CAULIFLOWERS UNCOVERED

More expert advice from Martin Fish on one of the more difficult veg to grow, while Jill serves up a delicious cauliflower and mustard soup

Of all the brassicas, cauliflower is often considered one of the most challenging to grow, simply because it likes a good rich soil and hates checks in growth. Having said that they are well worth growing because freshly harvested cauliflower (known as curds, which are actually the flower buds) are delicious and can be used many different ways. Traditionally, we had winter and summer varieties, and although these still exist, the many modern hybrids are much more flexible in their sowing times, which means it's possible to be able to harvest cauliflower for much of the year in a range of different colours!

SOIL CONDITIONS

A neutral or slightly alkaline soil is ideal and a good way to ensure this is to apply a dressing of lime to the brassica bed in late winter. They also like a nutrient-rich soil that will encourage strong, fast growth. The addition of plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure over winter to prepare the bed is ideal, and just before planting a dressing of general fertiliser will get them off to a good start. For summer types, moisture retention is important but if you've mixed in plenty of organic matter, that will help the soil retain moisture while the plants are growing.

SOWING