Photo Credit
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Brassica oleracea
Plant Type
Sun Exposure
Soil pH
Flower Color
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Subhead
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Cauliflower
December 4, 2023
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Cauliflower is a sun-loving, cool-season crop to grow in spring and fall. An annual plant in the cabbage family, cauliflower has edible white flesh that is extremely healthy and considered a“superfood.”
AboutCauliflower
This vegetable’s name comes from the Latin words caulis, for cabbage, and floris, for flower. It’s a descendant of wild cabbage!Like its cousin broccoli, the tightly bunched florets of cauliflower are connected by a thick core, often with a few light leaves surroundingit.
Though usually white, cauliflower does come in other colors, including purple, yellow, and orange. No matter the color, the taste is the same: mild, slightly sweet, and a littlenutty.
Cauliflower can be a challenge for beginner gardeners because it requires consistently cool temperatures in the 60°Fs. Otherwise, it may prematurely “button”—form small, button-size heads—rather than forming a single, largehead.
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Planting
Cauliflower should be grown in a spot that gets full sun (6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day). Lack of sunlight may produce thin, leggy plants and subpar heads. In summer, shadeplants from the hotsun, ifnecessary.
Soil needs to be very rich in organic matter; mix aged manure and/orcompost into the bed before planting. As an alternative, apply 5-10-10 fertilizer to the planting site.Fertile soil helps to prevent heads frombuttoning.
When to PlantCauliflower
- Cauliflower grows best as a fall crop (cool weather is best for head formation), but can be grown in spring,too.
- We suggest buying cauliflower seedlings (aka “transplants”) versus starting them from seed, as cauliflower can befinicky.
- Spring Planting:
- If you start from seed, sow seeds indoors 4 to 5 weeks before the last springfrost date.
- Plant seedlings outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before the last springfrostdate.
- Fall Planting:
- Plant a fall crop 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost date, but after daytime temperatures are regularly below75°F.
How to PlantCauliflower
- Sow seeds in rows 3 to 6 inches apart and up to ½inchdeep.
- Set plants 18 to 24 inches apart with 30 inches betweenrows.
- In early spring, be ready to protect plants from frost by covering them with old milk jugs, if necessary. Extreme cold can halt growth and/or formbuttons.
- Water consistently during germination and growth. Add mulch to conservemoisture.
Growing
- Cauliflower dislikes anyinterruption to itsgrowth. Change, in the form of temperature, moisture, soil nutrition, or insects, cancause the plants to develop a head prematurely or ruin an existingone.
- Water regularly with2 inches of water per square foot each week; even with normal rainfall, this usually requires supplementalwatering.
- For best growth, side-dress the plants with a high-nitrogen fertilizer3 to 4 weeks aftertransplanting.
- Note that the cauliflower will start out as a loose head and that it takes time for the head to fully form. Many varieties take at least 75 to 85 days from transplant. Bepatient!
- Brown heads indicate a boron deficiency in the soil. Drench with 1 tablespoon of borax in 1 gallon of water. (Avoid getting boron on other plants.) Or, provide liquid seaweed extract immediately; repeat every 2 weeks until symptoms disappear. In the future, add more compost to thesoil.
- For white varieties, pink heads can indicate too much sun exposure or temperature fluctuations. Purple hues can be due to stress or low soilfertility.
Blanching CauliflowerHeads
When the curd (the white head) is 2 to 3 inches in diameter, blanch it: Tie the outer leaves together over the head and secure with a rubber band, tape, or twine to keeplight out. (This is not necessary for self-blanching or colored varieties). The plants are usually ready for harvest 7 to 12 days afterblanching.
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Graffiti’: purple; tends to be milder and sweeter than the whitevarieties.
- ‘Snowball’:smooth, white, medium 6-inch heads; a good yield throughout the growingseason.
- Orange varieties, such as ‘Cheddar’ and ‘Flame Star’, are creamier and sweeter than white varieties with more vitaminA.
Cauliflower at a farm stand in Washington, D.C., 2019. Credit: Wendy Hagen.
Harvesting
- Plants are usually ready to harvest in about 50 to 100 days, depending on variety, or 7 to 12 days afterblanching.
- When the heads are compact, white, and firm, then it is time to harvest them. Ideally, the heads will grow to 6 to 8 inches indiameter.
- Cut the heads off the plant with a large knife. Be sure to leave some of the leaves around the head to keep itprotected.
- If the heads are too small, but have already started to open up, they will not improve and should be harvestedimmediately.
- If the cauliflower has a coarse appearance, it is past maturityand should betossed.
How to StoreCauliflower
- Store heads in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Theyshould last for about aweek.
- For long-term storage, you can also freeze or pickle the heads. To freeze, cut into 1-inch-bite pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes in lightly salted water. Cool in an ice bath for 3 minutes, drain, and package. Seal andfreeze.
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Wit and Wisdom
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
-Mark Twain(1835-1910)
Pests/Diseases
Cauliflower Pests andDiseases
| Pest/Disease | Type | Symptoms | Control/Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aphids | Insect | Curled, misshapen/yellow leaves; distorted flowers/fruit; sticky “honeydew” (excrement); sooty, black mold | Grow companion plants; knock off with water spray; apply insecticidal soap; put banana or orange peels around plants; wipe leaves with a 1 to 2 percent solution of water and dish soap (no additives) every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks; add native plants to invite beneficial insects (such as ladybugs) |
| Black rot | Fungus | Yellow, V-shape areas on leaf edges that brown and progress toward leaf center; leaves eventually collapse; stem cross sections reveal blackened veins | Destroy infected plants; choose resistant varieties; provide good drainage; remove plant debris; rotate crops |
| Cabbage loopers | Insect | Large, ragged holes in leaves from larval feeding; defoliation; stunted or bored heads; excrement | Handpick off plants; add native plants to invite beneficial insects; spray larvae with insecticidal soap or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—a natural, bacterial pesticide; use row covers; remove plant debris at end of season |
| Cabbage root maggots | Insect | White maggots become gray flies that resemble small houseflies. Wilted/stunted plants; off-color leaves; larvae feeding on roots | Use collars made of plastic or tin foil around seedling stems; monitor adults with yellow sticky traps; use row covers; destroy crop residue; till soil in fall; rotate crops |
| Cabbageworms | Insect | Leaves have large, ragged holes or are skeletonized; heads bored; dark green excrement; yellowish eggs laid singly on leaf undersides | Handpick; use row covers; add native plants to invite beneficial insects; grow companion plants (especially thyme); spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) |
| Clubroot | Fungus | Wilted/stunted plants; yellow leaves; roots appear swollen/distorted | Destroy infected plants; solarize soil; maintain soil pH of around 7.2; disinfect tools; rotate crops |
| Downy mildew | Fungus | Yellow, angular spots on upper leaf surfaces that turn brown; white/purple/gray cottony growth on leaf undersides only; distorted leaves; defoliation | Remove plant debris; choose resistant varieties; ensure good air circulation; avoid overhead watering |
| Nitrogen deficiency | Deficiency | Bottom leaves turn yellow and the problem continues toward the top of the plant | Supplement with a high nitrogen (but low phosphorus) fertilizer or blood meal. Blood meal is a quick nitrogen fix for yellowing leaves |
| Stink bugs | Insect | Yellow/white blotches on leaves; shriveled seeds; eggs, often keg-shape, in clusters on leaf undersides | Destroy crop residue; handpick (bugs emit odor, wear gloves); destroy eggs; spray nymphs with insecticidal soap; use row covers; weed; till soil in fall |
| Thrips | Insect | Leaves, especially in folds near base, have white patches or silver streaks; brown leaf tips; blistering/bronzing on leaves; brown streaks on cauliflower curds; heads distorted or stunted; curling or scarring | Remove plant debris; choose resistant varieties; add native plants to invite beneficial insects; use row covers; use straw mulch; monitor adults with yellow or white sticky traps; use sprinklers or other overhead watering |
| White rust | Fungus | Chalk-white blisters mainly on leaf undersides; small, yellow-green spots or blisters, sometimes in circular arrangement, on upper leaf surfaces; possible distortion or galls; stems may also be infected. More common with warm days and cool/moist nights | Destroy infected plants; choose resistant varieties; weed; destroy crop residue; rotate crops |
