Garden Vegetable - Cauliflower, Early

Botanical Information

Starting

Notes:

Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained moisture-retentive fertile soil with plenty of lime. Cauliflowers, especially the winter and spring maturing types, should not be given a soil that is too rich in nitrogen since this can encourage soft, sappy growth that is more susceptible to winter cold damage. Prefers a heavy soil and requires a warm sunny site. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7, though it tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.3. Succeeds in maritime gardens. Lack of moisture in the growing season can cause the plant to produce small or deformed curds. Summer varieties are not very cold hardy and will be damaged by light frosts. Winter cauliflower plants are more hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to about 21°F, though the curds are more sensitive and can suffer damage at about 28°F. This damage can often be prevented by bending over the leaves so that they cover the curd.
Cauliflowers are widely grown for their edible immature flower heads (or curd). There are many named varieties and, by careful selection, it is possible to provide a year round supply. The summer and autumn maturing cultivars are annuals, they need to produce a certain number of leaves before curd development will be initiated. The optimum temperature for this is around 63°F, but at temperatures above 68°F the curds will either be of poor quality or not be produced at all. Winter and spring maturing forms are biennial and need exposure to temperatures below 50°F before they will produce curds and once again, this will not happen unless the plant has reached a certain size. Grows well with celery and other aromatic plants since these seem to deter insect predations. Grows poorly with beets, tomatoes, onions and strawberries.

Propagation: Seed - sow in a seedbed outdoors in April to June depending on the cultivar. Plant out into their permanent location when the plants are 2-3in tall. Seed of some cultivars can be sown in late winter in a greenhouse in order to obtain a harvest in early summer. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported.