Growing Guides How to grow cauliflowers

Date Published:

21/02/2008

Sowing time

For an early summer crop of cauliflowers, the seeds should be sown in a greenhouse during January or February. Maincrop cauliflowers (summer and autumn maturing types) are usually sown outside in April and May. Winter cauliflowers (spring maturing types) are sown outside in May.

Sowing depth

The cauliflower seeds should be sown in 1.25cm (1/2in) deep seed drills (rows). To mark out an individual row, position two pegs in the ground and stretch a length of string between them. To create a seed drill, use a short stick and drag this through the soil using the string as a guide. Before sowing the seeds, water the base of the drill (this will help the seeds to germinate) and then cover the seeds with soil - don’t forget to label the site.

Sowing distance

The seeds are best sown thinly in the seed drill and, once they have germinated, the young seedlings need to be thinned to 7.5cm (3in) apart - grasp unwanted plants between your finger and thumb and pull them out. If you have more than one row they must be spaced 15cm (6in) apart.

Where to sow them

The cauliflower seeds should be sown in an outdoor seed bed - a sunny and sheltered corner of the vegetable garden with a well-drained soil is ideal. A week before sowing, tread and rake over the ground several times to ensure the surface has a firm, fine and level tilth - do this on a day when the soil is fairly dry.

After germination and thinning, the remaining seedlings need to be transplanted to their main growing site. Cauliflowers can also be sown in modular seed trays filled with seed compost and left to germinate in a greenhouse - keep them at a temperature of 10-15ºC (50-59ºF).