A Machine for Tying Leaves of Cauliflower Plants to Blanch the Heads

Abstract

ABSTRACT THE cauliflower head must be shaded from the sun-light while it is growing or it will develop a brown col-or and strong flavor. A single row machine was developed to tie the leaves over the top of the head at a speed of 1.2 Km/h (0.75 mph). Approximately 93 per-cent of the plants were tied individually, less than 1 per-cent were not tied and the remainder were two plants tied together with one loop, plants tied with two loops or plants tied more loosely than desirable.