Cauliflower is King!

With plant-based diets now a popular choice for many people, the humble cauliflower has become an exciting addition to mealtimes. Cauliflower smothered in a cheesy white sauce has given way to many ways to use this versatile vegetable. It can being served raw on a crudité platter or pulsed finely as a rice alternative. Cauliflower can also be curried, roasted, or served in a variety of pasta and salad dishes. 

Requirements

The cauliflower is part of the Brassicaceae family and is mostly grown as a winter crop.

Like its cousin, the broccoli, it is a heavy feeder. Cauliflowers need soil that has been enriched with quality compost, ideally containing some well-rotted kraal manure.

Cauliflowers enjoy full sun and are mostly frost tolerant. They prefer the cooler months where lower temperatures enable them to set their tight heads of white florets.

Some varieties can be grown in the summer months. But for the average home gardener, it is advisable to grow them in winter. If they grow too quickly, they tend to produce a loose ‘curd’ or head of florets. While this might not affect the taste, it doesn’t look as appetising and the florets may also discolour from the heat. 

Growing cauliflower from seed 

For a winter crop, sow your cauliflower seed from mid-summer as the seedlings take a while to reach transplanting stage. If you live in a climate where you are confident that you can grow and harvest cauliflower during the summer months, then sow the seed at the start of summer. 

Growing cauliflower from seedlings 

Seedlings should be planted into the soil as the cool weather arrives. Prepare the bed with good organic material and firm the seedlings into the soil. Space them between 45 – 50cm apart in all directions to allow sufficient space for the vegetable to develop to its full size. This also allow adequate air movement around the crop. 

Add a small quantity of nitrogen-rich fertiliser to each planting hole when planting. As this crop takes between 8 – 10 weeks to mature, you can spray the young plants with a foliar feed midway during the growing season. Cauliflowers need nitrogen to produce adequate foliar growth that will cover the head and help it to stay white. 

READ MORE: Try making your own cheesy cauliflower bites or cauliflower pizza base.

Pests and other problems

What’s eating my cauliflower? 

Aphids might attack the leaves of the cauliflower if the weather warms suddenly. You can usually be flush them off the plant with water if caught in the early stages. Birds, rats, mice and dassies (rock rabbits) will peck or nibble on the young florets. Some say that a seaweed fertiliser will discourage this, but it has not been proven. 

Cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of the cauliflower leaves. The emerging caterpillars can cause substantial damage to the entire plant. You can cover your cauliflower crop with a fine mesh cloth to prevent butterflies and moths from laying their eggs on the leaves in the first place. Or, if you detect the damage early enough, spray with Biogrow’s organic Pyrol spray, which is  not harmful to pets or humans.

Oddities caused by the weather

We all know how unpredictable our weather can be, so, with cauliflower preferring a cooler climate, you can imagine what a sudden spike in temperature might do to this crop. It does not react well to stress (does any one of us?) and a sudden hot spell may result in the discolouring of the head, a loose ‘curd’ or no formation of the head at all.

Remember to water your crop during the warmest part of the day, giving the soil time to dry a little before the temperature drops at night. If you experience a sudden climb in temperature, cool the crop down with a light irrigation.

Deficiencies in the soil

A deficiency in boron or calcium can be a problem for farmers who are growing crops in great quantity, but home-based growers shouldn’t have any problem with these deficiencies. Commercial fertilisers (organic and inorganic) as well as foliar feeds all contain the correct ratio of micro- and macro-elements required for the home garden.

Remember to enrich your soil on a regular basis with compost, keep the vegetable patch weed-free and lay mulch down on top of the soil in between the cauliflowers to insulate the soil against extreme temperatures. 

Growing time and harvesting

Depending on the cultivar and the weather, you should be able to harvest your cauliflower crop from between eight and twelve weeks after planting the seedlings. In ideal conditions, a few cultivars may be ready as soon as six weeks. The trick is to keep an eye on your crop to gauge its readiness, watch for any problems, and keep the moisture levels consistent. Harvest in the early morning when the crop is still cool and fresh.  

Growing cauliflowers in containers

Cauliflowers have shallow roots, so while you will not need a deep container, you will need sufficient space for each plant to develop properly. Rather than a round container, opt for the longer trays and plant no more than 2 – 3 per tray.

Plastic, stone or cement pots are preferable to terracotta as they retain moisture better. As with any plant growing in a container, be vigilant about the moisture level in the soil, because if your crop is stressed due to lack of water, the head may not develop properly and will spoil. It is a good idea to incorporate some peat and/ or water-retaining granules into the potting mix.

As mentioned earlier, any sudden spike in temperature can cause cauliflowers to bolt, so if you are growing these vegetables in pots, do not put them on a hot tile or concrete surface. Rather place them on soil, in amongst other low-growing plants such as nasturtiums or any other suitable companion plant. If this is not possible, you could spread bark chips over an area and place the pots on top and allow the bark to be a design element.

READ MORE: Here are some ways you can preserve cauliflower if you had a big harvest.

Seed varieties on the market

Ball Straathof and MayFord

• White Snowball
• Wallaby

Raw

• Romanesco (beautiful lime green with pointed florets)

Livingseeds Heirloom Seeds

• Graffiti (bright purple heads)

Paul’s tips for growing cauliflower

This season, Paul Vonk from MayFord Seeds gives us some tips on growing cauliflower: 

In South Africa, there are two different types of cauliflower available, one for summer and one for winter!

There is nothing more delicious, rewarding and healthy than fresh veggies picked from your own patch. So get sowing and Enjoy ‘Growing Your Own’, and bear in mind these cauliflower hacks!

Autumn is the perfect time to sow MayFord’s ‘traditional’ cauliflower variety ‘Wallaby’.

MayFord’s alternative ‘early’ variety, ‘Snowball’, may be planted at any time of the year (except for mid- winter). This allows you, the home gardener to enjoy cauliflower all year round !

Sow ‘Wallaby’ in seed trays or on a seed bed and follow the planting guide on the packet. Thin out or transplant after six weeks, at approximately 10cm in height. Once the curds have started to form, protect them from the sun as well as sudden temperature changes. Draw the outer leaves over the curds and tie them loosely. This will prevent the heads from discolouring and will keep them perfectly white.