CAULIFLOWER
- Cauliflowers can be quite demanding plants to grow, especially if you have limited time to tend to your garden. They need very consistent and regular watering for the best results.
-Best grown in full sun with deep, fertile soil
- Most of the winter varieties we associate with being cauliflowers are actually broccoli.
- Traditionally white, you can now get orange, purple or lime green.
- I highly recommend Romanesco as you just break off what you need, they are easy to grow and are very expensive to buy in the stores.
Sowing and Growing
- I like to sow cauliflower directly where it is to grow. Sow 1cm deep in rows 7.5cm apart
- Plant out Summer varieties 60cm apart.
- Plant winter varieties 75cm apart as they are slightly larger.
- Space rows 60cm apart
- The key to growing a successful cauliflower is to water well and consistently. If the watering is not regular not the heads will not develop properly, or if they do develop they will bolt. Mulching around the plants will help lock in a little bit of moisture.
- Occasional summer feed will help as they are hungry plants, in the summer I feed once a week.
- Protect summer crops from sun by tying leaves up over the head, do the same to protect winter ones from the frost.
60-75cm
Between each plant
60cm
Between each row
1cm
Deep
Summer & Autumn
Winter & Spring
Harvest
- From seed to harvest takes 18-25 weeks for Summer varieties and up to 50 weeks for winter cabbages.
- Start cutting while heads are still firm
- If heads start to separate, harvest straight away as you left it too long and flavour will be less
Varieties
- Early Summer: Candid Charm, Mayflower
- Summer/Autumn: All year round, Clapton, Snowball, White Step, Sunset
- Winter/ Spring: Halsmees, Galleon, Medallion
- Coloured: Cheddar, Graffiti, Violet Queen