Cauliflower

Planting cauliflower

Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost and transplant out before seedlings get rootbound. A fall crop is usually more reliable than spring in warm climates.

Planting details

• Stressed seedlings form tiny premature buttons
• Spacing: 18 to 24 inches
• Seed depth: about 1/4 to 1/2 inch

Growing requirements

Cauliflower needs uninterrupted cool growth: fertile soil, steady moisture, and no long cold snaps or heat waves. Any stall in growth tends to produce small, disappointing heads.

Harvesting and care

For white heads, fold leaves over the curd when it is egg size unless you grow a self-blanching type. Cut while the curd is tight; loose, yellowing curds are past their best.

Common mistakes

• Letting transplants stall or get rootbound, which causes button heads
• Skipping blanching on types that need it, which yellows the curd
• Waiting too long to cut, so the curd loosens and turns grainy

Companion plants

Beets, onions, and lettuce fit between young plants. Rotate away from other brassicas each year to limit shared diseases.