Planting and care
How to grow cauliflower
When to grow
Cool season · Annual
How to start
Usually transplant
Mature size
18–36 in
Time to harvest
About 55–90 days from transplant; development is sensitive to temperature.
Feeding needs
Heavy feeder
Growth habit
Brassica
How to prune
Keep healthy outer leaves. For white cultivars requiring blanching, loosely tie leaves over the developing curd when about 2–3 inches wide, keeping it dry; self-blanching types may not need this.
How to harvest
Cut the head with a few wrapper leaves when compact and firm, before florets separate or become rice-like. Usually one main harvest per plant.
Harvest and kitchen use
Raw, steamed, roasted, fermented or cooked depending crop
Nutrition and garden value
Vitamin C/K, folate and glucosinolate compounds
Productive cool-season anchor crop
Common challenges and troubleshooting
Cabbage worms, aphids and heat stress