a more normal length of stem and have survived without him having done anything about it - which outright is sk.de annoying!

Written by: Peter Norris