How to grow the perfect cauliflower?

[Pete]

I have a small vegetable patch in a new garden and want to try my hand at planting cauliflower. I have been pretty successful in the past with growing quite a few different types of vegetables, but have never been able to grow cauliflower that well. I always end up with the head of the cauliflower being loose and yellowish, any tips on growing the perfect cauliflower?

 

[Pete]

Looks like I asked difficult question - after some more research and talking to the elderly couple across the road (our new neighbors) it appears my problems have been down to the soil constancy. Apparently they need a very firm and heavy soil and filled over the top with nutrients. Will report back later in the year keep em crossed for me.

 

[nelson castro]

Like most vegetables, cauliflower needs at least 6 hours of full sun each day; more is better. It also needs fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of rich organic matter. The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8 for optimum growth and to discourage clubroot disease. Set out spring transplants early enough so that they can mature before the heat of summer but not so early that they are frozen.

 

[Pete]

Nelson castro - thanks for the extra tips will be checking out the soil PH, its something I haven't done before so will be interesting to see what PH my soil is, again thanks

 

[nelson castro]

The pleasure is mine.

 

[Pete]

Going to test the soil (ph) but only just realized there’s more than one way to do this. Have seen “Hydroponic Soil Moisture Light PH Meter Tester” and what I thought would be the standard the simple ones whereby you put your soil in a test tube. Just wondered if anyone has got any recommendations. At the moment think I will go with a basic (test tube ones) soil test kit unless anyone can advise otherwise?

 

[JoJoYorkshire]

Most brassicas prefer reletively firm soil, so it's worth treading it down before planting if you've been lifting/turning or adding fresh compost etc. Cauliflowers are really heavy feeders, which is why they are traditionly used in a bed that has had plenty of well rotted manure added, but they also tend to need feeding throughout the growing season too. To keep the curds white, you need to wrap the outer leaves around it to protect from the sun, as that's what turns it yellow. The other option is to use purple or yellow cauliflowers that are around at the moment, as far as I'm aware they don't require the same sun protection, and look pretty good too!

Regarding the PH tester, I guess it depends how often you'd use it? If you're going to pay out more money it'd only really be worth it if you would get a reasonable amount of use out of it.

 

[Pete]

I like the idea from JoJo about wrapping the leaves and also the purple and yellow plants certainly food for thought ( no pun intended). On the PH tester have gone for a basic kit very cheep from Amazon should get it early next week - cheers

 

[Snatch]

Looks like I asked difficult question - after some more research and talking to the elderly couple across the road (our new neighbors) it appears my problems have been down to the soil constancy. Apparently they need a very firm and heavy soil and filled over the top with nutrients. Will report back later in the year keep em crossed for me.

All brassicas hate moving about in the wind, so need to be firmed in very well, treading the surrounding soil down isn't too extreme. When the curds begin to grow, you need to bend some of the larger outside leaves to cover them. This keeps them solid and lovely and white

 

[headfullofbees]

When they say "firm," read, "compacted" soil, so get dancing on that bed!
If its windy, stake or protect.
NEVER let caulis run out of water.
NEVER let caulis run out of nutrients.
If they ever stop growing, they never turn out right.

 

[Meadowlark]

I have sandy soil, have successfully grown a lot of cauliflower for many years, and have never “danced on the bed”.

The most important factor in success here is cool and even temperatures over at least three months. Cauliflower is the most temperature sensitive of all the brassicas I grow and getting the right temp profile for three months can be most difficult. Cauliflower is unforgiving and Nature often highly variable which in combination can make success problematic. It does not tolerate frosts nearly as well as other brassicas and completely rejects high temps.

The next most important factor in successful cauliflower growing is the soil. Cauliflower are heavy feeders. Continuous, uninterrupted availability of N2 over the three months is mandatory as well as adequate amounts of boron in the soil. Soil tests showed my soil lacking in boron, so I treat the Cauliflower area with borax.

It also needs full sun all day. It is more susceptible to insect damage than most all other brassicas I have grown, so to be successful prevention is needed.

When the above conditions are met, its actually fairly easy to grow and be successful at it...but temperatures are most important.

 

[headfullofbees]

How To Grow Cauliflower

Growing Cauliflowers a step by step guide, they can be quite difficult to grow so here is everything you need to know to grow your own in the vegetable garden

www.quickcrop.co.uk

 

[KGun12]

I'm trying to grow some cauliflower this summer so I'm really glad I found this thread! Thanks for asking, Pete - and everyone else for your cauliflower growing expertise!

 

[Chuck]

I'm trying to grow some cauliflower this summer so I'm really glad I found this thread! Thanks for asking, Pete - and everyone else for your cauliflower growing expertise!

You better hurry and get your plants into the ground as Caulis are a cool weather crop

 

[KGun12]

You better hurry and get your plants into the ground as Caulis are a cool weather crop

The plan was to get my garden out this weekend but I'm in Ontario, Canada and we're getting snow again this week (Canadian spring, whassup?) so I was going to hold off. Do you think it would be okay to get the cauliflower out anyway?