I am growing cauliflower for the first time this season. Someone recommended that I tie the leaves together to help the heads develop. Is this correct, and if so, why and what is the proper way to do this?

Cauliflower is a cool season vegetable. It is a crop that is exacting in both its soil and climatic requirements, and should have uninterrupted growth. Any delay in growth will encourage the plants to prematurely form a small head that is of no value. In order to avoid this, the soil should be high in organic matter so that it will hold a lot of moisture. Cauliflower demands a fertile, sweet soil so be sure the pH is about 6.5.

Sow the seed 6 weeks before the plants are to be set in the garden. Cauliflower plants should be about 6 weeks old when set out, and you can figure 3 to 4 plants per person per year. These plants are grown the same way as cabbage. Set the plants 18 inches apart in the row and have the rows 30 inches apart. In the spring, set out the plants about 10 days after it is safe to set the earliest cabbage. Water the plants when transplanted to prevent wilting. Severe shock to plants at transplanting time often causes poor head development. Watering the plants with a starter solution, such as compost tea, is helpful. For best development cauliflower must have a large amount of available nitrogen. This is best supplied by making at least three side-dressings with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Make the application on top of the ground, 3 inches out from the plant. A circle around each plant is a good method if only a few plants are grown in the home garden. Cultivate only to control weeds and then be sure that the cultivation is very shallow.

In order to be good, cauliflower must be kept snowy white. Do this by tying the leaves together over the heads in order to blanch them. This tying should be done when the heads are slightly smaller than a doorknob. Tie the leaves that grow around the head so that they fully cover it, and prevent sunlight from reaching the head. Be sure to do this before any sunlight gets to the heads. They should be examined from time to time to see when they are ready to cut. If they are let go too long, the heads get loose and lose much of their tenderness. It will usually be about one week from the time they are tied until they are ready to use. There are cauliflower varieties that are said to be self-blanching, but tying is still recommended.

I have wild roses growing in the area where I planted quince bushes 5 years ago. I never have planted wild roses and neither have my adjacent neighbors. How would these wild roses be growing there? Stray seeds? Would the quince plants have been grafted onto wild rose roots?

I suspect the wild roses (Rosa multiflora) came to your yard by way of birds dropping seeds from the rose fruit or “hips.” Your next-door neighbors don’t need to have wild roses for the birds to find the tasty 1/4-inch fruit, which appears in August through winter. They then travel to the densely protective, shrubby nature of your quince to enjoy their meal. The fruit’s small size makes it great “take-out” bird food. Because both Rosa multiflora and quince are in the rose family (Rosaceae), they flourish in similar growing conditions and share a number of plant attributes. The named cultivars of flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) are propagated by softwood cuttings, dipped in root stimulus compound, and planted in peat-perlite mix. Seed collection from named varieties is also a means of propagation for quince, but grafting is not.

When do I uncover my roses in the spring? I have rose cones on some and mounds of soil around the base of others. Also, does it depend on the type of rose it is?

The type of roses you have determines if winter protection is required. Many species roses, shrub roses, old roses, miniatures, and climbers, as well as some of newer hybrid teas and floribundas need little protection. Since you indicate they are all protected in one fashion or another, I will assume they are varieties non-hardy to zone 5. That being said, you do not want to uncover protected roses until any chance of hard frost is past – in Michigan we can have frost until Mother’s Day. Rose cones can be removed on sunny, warm days to prevent moisture accumulation inside. Check from time to time for new growth at the base and uncover the plant slightly as new growth appears, but be prepared to cover (at least lightly) in the event frost is predicted. Prune away winter-killed canes to healthy wood when the winter protection is removed for the season.

Some general rose culture notes to keep in mind: In southeastern Michigan, grafted roses should be planted with their bud union 4 to 6 inches below the ground surface. Roses grown on their own root stocks are typically hardier than grafted ones. Many roses have been developed that are quite winter hardy and do not need protection much past their first year. Good cultural care is also important for winter hardiness. Adequate water and fertilizer throughout the growing season combine to produce healthy plants that better withstand Michigan winters. Finally, roses should not be pruned after September 1 in order to allow the plants to properly harden off.