How to grow Cauliflower

Learn how to grow cauliflower. This guide will teach you everything from spacing and planting, to harvesting and troubleshooting.

Rich, deep, firm soil with plenty of well rotted compost mixed in.

Full sun

Yes

 Around 40-50cm apart.

Cauliflower is a cool season crop that is usually planted in autumn, in most climates. 

For a head start, seeds can be sown indoors in late summer and seedlings transplanted in autumn. Seeds can also be sown in autumn. 

If transplanting seedlings, plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn.   

Apply an organic fertiliser throughout the season.

Harvest when plant has formed a central head that is white, firm and large. Plants will only produce 1 head. 

Aphids, Slug, Snail, Cabbage Moth, Cabbage White Butterfly, Diamondback Moth, Flea Beetle, Cutworm, Cabbage Root Fly, Cabbage Looper, Cucumber Beetle, Cabbage Worm, Root Knot Neematode, 28 Spotted Ladybug

Leaf Spot, Black Rot, Club Root, Downy Mildew, Bacterial Soft Rot, Black Leg, White Rust, Mosaic VIrus, Damping-off, Sclerotinia Stem Rot

Gently fold the center leaves over to protect the cauliflower head from the sun white it's forming. 

Protect young seedlings from pests at the time of planting.

Regularly check the undersides of leaves for eggs, or use fine mesh/exclusion netting to prevent white butterflies from laying eggs on the underside of leaves, caterpillars can be detrimental to this plant.