How to Grow Green-stem Loose-curd Cauliflower? Latest Cultivation Technique Tutorial

Loose-curd cauliflower is a type within cauliflower of the genus Brassica in the Brassicaceae family, also known as loose cauliflower, green-stem loose-curd cauliflower, organic cauliflower, white-faced loose-curd cauliflower, organic broccoli, etc. Because its curd branches are longer and the curd layer is thinner, the head is not compact when fully swollen, appearing loose compared with ordinary cauliflower, hence the name. Now let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for green-stem loose-curd cauliflower!

Cultivation Characteristics

Loose-curd cauliflower has two notable characteristics. First, it has good boiling tolerance and a delicious taste; the vitamin C and soluble sugar content of loose-curd cauliflower is noticeably higher than that of tight-curd cauliflower, making it very popular with consumers. Second, early and mid-maturing varieties have strong heat tolerance and broader adaptability; in the suburbs of cities they can be cultivated by “delayed spring” and “early autumn” planting, and in high-mountain cultivation they can be put on the market in summer and autumn, broadening the production and marketing period of cauliflower.

Field Selection

1. For loose-curd cauliflower, the field should be selected with loose, fertile soil, good soil stability, and strong water retention, water supply and oxygen supply capacity. The field should have complete irrigation facilities and be able to drain and irrigate. For high-mountain cultivation, low-lying land and sticky waterlogged land should not be chosen for growing cauliflower, otherwise the plants grow poorly and are prone to black root disease. For early spring planting in plain areas, because temperatures are relatively low and rainfall is relatively scarce, such land can be appropriately selected, but it should be made into wide-furrow high beds and covered with plastic film to prevent moisture and dampness.

2. Continuous cropping land should have strengthened disease and pest control and supplemental micro-fertilizers. Sloping dry land such as sweet potato land has poor water retention capacity and is prone to drought; for high-mountain cultivation it can still be used in the first half of the year, but for planting in the second half of the year, if there are no watering conditions, it generally cannot be selected in ordinary years. For cultivation in high-mountain areas, an altitude between 600 and 1200 m should be chosen. For growing high-mountain cauliflower in areas below 800 m altitude, the high-temperature season should be avoided, or more heat-tolerant varieties should be chosen, such as “Qingnong 70-day Green-stem Loose-curd Cauliflower” and others.

Cultivation Season

1. Cultivation in low-mountain areas below 350 m altitude: for spring planting, sow from late December to early January, raise seedlings with heat preservation in a large greenhouse with a small arch shed inside, and transplant from late February to early March under plastic film plus a small arch shed. If sowing from late February to early March, raise seedlings with heat preservation in a large greenhouse or small arch shed. Open-field transplanting can be done from late March to early April. Harvest and marketing can be done in April or from mid-May to early June. For autumn planting, sow from mid-June to July, raise seedlings under shade, transplant from early July to August, and harvest and market from late August to early November.

2. Cultivation in high-mountain areas at 800 to 1200 m altitude: sow from mid-February to mid-March, with a seedling age of about 30 days, transplant from mid-March to mid-April, and harvest from mid-May to June. Qingnong 65-day is sown from late March to July, with a seedling age of 20 to 35 days, can be transplanted from late April to mid-August, and harvested from the end of May to early November. High-mountain seedling raising all uses protected facilities (mostly small arch sheds), which can provide heat preservation and cold protection in spring, and achieve rain protection and moisture retention in summer and autumn.

Topdressing Fertilizer

1. During the seedling stage of loose-curd cauliflower, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used, applied thinly and frequently to promote the development of rosette leaves. Before and after budding, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are mainly used, with heavy application of bud fertilizer, generally applied by mixing fertilizer with water and watering it on, which can prolong the bud-swelling period and promote the development and swelling of the curd. Under high temperature and drought conditions, insufficient soil moisture commonly hinders the plant's absorption of nutrients, so fertilization must be organically combined with water supply; applying fertilizer mixed with water can improve fertilizer use efficiency and enhance quick effectiveness.

2. During the growth process of loose-curd cauliflower, medium and trace fertilizers such as boron, molybdenum, magnesium and sulfur should also be added to correct nutrient deficiencies in the plants. Among them, boron has a very significant effect on curd yield and quality and must be applied as a foliar topdressing 2 to 3 times, especially indispensable during the curd swelling period. During the mid-to-late topdressing process, ammonium bicarbonate or fertilizers containing ammonium bicarbonate must be refused to avoid causing hairy curd.

3. For fertilizing loose-curd cauliflower, mainly use decomposed manure and urine water, combined with quick-acting chemical fertilizers, for balanced fertilization, and determine the fertilization amount and number of applications according to plant growth and target yield. Generally, topdressing is applied once each after transplanting and surviving, at the early stage of rosette leaf formation, at the late stage of rosette leaf formation, and at budding, for a total of 3 to 4 times; at the same time, combined with the application of medium and trace element fertilizers such as magnesium, boron and molybdenum. Within 20 days before product harvest, no chemical fertilizer may be applied.