Cauliflower is a shy one. Its pale demeanor doesn’t jump out at you in the produce section, screaming “TAKE ME HOME.”

And it is loaded with a bunch of nutritious goodness including:

1. Allicin that is known to promote a healthy heart and reduce the risk of strokes.
2. Selenium and vitamin C, both of which work together to strengthen the immune system.
3. ‘Indole-3-carbinol’, a substance that can prevent breast and other female cancers.
4. High amount of fiber to improve colon health and can even help prevent cancer. Fiber also keeps your digestive tract happy and healthy. It lowers the glycemic index of your meal, keeping your blood sugar and energy levels steady.
5. Sulforaphane, a substance  that can remove cancer causing chemicals and also stop the spread of cancer cells, even in the later stages of their growth
6. Phyto- chemicals that might help reduce the risk of some hereditary cancers.
7. Folate that is known to help improve cell growth and replication.

Besides, cauliflower is free of fat and cholesterol, low in sodium and calories. Because of its low carbohydrate content, it’s a good substitute for potatoes for those on a low carb diet.

Cauliflower is an ideal weight-loss companion for meatless meals. Its strong flavor allows it to stand alone without meat or other fatty foods. And if you’re really hungry, raw cauliflower makes a wonderful snack.

Because it’s extra crunchy, cauliflower takes longer to chew, giving your body time to realize you’re full before you eat yourself out of house and home.

For many backyard gardeners, growing cauliflower can be a rather difficult task. This nutritious plant is very temperamental and requires undisturbed, continuous growth for the head, or flower, to develop.

As a result, growing success is often influenced by several environmental factors, including temperature, insects and moisture.

Cauliflower likes full sun in cool climates. If your summers are at the warmer end of its comfort range, give it afternoon shade.It demands soil that’s fertile, well drained, evenly moist, and chock-full of organic matter. When planting the seedlings, I leave at least 2 feet between plants.

Most cauliflowers are big bruisers, and even the smallest ones have a big appetite – they all need plenty of room to spread out and plenty of soil to feed from. I use the space in between to grow scallions or the kinds of tangy- smelling herbs, like tansy, that cauliflower enemies don’t like.

Give your cauliflower plants steady, even moisture at the rate of about an inch a week throughout their growing period.If they don’t get enough water, or if the supply is erratic, they’ll grow up with a strong – even foul- flavor.

These guys also need a good, well-balanced diet. I give mine a dose of fish fertilizer when I first move them to the garden. Time from planting transplants to harvest is 55 to 100 days. The mature head should be compact and about 6 to 8 inches in diameter

To keep cauliflower heads white, pull some of the larger leaves up over the heads and fasten with a rubber band or string.

The heads will be ready for harvest one to two weeks after covering, depending on the weather. Check the head every few days so that it does not start turning to seed. Harvest cauliflower heads when they are six or more inches in diameter.

Want  to know more  about cauliflower? Then, click here:

Cauliflower: Your Natural Health Solution To Weight Loss | Natural Health Solutions

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener