Growing cauliflower | 4Food

Growing Guides How to grow cauliflowers

Email this page

Date Published:: 21/02/2008

The cauliflower is a large vegetable grown for its edible and immature flower head (curd). The curd is usually white in colour, although there are purple, lime-green and orange varieties.

Cauliflowers have a reputation for being tricky plants to grow successfully but, if you satisfy their general cultural requirements, they will provide a reliable crop through the summer, autumn and spring.

What you will need

A packet of cauliflower seeds and plant labels
Garden fork, spade and rake for preparing the seed bed and main growing site
Some well-rotted garden compost
General organic fertiliser
A length of string with pegs at each end for marking out individual rows
Short stick for creating the seed drills
Watering can for watering the seedlings and cauliflower plants
Ruler/measure for growing and transplanting the seedlings at the correct spacing
Hand trowel for transplanting the young seedlings
Modular seed tray and seed compost (for sowing the seeds under cover only)
Greenhouse with a thermometer (for sowing the seeds under cover only)
Hoe for weeding
Knife for harvesting the cauliflowers