Growing Cauliflower

brassica oleracea var. botrytus botrytus : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
S S           S S S S S
T T T           T T T T

(Best months for growing Cauliflower in Australia - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 60 - 100 cm apart
  • Harvest in 15-22 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile)
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chili, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry, mustard

Your comments and tips

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05 Sep 14, John Mayken (Australia - temperate climate)
How should I prepare the soil, for growing Cauli's, and how do I stop them from going rapidly going to seed?
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12 Aug 14, Andy (Australia - temperate climate)
We planted possibly late for Perth around May, we copped a shed load of rain over much of the growing period. I think maybe too much as the head grew small and went pretty much straight to seed. Anyone know why?
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27 Jun 14, Imelda (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Cauliflower has been growing for about 60 days, lots of large leaves and getting tall. Will the heads form on a plant that is 10cm tall from base and has leaves branching out from the top of that 10cm point to make it around 25-30cm tall? Thanks in advance for any advice.
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18 Sep 14, (Australia - arid climate)
Cut some of the leaves off the stem , leave 4-6 leaves for cover
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16 Aug 14, Doris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Don't despair. Our plants looked like that for ages. We were about to give up when we noticed fruit forming. Now we have about nine fruit, each up to ten cm in size. It may have been the dose of fertiliser about four weeks ago that did it.
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19 Jun 14, Peter M ( a keen retiree gardener) (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My climate I can only grow cauliflower in the cooler months so my question is Do I have to blanch them before freezing them to enable me to have cauliflower all year round. thank you in advance for your reply.
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05 May 14, Lindi (Australia - temperate climate)
im growing cauliflower its been cranking but now ive noticed theres been something eatting the leaves and was tiny lil whits spots on back of them what could it be and how could i treat it?
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20 May 14, Allison (Australia - temperate climate)
Try spraying top and bottom of leaves with Eco Oil (organic pest control). Not dangerous, can spray and consume same day. Anything with parafin or other chemicals is BAD. I also planted Nasturtions and Marigold in same garden and the bugs go for them instead. Hope this helps.
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21 Dec 13, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
Cant profess to be the best grower of cauliflower - I find them very fussy. The ones I have managed to grow to a full undiseased and uncracked head (sigh), have not sprouted either another head or laterals. Unless you get advised otherwise - pull it.
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27 Sep 13, raymond russell (Australia - arid climate)
hi I have the same promble plenety of leaves but no heads
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Showing 81 - 90 of 162 comments
See comments for all plants

I'm sub tropical and I don't even try to grow caulies. They need a cool cold climate. An agronomist told me the other week cauli, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce need it to be cool/cold to form a head. I have tried growing them but end up with huge leafy plants and no or little head, reason, over fertile soil. To really be on the ball on growing them you would have to have a soil test done, then a specific fertiliser would have to be applied. You may only have a small time window to plant them, say April to mid May. Talk to an agronomist in your area if you can.

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