Cauliflower

Plant of The Month Info Card

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis) is a hearty winter vegetable that provides large yields of nutritious food that can be used in so many ways! Cauliflower is great at holding flavours and can form the base of many meals. Growing your own Cauliflower at home means you will have nutrient-rich veggies but you will also get access to all the extra parts of the plant such as the leaves and the stem that are both edible and delicious. Cauliflower is easy to grow and can be grown in containers or garden beds. They are heavy feeders and can be susceptible to bugs such as caterpillars, slugs, and snails

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SOW

Late summer/ Autumn/early winter.

SOIL

Deep rich compost & well draining.

LOCATION

Full sun. Plant 40cm apart.

CARE

Water at base. Keep weed free. Fold leaves over to protect from the sun.

FERTILISE

Fertilise fortnightly with organic seaweed solutions.

PESTS

Watch out for slugs, snails, aphids and caterpillars.

HARVEST

12- 24 weeks. Harvest before the head starts separating.

REPRODUCE

Seed pods appear after the head goes to flower.

Cauliflower Varieties

‘Early Jesi ‘– Italian heirloom produces large white florets.

Cauliflower ‘mini‘ – Small compact white florets. Can be grown in Containers. Harvest in 90 days. Suited to warmer climates.

‘Snowball’ – Early, tight-headed, white heirloom cauliflower variety. Harvest 70-90 days.

‘First Early’ – Fast growing, small, compact heads. Harvest 90days.

‘ All-year round’ – Popular English heirloom. Dwarf size plant with medium/standard sized cauliflower heads. Harvest 110 days.

‘Purple Sicily’ – Large bright purple heads. Italian heirloom. Mild, sweet flavour. Harvest in 190 days.

‘Green Macerata’ – Bright lime green heads. Southern Italian heirloom. Good for cold climates. Large heads 1-1.5kg. Harvest in 190 days.

How to Grow Cauliflower

Cauliflower likes cool temperatures and a full sun location. Cauliflower is a heavy feeder so much sure your soil is topped up with compost and try to plant your Cauliflower in a different area of the garden each year to help the soil replenish the nutrients. Cauliflower can grow quite large with big leaves so plant your seedlings about 40- 50cm apart in compost-rich soil, water in your seedlings directly after planting. Add a layer of mulch to keep the soil protected from weeds and moisture in.

When to Plant Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a cool weather plant so you typically want to be harvesting your Cauliflower during winter and early spring. However, in some climates it can be grown all year round. There are many varieties available and some that can tolerate warm or cold weather. Sow your seeds in the last few months of Summer or during Autumn so that your Cauliflower plants are ready to harvest over winter.

Care/ Maintenance

Keep the plants well-watered on warm days. Water the plant at the base to avoid excess water pooling in the leaves and causing rot. For an extra boost you can feed your plants with a liquid seaweed solution every 2-3 weeks. Once the heads start forming it is best to protect the white Cauliflower from the sun. You can do this by folding the outer leaves over the head or tying them together above. The sun will “burn” or discolour your white cauliflower varieties.

Pests / Disease

Cauliflower is a prime target for white butterflies and caterpillars. Check your plants regularly by lifting the leaves and checking for caterpillars or larvae and remove. A barrier of crushed eggshells or a small container of beer can help keep the slugs and snails away especially while the plants are young and delicate. Plant a few extras throughout your garden and you will be sure to have more than enough Cauliflower to eat! Click here for more natural pest management to help keep the pests at bay.

How/ When to Harvest

Depending on the variety Cauliflower will be ready to harvest in 90-190 days. The Cauliflower head should be tightly packed and not have started going to flower. Once the little buds start separating and moving apart you will want to harvest ASAP as the flowers will be quite bitter in flavour. To harvest your Cauliflower cut the stem using a sharp knife. You can also harvest the younger leaves and use them in cooking as extra greens.

Reproducing / Saving Seeds

Cauliflower seeds can be saved after letting one of the Cauliflower florets go to flower and seed. Yellow flowers will appear and then after that, seed pods will form. Once the seed pods have dried off you can harvest all the seed pods. The Cauliflower seeds can be removed from the dried pods and stored to replant the following season. Save the seeds in a cool, dry, dark space.

Cooking and Using Cauliflower

Cauliflower is such a hearty vegetable and can provide nutritious and filling meals. Cauliflower can be used in so many ways such as raw in a salad, roasted, grilled, steamed, stirfried, and added to any curry or soup. Cauliflower is a great vehicle for flavour! As it absorbs and holds flavour so well. Cauliflower is a great source of fibre, vitamin C, B,A,K and Folate.

Cauliflower is super versatile and can be used to replace many grains and legumes. Try Cauliflower versions of mash, pizza base, rice, hummus, flat bread and more.

Preserving the Harvest

Cauliflower can be frozen to add to soups and stocks. To prepare the Cauliflower, rinse and remove the stalks. The stalks will take longer to cook so I like to freeze them separately. Blanch the Cauliflower in boiling water for 40seconds – 1minute then add to a bowl of iced water. Cut the stalks into slices or cubes and blanch for 2 minutes and then add to the ice water until completely cool. Shake off the excess water and add to freezer bags or ziplock bags. Try to remove as much of the air from the bags as possible to reduce freezer burn. Keep frozen and use within 6 months. The stems can also be pickled and stored in the refrigerator.