Planting Cauliflower, Sicily Purple.

Cauliflower, Sicily Purple.

A colourful Italian heirloom with brilliant purple heads and a mild, sweet flavour. The head cooks to green but tastes great fresh from the garden. Less appealing to brassica pests. Harvest at 17 weeks.

Diggers Club https://www.diggers.com.au/shop/edibles/cauliflower-sicily-purple/s079/

Lost but not least

My New Years res of and hour in the veggie garden when I'm not working in the cab is going to take some doing tomorrow after 28mls of rain overnight on Wednesday and then a further 56mls today but I'm sure I will find plenty to do. As a matter of fact I can think of several things already.

On a brighter note though. The lost seeds I ordered from the Lost Seed, seed company, finally arrived yesterday. I'm beside myself with the excitement of getting some of these seeds planted though the current rainfall is putting a dampener on things. 

 

Seeds included in the order were the 'Yellow Taxi', a yellow bush tomato that I've been waiting for with excruciating patience and Blue Lake climbing beans. 

Also ordered and lost but now found was a packet of Lettuce Reine Des'glaces which I assume is a French variety (confirmed here with a well written and complete description)Iceburg type lettuce.

How did Iceburg Lettuce get to be called Iceburg Lettuce, well according to Wikipedia it go something like this:- Bruce Church founder of Fresh Express, was responsible for popularizing the idea of shipping lettuce across the US continent from Salinas, California to the spots on the East coast. Using ice they carefully covered the heads of lettuce and shipped them all year round and all the way as far as Maine, as the train pulled into each stop, folks would call out excitedly, "The icebergs are coming, the icebergs are coming!" The name stuck. Before that people had to depend on what you could grow locally and preserve from the gardens.

Last but not least is a packet of Cauliflower Early Snowball. A heirloom dating back to 1830 with small to medium, solid white heads.

Nevele

Nevele/eleven

Walkies again this morning, but nothing as extravagant as yesterday.

Just around the big block to walk out some stiffness from yesterdays epic.

I found this nice reference to the number eleven while I was out so I took a photo and now here it is.






Stuart and Mabel street will mean nothing to anyone. It's just a photo I took to show I was there.













Oops, looks like it's the end of the road for me, but fear not fair maiden, for I have a plan.....umm, what was the plan again???

Ok so this is the top of North street that I refer too from time to time. And yes it is as steep as it looks.

As for the veggie garden we have rain predicted here for tomorrow and I am hoping it will hold off long enough for me to prepare for and plant (direct sow) some carrot, cabbage, cauliflower and brocolli seeds before it sets in.

Cheers for now

Stewart.


P.S. Happy Valentines day.

And I know why he had his head chopped off.

The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle, (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't finish him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273.^[8]

12 inches or 30 cm's

One of my 'Violet Sicilian', Cauliflowers I picked very slowly (cause that's how I do things atm).

It's probably a good 11 inches across at least and yummy as.

I also saw a recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens TV show on Friday night for Mustard pickles so I'll probably use one of these guys in that too.

It uses 1/4 cup of dark rum in the ingredients which has me eager to try it (the recipe that is, oh ok and the rum), because there just might be some left over for which I'll have to find a use for, hic!

Anyhow enough distraction, Assignment 2 Part A Task 2 is still waiting.

'Violet Sicilian'

I grew this!

First year I've grown these.

'Violet Sicilian' Cauliflower, looking good to me.

Jamie Oliver had a recipe for beer battered cauliflower on one of his shows and I've been dying to try it out.

Just been waiting to grow some cauliflowers and now I have some.

A high mineral content is responsible for the colour.

Not the deadly

I had to hand in my enrollment paraphernalia for my prep course at uni today so I hopped on the deadly and rode out there.

It's about 9k's each way and mostly up hill on the way there and obviously down hill on the way home.

And for my 47 year old ex squash playing knees that don't do much more than lean on a brake peddle or accelerator in the taxi, I gotta tell ya that's a long way.


My plot at the Toowoomba Community Organic Gardens is on the way home, and as seen as I haven't been there since the last lot of rain I popped in to see how things were going.

When I first got my plot I planted some Violet Sicilian Cauliflower by seed which I planted in a spare raised bed close by. (behind the bike in the above photo)

They're doing well but I've got to get some blood and bone and sulphate of potash on them, as well as some mulch.


The peas are still growing well and will need to be stakes soon (I think I said that last time as well).













Weeds? What weeds?

This is a red cos lettuce the seeds of which I got from diggers. Never grown them before but they look good so far.








Leeks and spring onions.

I'm growing the leeks on at the moment, when they get about 200mm high I divide them up in to individual plants for growing on.










These are the broad beans I planted for a green manure but I'm finding myself attached to them and not wanting to turn them in.

When I get chance I'll ask the pres if I can have some more space for my potato planting plans and then I can keep the BB's.









Cabbage is doing well





















Broccoli Romanesco, same as the Violet Sicilian Cauliflower I planted some of these guys up.

They seem a little slow off the mark, but look healthy enough.

And same again, I've got to get some blood and bone and sulphate of pot ash on them, as well as some mulch.








Also after the recent rain the weeds are having a ball. Looks like wipper snipper time.

Well that's it for now, after having little to do for the last month the veggie gardening jobs seem to be piling up so I'd better get cracking and get into it.

Cheers,

Stewart

Wednesday walkthrough.

Hi all,
I just put new batteries in the camera, went for a walk around the garden and here are the results.

First off is the purple flowering broad beans which are doing quite well if I do say so myself.


Click on the photos if you want to see a bigger photo.



Next is the freshly sown onion bed. Not much to see, Just a nice photo of of some fresh soil, but can't you just see the potential?













I love a good yellow rose as much as the next person so here's one to share.














A small selection of dwarf and mini brasscias.
There's red cabbage, mini cauliflower and mini cabbage as well as a Broccoli.

All growing well thank-you very much.








This is the hard neck garlic which is the first time I've grown it and therefore have nothing to compare it to so I have no idea if it is growing well or not, but it looks good to me.










Baby cos lettuce, three in a row all ready to eat.

Luv this gardening.

Cheers and happy veggie gardening,

Stewart

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week 12ish.

The story so far.

14 Feb 2009 seed planted. Click here for full story












Nicely tucked away.












19 Feb 2009, up and running.
















26 Feb 2009, A bit slow to get going due to my poor choice of seed raising mix.
























18 Mar 2009, well this is where I left you, at the soil preparation stage. Click here for more on soil preparation stage.










The story continues.
22 Mar 2009. After the soil preparation it was time to plant Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. It was now or never because as you can see in the photos they were going nowhere in the potting mix I had them in.









Dig a little hole












and pop them in. Can you see that poor pathetic little Broccoli in the middle of the photo?













Well this is him/her now.

They have had plenty of help along the way with regular applications of fish emulsion, rooster booster, watering and mulching.

Ooh I just remembered I have to put on some Sulphate of potash. Looks like this afternoons job :0





















This poor little guy had all his/her leaves eaten off about four weeks ago and I kept hoping he/she would sprout again and it has so hopefully it can go on to fulfill it rightful potential on my dinner plate :)







I make that three months since I planted the seed so these guys should be about 2/3 of the way there.

I'll keep an eye on them and when something more interesting happens I'll get it up here lickety split.

Cheers for now and happy veggie gardening,
Stewart

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week One

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week Two

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week Three

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week Four

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Last Friday

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Last Friday

Click mouse over photo for larger photo and better detail.

Last Friday I did a little prep work for planting my Broccoli, 'Romanesco' and Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian'.

Being not entirely happy with their progress in the potting mix I decided it was bath time for these little baby's.
Just a half strength fish and seeweed mixture and a soak for and hour or two.




Talk about spoilt, I usually only give a half a bucket of compost, but these guys will get a whole bucket each.

Never heard of a plant that died from too much compost. Just ask the runaway pumpkin growing out of the compost pile.







Rooster Booster praise. Even the bag is bio degradable.
BFA Registered Product









A half a hand full per sq mtr should do it.












Just need some dolomite to help curb club root.











A half a hand full again.











Ready to turn in.










All turned in watered and ready for planting.

How do think they will go?

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week Four

Hi all,
Well I managed to get a whole 20mins of gardening in today before I ran out of puff, but in that time I managed to clear out the small bed that I have devoted to the planting and growing of, 'The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. '

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week One

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week Two

The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco'. Week Three


I'd also like to mention that I planted the seed of, The life and times of Cauliflower, 'Violet Sicilian' and Broccoli, 'Romanesco', in straight potting mix (thinking I could save a dollar or two) all be it a good quality one, supposedly.

As you can see in the photo of the Broc and Caully they are not exactly the picture of vim and vigor so it's back to good quality seed raising mix for me.
If I had to pick a nutrient deficiency in the potting mix I'd say it is Nitrogen and if you look even closer you can see the seedlings have been using the stored energy in the first(seedling) leaves to keep them going.

Now if I can scratch up 20 mins tomorrow I'll be adding compost, chicken manure (Rooster Booster) and some dolomite and mix it all in ready for planting on Monday.

Also just a reminder that the winner for This little piggy went to market will be announced tomorrow.

Cheers

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