Practical
Plants

Brassica oleracea botrytis

Cauliflower

a biennial member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Height
0.75 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Immature flowering head - raw or cooked[1][2][8][9]. A mild cabbage-like flavour, they make an excellent cooked vegetable and are also very acceptable in salads[K]. By careful selection of cultivars, it is possible to produce flowering heads all year round[K]. Leaves - cooked[8]. A mild cabbage flavour, they make a good cooked vegetable[K]. Do not over-harvest them, however, since this would adversely affect the production of the flowering head[K].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An extract of the seeds inactivates the bacteria that causes black rot[4][6].

Product or use
Fungicide

Environment

Range
A cultivated form of B. oleracea.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in a seedbed outdoors in April to June depending on the cultivar. Plant out into their permanent position when the plants are 5 - 10cm tall. Seed of some cultivars can be sown in late winter in a greenhouse in order to obtain a harvest in early summer. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy and will not make such good plants. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them rather deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained moisture-retentive fertile soil with plenty of lime[8][5][7]. Cauliflowers, especially the winter and spring maturing types, should not be given a soil that is too rich in nitrogen since this can encourage soft, sappy growth that is more susceptible to winter cold damage[7]. Prefers a heavy soil[2]. Requires a warm sunny position[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7[5], though it tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.3. Succeeds in maritime gardens[5]. Lack of moisture in the growing season can cause the plant to produce small or deformed curds[7]. Summer varieties are not very cold hardy and will be damaged by light frosts, winter cauliflower plants are more hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to about -6°c, though the curds are more sensitive and can suffer damage at about -2°c[5]. This damage can often be prevented by bending over the leaves so that they cover the curd. Cauliflowers are widely grown for their edible immature flower heads (or curd). There are many named varieties and, by careful selection, it is possible to provide a year round supply. The summer and autumn maturing cultivars are annuals, they need to produce a certain number of leaves before curd development will be initiated. The optimum temperature for this is around 17°c, but at temperatures above 20°c the curds will either be of poor quality or not be produced at all[5]. Winter and spring maturing forms are biennial and need exposure to temperatures below 10°c before they will produce curds and once again, this will not happen unless the plant has reached a certain size[5]. Grows well with celery and other aromatic plants since these seem to deter insect predations[3][4][6]. Grows badly with beet, tomatoes, onions and strawberries[4][6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  4. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  6. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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