Growing cauliflower is similar to growing broccoli or cabbage. But unlike its cousins, which tolerate very cold temperatures, cauliflower does not.  In fact, cauliflower is downright finicky about the weather. Cauliflower plants don’t do well when it gets too cold or too warm. So it is important to put plants out in the garden early enough in the fall to avoid freezing temperatures and early enough in the late winter or early spring to mature before it gets warm.

If the weather is too cold, your plants may just sit there and do nothing, the heads may turn brown (called “browning”), or, once the weather warms up, they may form small heads (called “buttoning’). In north Florida, it’s a good idea to have floating row covers handy to protect your cauliflower plants when temperatures fall much below freezing. (You can find floating row covers by using my custom search engine.) Cauliflower heads won’t tolerate temperatures below about 25 degrees.

When it gets too hot for cauliflower, the curds may separate (called “ricey curds”) or the plants may bolt.

The planting dates for cauliflower in north Florida are mid August-October and mid January-February. Varieties recommended for Florida are the Snowball strains, Snowdrift, Imperial 10-6, Snow Crown and White Rock. Many other varieties also do well here, such as White Cloud, which is sometimes found at local garden centers.

If you are starting your plants from seed they should be started about four to six weeks before setting out in the garden. It’s best to start them in small individual containers or cell trays because cauliflower is fairly sensitive to transplanting.

Cauliflower should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart in rows that are 24 to 30 inches apart.  For intensive gardening they can be set on 18 inch centers. In the garden, set plants lower than they were growing in their containers—almost to the bottom leaves. Firm the soil well around the roots.  Not doing so could lead to smaller heads.

I mix in a good quality fertilizer in the soil before I put the seedlings out and then side dress the plants every three to four weeks.  A good quality fertilizer will have both fast and slow release forms of nitrogen and include a good micronutrient package. Also, about three to four weeks before planting, I prepare the soil by mixing in some organic material into the soil such as compost from the yard, dry grass clippings, shredded leaves or composted cow manure from the garden center.

Depending on the variety and weather, once set out in the garden, it takes about 60 to 80 days for cauliflower to mature.

Cauliflower should be kept evenly moist and get at least one inch of water per week. Not doing so will lead to smaller heads and less flavor.

Cauliflower is susceptible to many of the same pests as broccoli and cabbage. In north Florida, that generally means cabbage worms. These can easily be controlled with a Baccillus thuringiensis (BT) product such as Dipel dust or Thuricide liquid concentrate. Light floating row covers work well to protect cauliflower plants from pests, too.

In order to keep the cauliflower heads white, they must be protected from the sun. To do this, use twine or rubber bands to fasten the plant’s leaves around the head as soon as it reaches the size of an egg. This is called “blanching.” Even self-blanching types should be protected this way.

Your cauliflower will be ready for harvest one to two weeks after the head first appears. When heads are three to four inches across, begin to check them daily. Harvest before the curds begin to separate. To harvest, cut the heads leaving several inches of stem.