Cauliflower Violetto Di Sicilia originates from Sicily in Italy. It has round, deep purple curds with excellent flavour are produced on a voluminous plant that forms side shoots after de main head is cut. Violetto di Sicillia is a stunning, colourfull cauliflower variety. The colour is retained when the curds are served raw, but this purple turns to green when the curds are cooked. Can be sown from spring to autumn.
Cauliflower is a very healthy and versatile vegetable. Cauliflower contains a.o.: vitamin C, K, B6, B11, B1, B2 and B3. And the minerals: potassium, manganese, phosphor, molybdenum and magnesium. It also contains a lot of antioxidants like: rutin, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid and caffeic acid. They're also a lot of fibre, some amino acids like tryptophane and a little bit of calories. It's a very healthy vegetable. You can cook, steam, stew, bake, grill, stir-fry, cook in the oven, deep-fry and prepare it like couscous. Add some cauliflower to soups, mixed vegetable dishes, raw in salads, as healthy snack and as appetizer. Cauliflower is delicious in combination with: cheese, apple, garlic, flower, potatoes, eggs, parsley, onions, pasta, beef, chicken, pork, minced beef, cod and vegetables like: paprika, carrot, brocolli, lettuce, French beans, peas and courgettes. Fairly hardy annual.
Indoor sowing: early March - June
Outdoor sowing: early April - October
Germination: 5 - 8 days
Germination temp: 15 - 21 °C
Sowing depth: ½ cm
Plant spacing: 45 cm
Planting position: sunny
Harvestperiod: April - end of November
Sow indoors from the beginning of March or outdoors under glass in loose potting soil. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, because they need light to germinate. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. Keep the soil moist, but not too wet to prevent rotting. Put the seedlings outdoors approx. 2 - 3 weeks before the last nightfrosts. Put the seedlings outdoors before they're 5 weeks old. Because older seedlings don't have enough growing power. Keep the plants and around the plants approx. 45 cm apart. To assure that the cauliflowers have enough room to grow.
When you want to harvest in December - January, you must plant the seedlings out from the end of June till the end of July.
Sow outdoors from the beginning of April. Sow in rows approx. 60 cm apart. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, because they need light to germinate. Keep the soil moist. Thin the young seedlings to 1 plant per spot after 3 - 4 weeks.
Cauliflower needs a lot of exta manure. You also need to water them profusely, especially during droughts. Give once a week extra water around the plant and not on the plant. To prevent the cabbage fly from laying it's eggs on the foot of the plant, cover the plants with a cauliflower collar. The young larvaes eat the roots of the plans. Snails and slugs can also be a problem to cauliflower. Harvest the cauliflower by cutting the stem with a knife and remove the cabbage carefully. You can keep cauliflower approx. 7 - 10 days in the cripser compartment of your fridge. You can also divide the cauliflower in rosettes and freeze them.
