Cauliflower Seeds – காலிஃபிளவர் விதைகள்

• Take a seedling tray with medium sized cells & drainage holes at the bottom.
• Fill the cells/cups with a moist coco-peat medium.
• Hold the Cauliflower seeds and sow 2-3 seeds per cell/cup. Since Cauliflower seeds are small in size, do not sow them deep.

Sowing Technique:

• Just put the seeds on the surface of the medium & push each seed a little inside the medium by using pencil tip, so that seeds are not visible on the surface anymore & cover it with more coco-peat.
• Or make small, shallow depressions on medium with pencil bottom. Put the seed on that depression & sprinkle more coco-peat on the top to cover the seed.
• Keep the seedling tray indoors till the seeds germinate.

Covering: Keep the seed tray in a box or cover it with paper for first 4-5 days to encourage faster seed germination.

Watering:

• Water the seed cells with a spoon in the first week. Provide two tablespoons of water every day. Or keep the seed tray in another tray full of water for half an hour so that the water will be absorbed by the seed cells from the bottom, via drainage holes.
• If seed beds are made outdoors, protect them from heavy rain  or direct sunlight. Use well sieved fine soil as a sowing medium & make a nice raised bed from it. Cover the bed by making a temporary roof of a plastic sheet. Water it in the form of a light shower using a Watering can.

Sprouting Stage: Seeds will germinate within first 6-8 days & tiny sprouts will be visible. Once seeds germinate, put the tray on an open partially sunny spot near the window. Don’t cover the tray anymore.

Cotyledons: The first two leaves will emerge in the second week of germination. These are false leaves called as cotyledons.

First leaves: First leaves will emerge above cotyledons at the end of the second week.

Seedling stage: Second week onwards, seedlings will start growing into a small plant. At this stage exposé the seedlings to more & more sunlight for leaf growth.

Thinning: After the second week, keep only single seedling per cell/cup. Cut off the weak, small & lagging seedlings with a pair of scissors.

Transplantation: 21 to 25 days after the seed sowing, your seedlings will be ready to transplant in container pots or raised beds.

Container:

• Choose a container with a minimum depth of 8 inches & bigger spread area (according to available space & your requirement) like big Trays or crates.
• Ideal planting mixture for Cauliflower: 2 part garden soil & 1 part Organic manure. Or,
• 1 part garden soil, 1 part coco-peat & 1 part Vermi compost.
• Transplant the seedling along with root ball of a medium, without disturbing its roots.

Spacing: Plant the seedlings minimum 2 feet apart (60×60 cm), from each other on raised beds or in a container.