Snowball – OP

An easy maintenance heritage variety, Snowball was first bred in America in the 1890s.  It’s a perfect reliable, early smaller variety for the home gardener.  It can be eaten from 5cm in size up to 15cm.  The smaller plants can be set closer together so not to take up precious garden space. 65-70 days to harvest, more versatile than the larger “all year round” variety as this one can be planted all year in cooler climates.  Succession plant so you don’t end one with a glut of caulies.  Set a reminder on your phone to plant brocs and caulis 2-4 weeks apart for regular production.

Snowball is an excellent keeper with a mild flavour and suitable for eating either fresh in salads and snacks, or for use cooked: soups, steaming or stir-frying. It is also good for canning and freezing.

How to Grow:
Sow seeds late July/august under protection/in greenhouse or September (after spring equinox) – February. Put in a main crop ahead of winter by Mid-February. Sow 4-6 weeks before the date you wish to plant them in the garden, in seedling trays so they can be easily thinned ahead of transplanting.  Using a pen tip poke holes into seed raising mix and sow 7mm deep, 5 or so seeds in each hole and thin to the strongest seedling.  Keep seedling protected from the dreaded white butterfly November – March.  They are ready to transplant when true leaves have formed, and they are 6-8cm tall.  When planting ensure that they are planted only as deep as the seedling soil level. Plant seedling 40-50cm apart to allow plenty of room for their big leaves and mulch well.  Cover with insect netting until the risk of white butterflies is over.  As plants mature cover the heads with the leave using soft ties.  This protects the curds from turing yellow from the sun or getting damage from rain or frost.  Feed with seasol every few weeks.  Despite most brassicas getting too leafy from the high nitrogen, caulis appreciate the nitrogen boost

Good companions:
Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Onions, Garlic, Beetroot, Chards. Beans, Lettuce, Potatoes
Plant celery near to Cauliflower to repel the white cabbage butterfly. And Dill to attract a white butterfly controlling wasp. Land Cress attracts cabbage white butterfly, and when it lays its eggs, they eat it and die.

Bad companions:
Don’t plant cauliflower near strawberries or tomatoes – it doesn’t like either.