Ok, I have a pile of cauliflower seed.. unbelevable none of the seed packets have good directions for sowing as in per when. I am assuming after all frost if you direct sow which in my zone would be around May 3. As for indoor planting instructions, only one packet gives a clue and yet it is vague.. It says "sow early", jeez.. like how early is early ???
So whats your favs? White? Yellow, Purple? Whats your joys, your trials and tribulations?
Cauliflower is normally started from seeds indoors and transplanted at about 6 weeks. They do need to be hardened off and set when the weathers warms to the light frost stage. A freeze after setting will induce buttoning. I start mine in a cold frame February 1 fro setting in late March. You will need to adjust your schedule for later setting. Allow about 8 weeks from seeding to transplanting. Under optimum conditions you can shorten the time interval to 6 weeks as germination times are much quicker under optimum conditions. Direct seeding is not recommended , because without precision planters you will not get good spacing and you will get a late start.
Cauliflower does not like heat, so I have to grow short season cultivars, that make before the summer heat arrives. You should not have that problem and should be able to grow any cultivar you like. Whites are the standard, purples, orange, and green are more novel. All are pretty easy to grow. Buttoning ( caused by arresting plant growth in the early stages) and cabbage worms are the major problem areas. Keeping the transplants healthy and growing and using Bt solves those problems. ( some folks use row covers to deter cabbage worms)
I like Snow Crown. It makes huge heads, usually 8 or 9 inches across.
I'm growing Cassius, Minuteman and Cheddar for the first time this year. I start the seeds beginning in August to plant into the garden in September. I start more each month so the last ones finish in April.
Farmerdill, thanks for the information on buttoning. I rarely have trouble with it but every now and again one plant will do that.
Thanks guys! Boy this will be a first attempt so wish me luck.
Last year I found seeds for a cultivar which gave fist sized cauliflower. I did not get them started so will grow them this year.
Coloured cauliflower is not an option with my grandkids: broccoli must be green, cauliflower must be white, peppers must be red. Then they eat any, or all of them raw or cooked.
Caroline zone 3 Calgary
I cant stand the sight of yellow cauliflower and the purple, while both might make for lovely a-hem florals.. Im not putting those on my tongue. For some reason yellow cheese on purple, just the sight of it is scary! LOL!
Peppers must be GREEN and must be bells.
So hows the weather in Calgary. I have a horse up there!
Blossombuddy, I have brocoverde which is kind of like a cauliflower and is green. I also have pink and yellow(and purple) radishes and blue potatoes! I sell at the farmers market though and unusual veggies will get people's attention so they stop to look.
One of my best sellers are the purple & yellow & purple beans. Red peppers sell better than green. Odd color tomatoes sit & go home again. Yellow cherry tomatoes do sell.
White cauliflower only sells good if it is snow white, no blemishes.
I don't know about blue potatoes. No where to get seed to try them. Ordering from a catalog is out of the question, freight charge kills the deal.
Bernie, I saw some at Lowe's the other day. I know your season is way behind ours, but you might check with them when they get their garden stuff in.
Red and yellow bell peppers sell better than green, and for more money. I grow chocolate bells too and they bring top dollar as do the little "mini bells" if they're ripe. I grew lillac bell peppers one year but the walls were too thin to suit me.
I've had every color of the rainbow over the years, but soon weed out slow movers. I had mini bells 2 yrs ago. They went over really well. Forgot all about them last year until one day we were out picking & it dawned on me, we forgot to grow them! Back on the list this year for sure.
I don't shop Lowe's, Wal Mart, or Home Depot unless I am desperate. We also have a Target I stay away from.
Our store is Menards. When they get to your part of the country, you will shun the others, too. Upper midwest stores based out of Wisconsin now, but expanding I am sure.
Their # 1 is quality, then customer service, then profit. Seems right order to me.
We are just about to come out of the deep freeze here in Calgary.
It will go above freezing as a high temperature for the next few days.
Some of this snow will go. But the roads will be sloppy and the cars dirty!
I try to avoid all the Big Box Stores as much as possible. North of me its hard to do as thats all it is is logistics... You think the Box stores are big, you should see the warehouses that feed them. All you see is named brands. I prefer the small town grocers and the ma and pop nurserys.
Our famers market is lucky to see 5 to 10 venders....its a small town.
Well, Calgary, sounds like a good deal. Winters not so bad... you just roll with the punches! If I did ot have to do errands today I d take a trail ride today. The snow is beautiful, not too cold and good skiing weather. Destined to change as the wind blows.
CountryGardens
When I go to the farmers market I look for the unusual. Love different colored tomatoes. I bought some yellow ones to make my Spicy Tomato Jam out of . I'd like to try other colored tomatoes and now have the room to grow more so have bought and am trading for other color tomatoes to try.
Bernie, we go to Menards every time we go to MN. I love to go there!
We shop Lowes but not HD and then only Lowes if we can't find it at some of "home town owned" hardware stores. We were there the other night to get lumber.
I don't like WM either. We're very limited here on places to shop.
