Crop Guide – Cauliflower

Common Name Cauliflower
Scientific Name Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Uses Edible; fresh, Side dish (steamed/roasted), salads, dipping, microgreens, rice substitute, pizza crust

Crop Timeline

• Transplants: Start seeds 5-6 weeks before transplanting;
  • Spring Planting: February 15-April 1
  • Fall Planting: August 1-September 15
  • Be sure to harden off before transplanting.
• Microgreens: Direct sow 2 weeks before consumption

Planting tips

• Fertilizer: Cauliflower is a heavy feeder especially of nitrogen.  Feeding throughout the growing season is important to produce a quality crop.
• Number of plants per square foot: 1
• Growing structures: None
• Frost protection: Use a frost blanket when temperatures are predicted to dip below 32F

Harvest

• Harvest 60-70 days after transplanting
  • Harvest large, single head when fully developed; before curds begin to separate.
  • Take care using a sharp knife to harvest the cauliflower at the base/soil level.
  • Cauliflower is a one-and-done crop, once the head is harvested the crop cycle is complete.

Pests 

• Cabbage worm/looper
  • Description: Green, inch-worm, often found on leaf underside, along stem or leaf veins
  • Treatment: Bt pesticide application or mechanical removal (pick them off and squish them)
• Cutworm
  • Description: fat, dark-colored caterpillar, active at night, hiding during the day in soil near base of plant; severs leaf and/stem
  • Treatment: Surround stems with diatomaceous earth