Cauliflower Purple Sicily
Cauliflower Purple Sicily produces a medium to large head, averaging 15 to 30 cms in diameter, and is sometimes surrounded by green leaves that bear a thick, fibrous midrib. The heads are comprised of many tightly closed, branching florets that are violet, to dark purple.
Purple cauliflower contains a light, grassy scent and has a mild, sweet, and nutty flavour without the bitterness commonly associated with other cauliflower varieties. All parts of the plant, including the stems, heads, and leaves, are edible.
Sow: November to March (Cool climate)
Spacing: 50cm. rows 60cm
In the 1st century AD, Pliny included what he called cyma among his descriptions of cultivated plants in Natural History: “Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma,“ (“Of all the varieties of cabbage the most pleasant-tasted is cyma“). Pliny’s descriptions likely refer to the flowering heads of an earlier cultivated variety of Brassica oleracea, but comes close to describing modern cauliflower.
Germination: Optimal Soil temperature is 18 to 24 C (around 5-10 days to germination)
