Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino

What Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino is

Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino (Brassica oleracea) is an annual vegetable of the Cabbage family (Brassicaceae). Romanesco Natalino is also known as Roman cauliflower. This is a variety that has been grown in Italy for over 400 years. It is much more tender than modern cauliflower varieties. It has a mild, creamy flavour. A unique vegetable with spiral apple-green heads. Plant in midwinter in mild climates and in May-June in cool climates.

Cauliflower is not one of the easiest vegetables to grow, but with good planning, regular care and a small dose of common sense you can have cauliflower on the table almost all year round.

Cauliflower is the refined member of the cabbage family — with dense white (or purple, green) heads for roasting, soups and pickling.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 92%
• Pack size: 0.5 g
• Sowing: February – May; seedlings
• Harvest: May – September
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino

Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino seeds are sown in February – May. Harvest takes place from May to September. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino

• Sowing method: seedlings
• Depth: 1 cm
• Spacing: 50–60 cm
• Germination: 5–10 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow cauliflower from February to May. Sowings can be made in trays or pots, indoors, in a warm and well-lit place at 13°C. As soon as the greenhouse seedlings show their first pair of leaves, prick out into trays 5 cm. apart, or into thin modules, one seedling per cell. Space plants in the greenhouse 45 cm. apart between the plants and 60 cm. between the rows for bigger heads. Outdoor sowings should be thinned to 7-10 cm. apart, then when the plants are 15 cm. tall, they can be transplanted to their final planting positions, at the same spacing as described above. Water generously once a week in dry weather. An abundance of water throughout the growing season is important for high productivity.

Cauliflower does not tolerate stress: plant young seedlings, water regularly and protect from heat. When the head appears, cover it with its own leaves to keep it white.

Harvest and use

Pick when the head is firm, before the florets begin to separate.

Frequently asked questions

When should Cauliflower Romanesco Natalino be sown?

The recommended sowing months are February – May. Sowing method: seedlings.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 92%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

How do I keep cauliflower white?

Once the head is 5–7 cm, snap or tie a few leaves over it to shade it.