Cauliflower Fried Rice

Cauliflower

• Plant cauliflower in a cool season, either spring or fall, providing consistent moisture and rich, well-draining soil.
• Blanch the heads by tying outer leaves over them when they are about the size of a chicken egg to prevent discoloration and maintain tenderness.
• Space plants 18-24 inches apart in rows, allowing ample room for head development.

Peas

• Sow pea seeds directly in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, providing support like a trellis or netting for climbing varieties.
• Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart, in double rows spaced 6 inches apart, with 2-3 feet between double rows.
• Keep soil consistently moist but avoid overwatering, especially during flowering and pod development.

Spring Onions

• Sow seeds directly in early spring for a continuous harvest, or plant onion sets for quicker results.
• Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, spacing seeds or sets about 1 inch apart in rows.
• For a cut-and-come-again harvest, snip leaves as needed, leaving the bulb in the ground to resprout.

Garlic

• Plant individual cloves point-up in well-drained soil in late fall for harvest the following summer.
• Ensure a sunny location and space cloves 4-6 inches apart and 2 inches deep.
• Keep the bed weed-free and provide consistent moisture during active growth, reducing water as harvest approaches.

Ginger

• Plant ginger rhizomes in a warm, humid environment, ideally in a large pot or container in a greenhouse or indoors.
• Bury pieces of rhizome with an 'eye' facing upwards, about 2-4 inches deep, in rich, well-draining soil.
• Maintain consistent moisture and high humidity, and protect from temperatures below 10°C (50°F).

• Monitor cauliflower for cabbage worms and remove them by hand or use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray.

• Protect young pea plants from birds with netting and spray aphids off plants with a strong stream of water.

• Use floating row covers to deter onion maggots from laying eggs near spring onions.

• Rotate garlic crops annually and ensure good drainage to prevent fungal issues and root rot.

Cauliflower

• Harvest cauliflower when the head is firm, white, and 6-8 inches in diameter, before florets begin to separate.
• Cut the main stem below the head, leaving a few wrapper leaves attached to protect it.

Peas

• Harvest snap and snow peas when pods are plump and crunchy but before peas inside are too large.
• Pick shelling peas when pods are round and full, but still bright green and tender.

Spring Onions

• Pull spring onions when they are about 6-8 inches tall and the white base is still slender.
• For cut-and-come-again, snip the green tops when they are a few inches tall, leaving the base to regrow.

Garlic

• Harvest garlic when the lower third of the leaves have turned yellow or brown and fallen over, typically in mid-summer.
• Gently loosen the soil and lift bulbs, being careful not to bruise them, then cure in a dry, airy place for several weeks.

Ginger

• Harvest ginger after the plant has grown for 8-10 months and the leaves begin to yellow and die back.
• Carefully dig up the rhizome, break off a piece for use, and replant the rest to continue growing.