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(Best months for planting Cauliflower in New Zealand - temperate regions)

• Harvest in 110-155 days
• Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C.
• Space plants: 60-100cm

Large leafed cabbage-like with a white 'curd' or flower forming in the centre. It can be hard to grow successfully. More frost sensitive than most brassicas, it's also not particularly heat tolerant. They tend to fail if stressed when transplanting.

Watch for cabbage white butterfly. Grow better in cooler temperatures. Not suitable for warm areas. Break a leaf over the head to prevent the curd becoming discoloured

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Cauliflower

Cauliflower can be steamed.
Young ones can be broken into small pieces and added raw to salad.
Cook briefly and add to curry mix.
Traditionally served with cheese sauce.
Add tomato slices for colour.

Your comments and tips

14 Jul 09 Kathryn (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Same as 12 - my cauliflower has a pinky/purple colour - can I eat this?

02 Oct 09 John Barry (Australia - temperate climate)

Cauliflowers are NOT easy to grow, repeat NOT easy. Farmer John

06 Oct 09 Blinky and Tina (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

We are growing Cauliflower and it has really good leaves on it. We planted about june this year. it's now october and we still dont have any heads forming? Can anyone explaine why? Also when shuld the heads start to appear? According to our seed packet we planted at the right time.

16 Oct 09 Evelyn (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Same problem as blinky and tina -not a sign of heads never had it happen before -cabbages have done well alongside

17 Oct 09 shell (Australia - temperate climate)

Im in Melb. I havested my cauliflower today. Very proud. they were perfect. Had a virgin vegie pathc and not everything has been such a success? Some of my crop has gone to flower, and some things just didnt yeild much or produce tiny vegies, ie: beetroot. Whereas the radishes were woody and giant? still learning. Love reading this site from fellow farmers. ha

03 Nov 09 Jason (Australia - temperate climate)

After some recent rain I inspected my caullies and found them covered in what look like green caviar, are these butterfly eggs? I washed them off and although I have found lots of caterpillars on my brocolli leaves so far the cauly seems ok. Any ideas on what these could be?

12 Nov 09 (Australia - temperate climate)

Help please first time cauli grower in NW Tasmania. Lots of huge leaves each plant seems to have a least five small heads on them but one had quite a large head so we cut it and only then noticed that the curds werent compact. it has a green tinge to it. The centre of the head about the size of a 20cent piece is compact. any ideas?

22 Nov 09 Drasjic (Australia - temperate climate)

Kathryn...i had the same problem, so after looking on the net i found this, would certainly explain my case, days of high 30's then low 20's even down to 15 or so...It can be due to poor leaf growth and the exposed head can discolor. It can also happen due to weather fluctuations. Cauliflower is sensitive to variations in heat and cold, so it begs the question, how has your weather been? As to whether you want to eat the pink part or not, It would be like eating the sunscalded portion of a tomato. It's not going to kill you, but you're eating dead tissue, so just cut it off and eat the rest.

22 Nov 09 Teashy B (Australia - temperate climate)

Here is a tip that I was given and have had no problems with, when the head of your cauli has began to form, gather the outer leaves into your hand, get a rubber band and tie the top together on so that it acts as a sheild for the cauli. This gives me white cauli's all the time.. goodluck

27 Jan 10 K Stevenson (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have one particular capsicum bush that just seems to keep going I have had it for over 12 months, I nearly threw it out I have had well over a dozen capsicums from it and it has started fruiting again with about 24 on it this is the third time for fruiting, is this normal all I do is put some liquid fertilizer and some epsom salts when the leaves get a bit droopy but only about every couple of months