HOW TO GROW

CAULIFLOWER, A
CHALLENGING COOL-
WEATHER CROP
March 11, 2019 by Nan Schiller

Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis

Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis, is a vegetable in the
Brassicaceae family that includes broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, collards, kale, and kohlrabi.
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You may have heard that it’s difficult to grow, but that’s only
because it has specific requirements that need to be met in order to
produce robust and delicious flower heads. Read on to learn what
they are!

What You’ll Learn

 Colorful and Nutritious
 Growing a Winner
 A Cool Annual
 Sowing Seeds
 Transplanting Outdoors
 Preparing the Soil
 Fertilizing
 Watering
 Temperature Management
 Pests and Disease
 Aphid
 Cabbage Looper
 Cabbage Moth
 Cabbage Root Fly
 Cabbage White Caterpillar
 Cabbage Whitefly
 Cross-Striped Cabbage Worm
 Flea Beetle
 Blackleg
 Clubroot
 Damping Off
 Downy Mildew
 Blanching
 Harvesting
 Meeting the Challenges
Colorful and Nutritious
Cauliflower is a cool-weather crop often referred to as a
“brassica” or “cole crop.” It has edible leaves, stems, and dense
flower heads that are a substantial source of B, C, and K vitamins
and fiber.

The flower heads are made up of many tiny buds, or “curds” that are
eaten before they bloom. A cross-like, four-petaled blossom inside
each bud further classifies cauliflower as a “cruciferous” vegetable.
Folks have been growing white flower head varieties for
generations, but today we also have vibrant green, orange, and
purple cultivars. Purple curds contain the antioxidant anthocyanin,
and orange, or “cheddar,” as they are commonly known, are rich in
beta carotene, an excellent source of vitamin A.

Let’s find out how to plant for success!

Growing a Winner
Growing cauliflower reminds me of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
and their bowls of porridge. This veggie doesn’t like air that’s too
hot or too cold, preferring instead temperatures that are
consistently “just right.”
If you’re in a zone where you have two to three months of temps
that average in the 60s, you’re in prime cauliflower-growing
territory. The rest of us must work a bit harder.

A Cool Annual
Cauliflower is a half-hardy biennial that is usually grown as an
annual in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11.
How confusing is that?

Half-hardy means it’s able to withstand some frost. The leaves may
“burn,” but a maturing flower head may continue to grow. However,
if a cold spell comes suddenly, the temperature fluctuation may
cause a plant to bolt, finishing its life cycle prematurely, and likely
producing an inedible crop. And a biennial is a plant that takes two
seasons to mature. However, if cauliflower gets the cool weather it
craves, and produces a flower head in one season, it’s an annual.
The number of days to maturity varies from approximately 50 to
100, so pay close attention to seed packets when making your
selections. Choose a length of time that suits your average weather.
In warm climates, plant in the fall for an early spring crop. In colder
zones, you have the option of planting indoors in early spring, or
outdoors in late summer, to avoid peak heat and cold.
Flower heads may “button” during a heatwave.
Here in Southeastern Pennsylvania, we sometimes have crazy days
in April when temperatures suddenly soar to 90 ° F. This may cause
plants to” button,” producing multiple tiny heads, or “bolt,” forming
curds that spread and go to seed. It’s much better to plant in late
summer for a fall crop in locations like mine.

Sowing Seeds
For an early summer harvest, Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of
Organic Gardening recommends starting seeds indoors in peat
pots about four to six weeks before the last expected frost date.
This cauliflower has fully-formed cotyledons, or seed leaves, with
visible first true leaves.
Sow seeds 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep in peat pots. This way, you can
plant entire pots instead of plucked seedlings, and avoid root
damage. Be sure to use sanitary tools and supplies to avoid
exposing your germinating seeds to disease.

Place the pots on a 70° F warming tray and set it near the sunniest
window in your home. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy.
And as we’ve said, in cool climates, you may also sow seeds in late
summer for a fall harvest. Place them directly in the ground two to
three months before the average first frost date.

Transplanting Outdoors
When the seedlings have sprouted not only cotyledons, or “seed”
leaves, but several sets of true leaves, begin to “harden them off.”
This simply means setting the pots outside for a few hours each
day, increasing to all day, before transplanting them into the
garden.

Choose a planting location with full sun to partial shade. Full sun
is recommended by many seed packets however, a partially shaded
placement offers protection in the event of a sudden spike in
temperature.
You may want to have a soil sample tested to determine its acidity
and nutrient content. Soil with a nearly neutral to slightly acidic pH
is best. Transplant during a cool time of the day, morning or
evening.

Preparing the Soil

Cauliflower does best in good soil that drains well. Per the results
of your test, you may work amendments such as organically-rich
compost, bone meal, or lime into it as recommended by the
testing laboratory.
Work your soil to a depth of at least six inches. Plant entire peat
pots at least 24 inches apart. Some seed packets recommend closer
plantings, but this doesn’t allow for maximum air circulation. Mature
plants generally reach a height and girth of about two feet, and
overcrowding increases vulnerability to pests and disease.

Fertilizing
Theories differ on fertilizer. Carla Emery, in her
comprehensive Encyclopedia of Country Living, warns against
commercial fertilizers that may burn cauliflower’s tender roots. Her
instructive book is available from Amazon.
The folks at the Missouri Botanical Garden recommend high-
nitrogen varieties.
And the pros at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources Nebraska
Extension recommend using phosphorus-rich 33-0-0 starter
fertilizer at transplant time, with a side-dressing three weeks later.
I like a slow-release all-purpose granular type like Miracle-Gro
Shake ‘N Feed All Purpose Continuous Release Plant Food, a
balanced nutrient supplement that promises not to burn roots if
used as directed. It’s available from Amazon in 4.5- and 8-pound
containers. Apply it at transplant time, and it works throughout the
growing season.
 Miracle-Gro 3001910 Shake ‘N Feed All Purpose Continuous
Release Plant Food
If you choose to fertilize and don’t use a slow-release product,
apply it at transplant, and then as a side dressing per package
instructions during the growing season. Side dressing is simply
applying it around the perimeter of plants, just outside the edge of
the largest leaves, to avoid direct contact with foliage.

Watering
Cauliflower requires even moisture, so don’t let it dry out. To
increase moisture retention, make a narrow moat around each plant
by mounding soil up in a ridge around it. Mix some mulch into this
soil ridge to further aid in moisture retention, protect delicate roots,
keep the ground cool, and inhibit weed growth. The less you weed,
the better, as the roots are shallow and fragile.
Water deeply once a week with a gentle spray nozzle aimed at the
soil over the roots. Do this in the morning or evening, when
temperatures are at their coolest. Watering by hand plus rainfall
should amount to between one and two inches per week.

Temperature Management
In early spring, most of your garden is likely to be in full sun,
however, as the season comes into full bloom, trees begin to leaf
out and cast some shade.

Consider this as you choose a planting site. If partial shade is

unavailable, be prepared with a supply of lightweight floating row
covers that you can quickly set up if the sun’s rays become intense.
Place them as high as possible and leave the ends of the rows open
to ensure adequate air circulation.
For fall crops, the converse is true. Cold snaps are not uncommon,
so keep row covers of a heavier material on hand. Place them a little
lower and close off the ends, to create a snug environment. Be sure
to open the ends or remove them entirely when temps rise.

In addition to providing some temperature control, row covers help

deter unwanted pests.

Pests and Disease

As with all cabbage relatives, cauliflower is prone to pests and
disease, posing another challenge to successful growing.
If you notice discoloration, wilting, or holes in the leaves; damage to
stems or roots; insect infestation or eggs, take immediate action.
Some pests may reduce leaves to skeletons before burrowing into
flower heads, while others attack at the root level. And pests are a
primary source of the spread of disease.

Here are some pests you may encounter:

Aphid
The aphid is a tiny, sap-sucking insect that eats through leaves and
flower heads.

It spreads plant diseases and leave a trail of honeydew that

promotes the growth of a fungus called sooty mold. If you see
eggs on the undersides of leaves, and tell-tale clumps of stacked up
aphids, try to rinse them away with a steady and stream of water.
If this prove ineffective, use a product such as neem oil, a natural
insecticide and fungicide. It’s available from Amazon in a variety
of sizes.

Organic Neem Bliss 100% Pure Cold Pressed Neem Seed Oil
For further reading on organic methods to deter this insect
pest, consult our article on aphids.
Cabbage Looper
The cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, is a leafeater that can chew a
crop down to nothing in no time.
Per the pros in the University of California Agriculture and
Natural Resources Statewide Integrated Pest Management
System, this green caterpillar is unmistakable, with its distinctive
inch-worm-like gait, green body, and white stripe. Adults are brown
moths with a distinguishing silver figure eight, and eggs laid on the
undersides of leaves are domed and ridged.
Cabbage loopers do their worst damage to mature plants, tearing
through leaves and right into the flower heads. A treatment with
organic Bacillus thuringiensis is recommended. It won’t hurt
beneficial insects like the tachinid fly, that feeds on several
caterpillar pests.
Thuricide by Bonide is available from Amazon in concentrated
liquid form in 8-ounce bottles.

Bonide Chemical 802 Bacillus Thuricide Liquid

Or, you may try a home remedy by Sharon Lovejoy, horticulturist
and author of Trowel & Error (see it on Amazon), a collection of
gardening tips. She recommends dousing plants with white flour
(not self-rising) early in the morning. Dew plus flour equals petrified
bugs that may be rinsed off the following day.
Find out more about cabbage looper control here.
Cabbage Moth
Per the experts at the Michigan State University’s MSU
Extension, the cabbage moth, aka Diamondback moth, Plutella
xylostella, is one of the most destructive insects when it comes to
brassica crops.

Easily recognized by the white diamond visible on its folded brown

wings, the larva and adult of this species are voracious feeders that
decimate entire plants. If you notice the moth, look for eggs on the
undersides of leaves.

This is a difficult insect to deal with, as it has developed resistance

to some pesticides. Natural predators include the parasitic wasp, a
beneficial insect. Try neem oil or Bacillus thuringiensis, but you
may find them ineffective.
You may also try a practice called “trap cropping,” as recommended
by the University of Connecticut Pest Management Program
Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture,
Department of Extension. This practice involves planting a barrier
of another plant the pest likes around your brassica. In this case,
collard greens are recommended.
The idea is that the cabbage moths will chew the collards to bits
before attacking your cauliflower. Best case scenario – you enjoy
both crops at harvest time.

Cabbage Root Fly

If you see an inordinate number of flies around your crops, apply
diatomaceous earth to the soil over the roots to discourage egg
laying. And if your plants are showing signs of distress, dig down,
examine the roots, and discard infested plants.

Live Beneficial Nematodes

Alternatively, you may try an application of nematodes,
microscopic worms that attack soil-borne pests. Bug Sales Live
Beneficial Nematodes are available from Amazon in packages
containing from 5 to 250 million.
There’s something else you may want to try – a cabbage collar. This
is a circle of felt, cardboard, or a similar material that goes around a
plant at the soil level to prevent flies from laying eggs near the
roots. Find it in garden centers or make your own.
Cabbage White Caterpillar
The cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, lays eggs that become
voracious larvae.

Also called cabbage worms or imported cabbage worms, these

caterpillars devour leaves and bore into flower heads, ruining entire
crops.
Bacillus thuringiensis or pyrethrum are the treatments of choice for
this pest.
 PyGanic Gardening 8oz, Botanical Insecticide Pyrethrin
Concentrate for Organic Gardening
PyGanic Gardening’s Botanical Insecticide Pyrethrin Concentrate for
Organic Gardening is available from Amazon in 8-ounce bottles.
Read more about defeating the cabbage worm here.
Cabbage Whitefly
Another pest you may see is the cabbage whitefly, Aleyrodes
proletella. This tiny white fly and its young scaly nymphs infest the
undersides of leaves, feeding on leaf sap, excreting “honeydew” that
promotes sooty mold growth.
But while this type of whitefly disfigures a plant’s leaves, it doesn’t
damage the flower heads, so many growers simply put up with it.

The Royal Horticultural Society is of the opinion that unless an

infestation is severe, it probably doesn’t need to be addressed with
pesticides. However, if you go that route, know that treating the
undersides of leaves is a temporary fix, and product instructions
must be followed diligently with reference to the right one for the
right crop, as well as safe harvest intervals.
Cross-Striped Cabbageworm
Per the pros at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center
for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, the cross-striped
cabbage worm, Evergestis rimosalis, is easily distinguished from
other brassica pests in the egg stage because it is the only species
to lay eggs in clusters.
This caterpillar is blue-gray with black stripes on top, and solid
green underneath. It feeds on leaves and works its way into flower
heads, before maturing to the brown moth you may notice
fluttering around your plants.

Flea Beetle
The crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae, and the striped flea
beetle, Phyllotreta striolata, chew holes in the leaves of brassicas
that don’t pierce all the way through the leaves.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension says you can recognize them

by their extra-large hind leg that enables them to jump like a flea.
Pyrethroid foliar sprays are the recommended chemical treatment.
There is no organic product for flea beetles, so the Extension
recommends row covers, or planting around the life cycle of the
beetles, avoiding their peak feeding time (that’s May to June in
Virginia).
You may also try a practice called “trap cropping,” as recommended
by the University of Connecticut Pest Management Program
Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture,
Department of Extension and mentioned above. It involves the
planting of mustard, a favorite of flea beetles, as a first line of
defense.
Read more about defeating fleas beetles here.
In addition to pests, there are diseases to which brassicas are prone,
including:

Blackleg
Blackleg, Leptosphaeria maculans, is a fungus that causes erosion of
leaves, stem blackening, and root rotting. It may affect plants as
young as seedling stage. The best ways to avoid blackleg are with
quality, disease-free seed, good drainage and air circulation, and
regular crop rotation.
 Organic Laboratories 810-021 Lab QT Organocide Plant Doctor
Systemic Fungicde
You may try an application of a fungicide like concentrated
Organocide Plant Doctor Systemic Fungicde, which is available
from Amazon in 1-pint and 1-quart containers.
Clubroot
Clubroot, Plasmodiophora brassicae, is a fungal disease that likes
acidic, moist soil. It causes roots to fill with mold spores that deform
them into ineffective, club-like appendages. If you find your plants
failing and dig down to find smelly, slippery, deformed roots,
remove entire plants and discard them in the trash. And as this is a
pathogen that lives in soil, don’t plant brassicas in the same location
next year.
Be sure your soil is not overly acidic, and that it drains well. A
fungicide such as mentioned above may be worth a try before
declaring a total loss.

Damping Off
Brassica seedlings may fall victim to various soil-borne fungi
like Pythium and Phytophthora that feed on roots and stems.
Everything may be fine one day, and the next, your new shoots keel
over and die a slimy death.
The best ways to avoid damping off are by using clean containers
with good drainage and providing good air circulation between
plants. You may even find seeds that are pre-treated with fungicide.
Otherwise, once the damage is done, no treatment will help.

Read more about ways to prevent damping off here.

Downy Mildew
Downy mildew, Peronospora parasitica, is a fungus with the ability
to destroy crops. Per the folks in the University of California
Agriculture & Natural Resources Statewide Integrated Pest
Management System, the telltale signs to watch for are yellow
patches that turn brown, and fluffy white on the undersides of
leaves. Infected seedlings may not survive damage to their
cotyledons (first leaves), and disease progression leads to stem and
flower head damage.
If your plants show signs of trouble, try a product like Safer Gro
Mildew Cure. This is an organic fungicide that is available from
Amazon in 16-ounce bottles of concentrated liquid.

There are quite a few pests and diseases lurking in the garden, but
you’re not alone out there. Beneficial insects and hungry birds are
your best friends when it comes to devouring pests and preventing
the transfer of disease from plant to plant.
Inspect your brassicas regularly for signs of trouble. Consider using
row covers as a preventative measure, and discard severely infested
plants by throwing them away, not composting them.

Sanitize tools after use when dealing with infestations, and rotate
crops to new locations every year, because pests winter over and
stand ready to attack the next crop that comes along.

Not sure what is affecting your crop?

Find more information on identifying and treating cauliflower
diseases here.

Blanching
As your brassica crops grow, the leaves will become voluminous,
and in the center of each plant, you’ll see a flower head beginning
to form.
When it’s a few inches across, it may be time to “blanch.” This is a
simple task that involves binding the leaves up and over the
developing head to keep the color pristine and the flavor at its
peak.

Some cultivars are self-blanching, with leaves that curl naturally up

and over the flower heads. Others must be manipulated manually.

To blanch cauliflower, simply gather the leaves in your hands as if

you were making a bouquet and bind them together above the
flower head. Use rubber bands or twine and be sure to leave room
for air circulation. The idea isn’t to snug them up, but to shade
them.
Peek in and check on them every couple of days. It may be another
week or more before heads reach the diameter specified on seed
packets, at which time you may unbind the leaves and prepare to
harvest.

Read more about blanching here.

Harvesting
Use seed packet information as your guide to the approximate
number of days to maturity, and head size. When these benchmarks
have been reached, and you have large a large head of dense,
closed buds, it’s time to harvest.

Orange cauliflower, like sweet potatoes and carrots, is high in beta

carotene.
Make a clean cut across the stem a few inches below the head.

Some folks like to leave a good length of stem and some leaves
attached, as they are good to eat. Others leave most of the stem
and all the leaves behind with the hope that side shoots may sprout.
While this is likely with broccoli, cauliflower is usually a one-and-
done plant.

Read more about harvesting cauliflower here.

Meeting the Challenges
In addition to growing in the garden, the plant’s shallow roots make
it a good container crop. Just remember that it must have
consistently moist soil, and this poses an additional challenge, as a
container dries out faster than ground soil.
Read more about growing cauliflower in a container here.
When you select cauliflower seeds, gauge the length of time your
climate stays “just right” for plants to mature. And while it may be
tempting to choose one of today’s fast-maturing cultivars for spring
planting and a summer harvest, some folks swear that a fall crop of
a tried and true slow-growing variety is the only way to go when it
comes to the best temperatures and outstanding flavor.

Protect your crops from the start with quality seed and sanitary
practices. Sow in soil that’s not too acidic, ensure adequate
drainage and air circulation, and consider using row covers for an
added layer of protection from pests and disease.

Make room for a few cauliflower plants in the vegetable garden this
year. You know how to meet the challenges and are ready for
success.