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.”
About Cauliflower
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 surrounding it.
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 little nutty.
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, large head.
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, shade plants from the hot sun, if necessary.
Soil needs to be very rich in organic matter; mix aged manure and/or compost into the bed before planting. As an alternative, apply 5-10-10 fertilizer to the planting site. Fertile soil helps to prevent heads from buttoning.
When to Plant Cauliflower
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 be finicky.
Spring Planting:
If you start from seed, sow seeds indoors 4 to 5 weeks before the last spring frost date.
Plant seedlings outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date.
Fall Planting:
Plant a fall crop 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost date, but after daytime temperatures are regularly below 75°F.
How to Plant Cauliflower
Sow seeds in rows 3 to 6 inches apart and up to ½ inch deep.
Set plants 18 to 24 inches apart with 30 inches between rows.
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 form buttons.
Water consistently during germination and growth. Add mulch to conserve moisture.
GROWING
Cauliflower dislikes any interruption to its growth. Change, in the form of temperature, moisture, soil nutrition, or insects, can cause the plants to develop a head prematurely or ruin an existing one.
Water regularly with 2 inches of water per square foot each week; even with normal rainfall, this usually requires supplemental watering.
For best growth, side-dress the plants with a high-nitrogen fertilizer 3 to 4 weeks after transplanting.
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. Be patient!
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 the soil.
For white varieties, pink heads can indicate too much sun exposure or temperature fluctuations. Purple hues can be due to stress or low soil fertility.