How to plant and grow cauliflower from seeds to harvest

Quick facts

Grow cauliflower where you have not grown related crops—cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard, turnip, rutabaga—for the past four years.
For spring-planted cauliflower, start seeds indoors in April.
For the fall crop, start seeds in July, indoors or direct seeded in the garden.
Grow in rich, moist soil without drought stress.
Blanch white cauliflower. Green, orange and purple types need sunlight to develop color.

Grow Cauliflower

The dense, mounded head of cauliflower is the “curd.” The curd is the flowering stalk of the plant. The edible stage is before the flowers open. Dense, flavorful curds grow in cool temperatures, between 50°F and 70°F.
Some varieties are good for spring planting, growing quickly and producing curds before hot summer weather sets in. Most types are best as a mid-summer planting for fall harvest.
Warm weather during growth of the leafy portion of the plant helps build a large plant, leading to a larger head. Pointy, green Romanesco cauliflower is a fall crop.
Cauliflower is the same species as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts and turnip, and has many similar needs for good garden performance. For the best quality cauliflower, grow it in rich, moist soil without drought stress.

Soil

Have your soil tested.
Grow cauliflower in well-drained yet moisture-retentive, fertile soil with pH of 6 to 7. A good cauliflower crop needs this ideal garden soil.
Apply phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) according to soil test recommendations.
It is not worth growing cauliflower unless the plants absorb water and nutrients steadily during their growth.
Improve your soil by adding well-rotted manure or compost in spring or fall.
Do not use fresh manure as it may contain harmful bacteria and increase weed problems.
If you use manure or compost, you may not need more fertilizer applications, depending on how much organic matter you use.
Side-dress when the plants are about four inches tall.
Do not use any fertilizer containing a weed killer, as it may kill the vegetable plants.

Planting

For spring-planted cauliflower, it is best to plant in early to mid- April. Choose a variety with heat tolerance and a short growth cycle (50 to 60 days to harvest). ‘Snow Crown’ is one of the best for spring growth.
For the fall crop, start seeds indoors or direct seed in the garden, in early to late July.
Whether you plant in spring or summer, a row cover will protect the plants from wind and insects during the first weeks of growth. In spring, use a cover material that will give protection against cold. In summer, use a lightweight material so that temperatures do not get too hot under the cover.
If strong winds loosen a floating row cover, it can do more damage than the plants would suffer without it. Be sure to anchor it firmly with soil and/or pins at the edges. Alternatively, support the row cover with wire hoops, forming a low tunnel.

Starting Seeds

Use sterile soilless seedling mix and press the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep.
Seeds should germinate in about 2 weeks. Turn on bright grow lights above them once the seedlings emerge.
Apply fertilizer to developing seedlings beginning when the first true leaf appears. Use a half-strength starter solution once a week. After 2 true leaves are present, apply fertilizer twice a week.
When the plants have 2 or 5 true leaves, after about 4 weeks, begin hardening them off so that they will adapt well when transplanted outdoors. Reduce watering. Place plants outside where they will receive wind protection and a couple hours of sunlight.
Dig small holes with a trowel, or dig a narrow trench with a shovel. Place the seedlings 18 inches apart. Fill the soil around them so that the plant is at the same level it was in its pot.

Watering

Cauliflower needs good soil moisture. To produce hard, solid, rich-flavored heads, the plants must not experience water stress.
If the plants do not receive consistent rainfall or irrigation, they will have poor texture and may develop strong “off” flavors.
If the planting does not receive 1 inch of rain each week, soak the soil thoroughly at least once a week.
If your soil is sandy, it is important to water more often than once a week.
An inch of water will wet a sandy soil to a depth of 10 inches, a heavy clay soil to a depth of 6 inches.
Use a trowel to see how far down the soil is wet. If it is only an 1 or 2, keep the water running.

Care

Frequent, shallow cultivation with a hoe or other tool will kill weeds before they become a problem.
Hoe just deeply enough to cut the weeds off below the surface of the soil. Be careful not to damage the plants when cultivating.
Mulching with herbicide-free grass clippings, weed-free straw or other organic material to a depth of 3 to 4 inches can help prevent weed growth, decreasing the need for frequent cultivation.

Blanching

To promote the color of white cauliflower, watch for the head to begin forming. Once it is visible, gather the outer leaves and tie them together over the head with string or rubber bands. This will keep the curds white-colored, or “blanched,” as they grow in a shaded environment.
There are self-blanching varieties available that do not require you to tie the leaves. They will still produce a white curd.
Do not tie leaves of colored-orange, green, purple-or Romanesco-type cauliflower. Full color will not develop on these types without sunshine on the curds.

Harvest and Storage

Harvest cauliflower when heads reach usable size, before the flower buds open. Cut the head above ground level and remove the leaves wrapped around the head.
If you leave curds on the plant for too long, they will become loose, especially in spring plantings. Colder fall weather helps the later crop hold its quality in the field.
Cauliflower will keep for about one week in the refrigerator. Even in colder, moist conditions, it will not keep more than 3 weeks.
Preserve a big harvest by freezing cauliflower.
You can also pickle cauliflower in a mix of vegetables.

Source: https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-cauliflower#soil-testing-and-fertilizer-583110

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