Cauliflower does not set heads: reasons, solution

When does cauliflower begin to set?

The timing of setting cauliflower is primarily determined by the characteristics of the variety. All varietal variations of this vegetable are divided into early ripening, mid-early and late ripening:

early ripening cauliflower will be ready to harvest in 80-110 days from the moment of germination;
for mid-early varieties this period increases to 126-135 days;
Late-ripening species form heads 160-170 days from the moment the sprouts hatch.

When planting, be sure to consider that the variety is suitable for your growing region. Early varieties are grown in greenhouses in the middle zone and more northern regions; mid-early
cabbage
is suitable for planting in open ground in the conditions of the Moscow region and neighboring regions.
Varieties and hybrids with late ripening periods are grown in the south - they are sown in the fall, and already in March-April they get ripe cauliflower.

Temperature

In order for a good head of cauliflower to grow, it is advisable to maintain the temperature regime. Seeds germinate well only on sun-warmed soil. For further growth, the plant also needs warmth. But the rosettes of leaves of most varieties offered for sale can withstand -5 degrees. However, already at 10, the growth of cabbage slows down, and the heads, even if they knit, turn out to be too small and coarse.

It is believed that the optimal temperature for setting normal heads of cauliflower is 15-18. I don’t know how to explain this, but the author of this article has cauliflower that will give birth perfectly even at 30. At the same time, the plants are watered and irrigated regularly. What is definitely not suitable for cauliflower is sudden changes in temperature, that is, either a sharp increase or decrease.

Why cauliflower does not set: reasons

There are quite a few reasons why cauliflower does not set heads. Let's consider them in order in order to understand how you can correct the situation and prevent mistakes in the future.

Incorrect variety selected

Sometimes gardeners buy cauliflower seeds based on its commercial qualities or other characteristics, and do not pay attention to the recommended growing region. This is often the mistake that leads to the fact that the cauliflower never forms a head.

If you plant a late variety in the cold Siberian summer, the head of cabbage simply will not have time to fully develop. Its formation will begin only after more than 2 months, when a rosette of a dozen or more leaves forms on the plant. After this, the head of cabbage will need about 3 more weeks to fully develop, but the approaching cold will prevent this.

On a note! If we talk about climate, then it is impossible to make a mistake with the choice of variety only if you live in the south of Russia. Any variety of cabbage is suitable for growing here.

Bad seed material

Poor quality seeds are another reason for the above problem. Substandard material will not make it possible to obtain healthy, strong plants. Either the shoots will be too weak, or the cabbage will be sterile. When choosing a package of seeds, be sure to pay attention to the expiration date and brand of the manufacturer.

It is better to give preference to varieties developed by domestic breeders. This type of cabbage has already been adapted for growing in our area. It is desirable that the variety be included in the State Register, and that the agricultural company itself has a good reputation. Some people make the mistake of using seeds obtained from hybrid plants for planting. F1 hybrids never pass on their properties to subsequent generations.

Poor quality seedlings

To grow high-quality cauliflower seedlings, a number of conditions must be met:

The soil must be very loose and at the same time nutritious.
To prevent the seedlings from getting sick, you must first disinfect the containers and disinfect the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or by steaming.
For faster germination, it is advisable to soak the seeds in warm water and pickle them before planting.
If the seedlings were grown in a common container, they are planted in separate pots.
To obtain healthy seedlings, it is necessary to feed the plants twice - the first time fertilizer is applied 1.5 weeks after picking. After 10 days, fertilizing should be repeated.
As a fertilizer, you can use a solution of ammonium nitrate or a complex preparation.
During cultivation, seedlings must receive enough light, otherwise the plants will become elongated, frail and weak.

Failure to comply with the technology for growing seedlings will lead to the fact that the seedlings will not be viable or their root system will not develop sufficiently. After planting in open ground, such cabbage will suffer for a long time and take root slowly, which will inevitably affect the further growth of the crop. Such plants are unlikely to be able to fully develop and set heads.

Bad soil

It is important to choose the right place to plant cauliflower. This must be a well-lit area with sunshine. Plants need to receive direct sunlight for at least 3 hours a day, and shading should be provided during the midday hours. Due to the lack of light, the process of photosynthesis will be disrupted; in this case, the cabbage will devote all its energy to growing leaves, and not to setting a head of cabbage.

Not every soil is suitable for a capricious culture. It grows best on mixed sandy-clayey soil with a neutral acidity level. If the soil is too heavy or, on the contrary, consists of only sand, you cannot expect a good harvest from cauliflower.

Unsuitable soil must be improved. Coarse sand and humus are added to clay soil. For sandy soil, additives in the form of black soil and compost are recommended. Planting green manure will also help improve the structure of sandy soil. If the soil is too acidic, it is limed, carrying out the procedure several months before planting cauliflower.

Lack of microelements

Like any other crop, cauliflower needs macro- and microelements for full development. If seedlings are planted in unfertilized soil, the life of the plants will be disrupted. Due to a lack of nutrients, cabbage will only be able to form deformed heads of cabbage, or will not set at all.

In addition to the basic elements, the plant requires a sufficient amount of boron and molybdenum for fruiting. The soil for planting cauliflower has been amended since the fall, using fresh manure, humus or compost for this purpose.

If this has not been done, you can fertilize the soil in the spring, but only with compost or rotted manure. For 1 sq. m of plantings, 5 kg of organic fertilizer are applied.

2 weeks after the seedlings are planted in the ground, they are fed with mineral fertilizers, making up a solution of superphosphate, potassium chloride and ammonium nitrate. The consumption of each substance is 20 g per 10 liters of water.
After another 2 weeks, fertilizing with the same composition is repeated. At the very beginning of tying heads, it is necessary to apply fertilizer containing boron and molybdenum.

Irrigation mode violation

The culture reacts painfully to violations of watering rules. It is the lack of moisture that often causes heads to not set. Even a short drought can disrupt this process. By the way, not only soil moisture is important for cauliflower, but also air humidity. In warm, dry summers, watering should be done every 2-3 days, using one bucket of water per square meter of planting.

To increase air humidity, water is periodically sprayed over the cauliflower from a sprayer. For the same purpose, the ground is covered with a mulch layer. You can use cut and dried grass or chopped straw as mulch.

On a note! You should not use weeds with ripe seeds for mulching, otherwise you will have to struggle with weeding the ridge later.

Planting density

Violation of the planting pattern leads to the fact that as the cauliflower grows, it begins to lack light. When planting seedlings in the ground, it is necessary to maintain a distance between plants so that each of them can develop freely without interfering with each other, so holes in the ridge are made at intervals of 50 cm. For the same reason, the crop should not be planted next to tall plants and fruit trees, which will shade it.

Influence of weather conditions

Cauliflower does not like temperature changes or too much heat. If the thermometer exceeds the 30-degree mark, metabolic processes in plant tissues are disrupted, the rhythm of phytohormone production is disrupted, so the heads of cabbage may be ugly, small, or not set at all.
Cauliflower reacts no less sensitively to a sharp drop in temperature, especially at the beginning of cultivation. To avoid the negative impact of weather conditions, you need to choose the timing of planting cabbage so as to protect it from the effects of spring frosts and at the same time have time to get the harvest before the onset of heat.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests of cauliflower can interfere with the formation of heads of cabbage. Weakened plants spend all their energy fighting for survival, so ovary formation does not occur. Cruciferous flea beetles are especially annoying to the crop. Another dangerous pest is the cabbage moth larva. Caterpillars eat the leaf heart at the very beginning of the formation of the head of cabbage, which interferes with its further development.

Read more in the article: Black flea beetles on cabbage, how to treat them

What to do if inflorescences do not form?

How to water?

It is optimal to water the cabbage weekly. But during the period of setting the head in dry, hot weather, daily watering is carried out with non-cold water, using up to 10 liters of liquid per plant.

It is necessary to organize watering, taking into account the characteristics of the climate and soil, since an excess of moisture can lead to disturbances in the functioning of the root system, and consequently to the absence of inflorescences.

What to feed?

At the stage of tying heads, it is recommended to feed the plants with the following composition (dosage: per 1 m²):

Ammonium nitrate - 15-20 g.
Superphosphate - 20-25 g.
Potassium fertilizer - 10-15 g.

It is necessary to maintain a balance in nitrogen nutrition of cabbage. It is responsible for the growth of green mass - and without a good rosette, a head of cabbage will not be able to form; but its excess can also cause the absence of an ovary.

Important!

The supply of molybdenum, as well as boron, is critically important during the formation of the ovary.

It is possible to use ammonium molybdate or a complex additive containing molybdenum and boron.

Loosening

In order for moisture to flow to the roots of the plant and stay for a longer time, after watering you need to loosen the soil to a depth of about 6-8 cm, but not deeper, so as not to damage the roots. This procedure also helps saturate the soil with oxygen and improve plant nutrition.

Tying leaves

This will help somewhat protect the growing point of the ovary from the sun and extreme heat. The leaves are lifted up, gently compressed and tied with twine. When plantings thicken, it is necessary to thin them out. Sometimes it is better to sacrifice one or two plants than to end up with no harvest at all.

How to treat the soil to deoxidize it?

Typically, soil deoxidation is still carried out in spring and autumn, but you can try to do this in summer:

dolomite flour;
ash.

Pest Control

A plant freed from pests will give a better response to the measures already taken to set inflorescences.

How to feed cauliflower to make heads stand

For normal formation of heads of cabbage, it is necessary to avoid those mistakes in agricultural technology that were listed above. In addition, you can further stimulate the process of head formation by using root and foliar fertilizers.

Folk remedies

Experienced gardeners have long appreciated the beneficial effects of some folk remedies on obtaining a cauliflower harvest. In particular, the formation of heads is promoted by:

Yeast. As a result of the fermentation reaction, yeast improves the function of the cabbage root system, due to which the plant begins to better absorb nutrients. The solution can be prepared from 100 g of fresh yeast or 1 packet of dry yeast and 2 tbsp. l. sugar per 10 liters of warm water. You need to water the cabbage with the yeast mixture in the evening.
Boric acid. The substance will help protect cabbage from annoying pests at the most crucial moment. Before the heads begin to set, you should spray the cabbage tops with a solution of 2 teaspoons of boric acid and 10 liters of water. The pre-hardly soluble powder is diluted in a small amount of hot liquid. Additionally, boric acid accelerates biological processes occurring in plant tissues. The composition is used for foliar feeding.
Herbal cocktail. Green fertilizer is prepared from cut weeds. The raw materials are pre-crushed, filled into the barrel up to half, and the rest of the volume is filled with water. The infusion should be prepared within 5-7 days by fermentation. The contents of the barrel are stirred periodically. Due to the pungent odor, the composition should be kept under the lid. Once ready, the fertilizer is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5 and used to water cauliflower.

Folk remedies can be alternated with each other, taking a break of one week between feedings.

Ready-made fertilizers

To ensure that cauliflower gets everything it needs, complex mineral supplements can be applied closer to the fruiting period. For example, such as:

Nitrophoska is a granular fertilizer based on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. A solution is prepared from 50 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water.
Azofoska . The basis of this mixture is dominated by nitrogen. It also contains potassium and phosphorus. The percentage of components may vary. Additionally, the composition is enriched with sulfur, which plays an important role in normalizing the process of photosynthesis. Before use, 30 g of fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water.
"Orton" is a water-soluble complex fertilizer. This series produces a special fertilizer for cabbage with an optimal ratio of micro- and macroelements, as well as humic acids. Intended for feeding cabbage in the initial phase of head formation. A solution is prepared from 20 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. It is recommended to use this fertilizer 2-3 times.

The following drugs can also be used: “Kemira Lux”, “Solution”, “Zircon”. Each of them is used in strict accordance with the instructions given by the manufacturer.

What is it: characteristics and structure

Cauliflower is white, cream, or light green in color, but "rainbow" varieties can also be found. In terms of taste, dietary and nutritional qualities, it is superior to other types of cabbage.

It contains:

phosphorus;
manganese;
omega-3 acids;
folic and pantothenic acid.

The amount of protein and ascorbic acid is twice as high as in cabbage . Cauliflower is easier to digest and absorb by the body, unlike other types.

How does a vegetable grow? The plant is an annual, i.e. seeds can be obtained in the first year, but this requires a growing season of 270 days. The stem has a cylindrical shape with a height of 10–70 cm. The leaves are arranged horizontally and can be slightly curved with a height of 20–60 cm. The color of the leaves can be green, light green, blue-green with a waxy coating. Head weight from 100 to 500 g.

its name due to the similarity of the inflorescences with many unopened buds, close to each other . These inflorescences are the edible part.

Answers to frequently asked questions

It would seem that growing and maintaining cauliflower is not difficult, but gardeners still have questions regarding tying heads.

Why do cauliflowers have small heads?

The reason in this case may be the same as in the complete absence of the ovary. Basically, underdeveloped heads are obtained due to poor quality of seedlings. Negative factors may include unsuitable soil, lack of moisture and fertilizers. At the last stages of the growing season, the plants most likely did not have enough microelements, namely boron and molybdenum.

Why do cauliflower inflorescences stretch out?

Sometimes cauliflower, instead of producing dense heads, forms spreading bouquets of inflorescences. The cause of this disease can be several factors: lack of microelements, improper application of fertilizers.

If cauliflower blooms, what should you do?

Sometimes cauliflower goes into color. This happens due to inappropriate care or inappropriate weather. Instead of a full head of cabbage, a thin sprout with a loose umbrella is formed. In this case, the top of the plant is cut off along with the inflorescences and the failed head, leaving a stalk 15 cm long.

Soon the cabbage will produce new shoots from the lower buds. Of these, a couple of the strongest are left, the rest will need to be removed. After this, the vegetable is provided with favorable conditions by regular watering and fertilizing. In this case, the harvest will be later, but it’s better than nothing. When the heat subsides in August, the cabbage will form new dense heads of cabbage.

Planting density

When planting seedlings in a permanent place of growth, it is necessary to maintain the distance between plantings. For the development and growth of cauliflower, leave at least 50-60 centimeters between plants.

If a vegetable crop is planted in a denser pattern, the cabbage begins to thicken, which will lead to a lack of light for the growth and development of plants.

Favorable temperature conditions for the crop

If the plant does not receive enough heat, it may not be able to set the desired fruit. Cabbage can also grow slowly if the temperature regime is not maintained. The normal temperature for the ovary is 15 and 18 degrees. It is important to know that cabbage may not be able to withstand sudden changes in temperature and will not be able to produce a harvest.

An interesting fact is that the crop can be protected from extreme heat. This can be done using leaves that are tied above the head.