Cauliflower 'Purple Sicily'
Growing Advice
Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea Botrytis Cultivar Group
Common Names: Purple Cauliflower, Cauliflower 'Purple Sicily', Cauliflower 'Sicilian Violet', Cauliflower 'Violet Queen', Graffiti Cauliflower, Cavolfiore di Sicilia Violetto
Family: Brassicaceae (Cauliflower & Cabbage)
Etymology
Brassica: Cabbage; Latin
oleracea: Edible Vegetable
Botrytis: Noble Rot
Origin
This is an Italian heirloom cauliflower
Description
An easy to grow variety with a milder and sweeter taste than white cauliflower cultivars. The dense, bright purple floret head contrasts nicely with the grey-green leaves of this cultivar.
Uses
The entire cauliflower plant is edible, including stalk and leaves, although best when cooked. Can be made into soup or added to stews, stir-fries and bakes. Also nice when roasted with garlic and balsamic vinegar. The purple colour will fade to green when cooked.
Germination
Sow cauliflower seeds 6mm deep spacing plants about half a metre apart. Cauliflowers require cold weather to encourage them to produce a head of florets, to achieve the required amount of chilling they need to be sowed at certain times. In cold regions sow from mid-Spring to late-Summer, in temperate regions sow from mid-Summer to late-Autumn, in the sub-tropics sow from early-Autumn to early-Winter. in the tropics sow from mid-Autumn to mid-Winter.
Cultivation
Keep well watered. Heavy feeder. Prefers rich, free-draining soil. Incorporate compost into the soil prior to planting if lacking in organic matter. Add garden lime to the soil if acidic. Tolerates frost once established. Cover the developing heads with the leaves, loosely tying them in place with string, to prevent the bright purple heads from fading in the sun. Takes 15-17 weeks from sowing until harvest.