How to Grow Cauliflower
Instructions for Growing Cauliflower
in Your Vegetable Garden
A cauliflower is a cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain (see more gardening quotes!)
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
Cauliflower is grown as a vegetable garden annual. Heads can be white, green or purple. Varieties are available for short or long growing seasons.
Gardening tip for Growing Cauliflower: Growing Cauliflower can be difficult, as it is very intolerant of high heat and also frost.
Cauliflower is not a good choice for container gardening.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Nutrition Information
Dietary Fiber, Chromium,Vitmain C, K, B6, Folate, Panthothenic Acid, Potassium, Manganese, Protein, thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Climate & Growing Conditions
Growing cauliflower can be done in many garden climates, but it will grow best in cooler areas. (They need cooler temperatures for the heads to form.)
Cauliflower does not grow well in garden climates with hot summer and low humidity.
Gardening Tip for Growing Cauliflower - Cauliflower's heads will discolor if exposed to full sunlight or to frost. (see "blanching" below)
How to Grow Cauliflower - Preparing the Garden Soil
Cauliflower is a heavy feeder. Growing cauliflower demands a garden bed that has been well fertilized, and supplied with a healthy dose of compost. You will also need to fertilize them frequently throughout the gardening season.
Cauliflower does not grow well in acidic garden soils. Use dolomite, lime, and fertilizer to prepare the soil for planting. For the best conditions for growing cauliflower, the garden soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0. (Test garden's soil pH level.)
How to Grow Cauliflower - Planting
You can sow cauliflower seed directly in your garden from spring to summer. Plant seed ¼” deep in garden beds in rows 2 feet apart. Use a number of varieties with different maturity dates to extend your growing and harvest season.
If growing cauliflower by starting seeds indoors, allow approx 6 weeks for the seedlings to appear. Transplant when 6” tall and the weather is still cool. Harden the seedlings before transplanting. Plant the seedlings 24” apart. See - starting seeds indoors.
Gardening Tip for Growing Cauliflower - You can protect the cauliflower head from sunlight (keeps it white) with this simple gardening practice: When the head is small, tie a few of the large leaves together over the head. As the head grows larger, replace the leaves with larger ones, always keeping the head shielded from the sun.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Watering
Keep the garden soil moist, but avoid watering directly overhead.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Fertilizing
When growing cauliflower, boost yield by fertilizing a month after transplanting the seedlings. Apply additional doses of fertilizer after the heads first appear.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Gardening Challenges
Cauliflower tends to be susceptible to white cabbage moth caterpillars and aphids.
You may see the leaves wither or turn yellow - this is from a shortage of molybdenum or magnesium. Treat by watering with a solution of 1 oz sodium molybdate dissolved in 5 qts of water.
Gardening Tip for Growing Cauliflower - Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Harvesting
Growing cauliflower normally takes around 4-5 months before it reaches a harvestable size. Remove heads when about 8 inches wide by cutting. Harvest heads before they discolor or lose firmness. The leaves can also be steamed and used as a vegetable.
Cauliflower does not keep long after harvested, so process (freeze) soon after harvesting.
How to Grow Cauliflower - Storage
How to Freeze Vegetables - CAULIFLOWER
Gardening Tips From Our Readers
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Note: the advice and information contained herein is based upon our experience and study. As with any advice, please apply at your own discretion.