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Is it too late for my Cauliflower to form a head? #880473

Asked August 06, 2024, 10:58 PM EDT

I bought two cauliflower plants back in April, and put them in a fabric raised bed. They've gotten very big, and at one point I had a caterpillar problem with them, where many of the leaves had holes. After that, there was an ant problem, where ants liked to gather/cluster on the stem of the plants. I used natural things like pepper, cinnamon to keep them off. Eventually that problem with the pests stopped, but at this point I'm wondering if I'll even get a head out of the cauliflower since it's become pretty vertical and leafy. I'm sending pictures. Should I just pull them up? I think cauliflower is more of a fall vegetable to grow, but since I had only seen the plants in stores in April, I figured I could still grow them, especially when I placed the bed under a garden cover to help against intenst heat. I also planted some mint behind it to help keep away other pests. Aside from mint, the other plant that was in the bed with the cauliflower was brocolini, which got big as well. That made me wonder if it got too crowded since I underestimated how big the plants would get.


Ector County Texas

Expert Response

I think you will do much better growing cauliflower as a cool weather crop.  I'm emailing a vegetable planting guide.  it recommends planting cauliflower about now or in early spring.
Rick Coke
An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 09, 2024, 12:15 PM EDT

Okay. Do you think I should go ahead and dig up those cauliflower plants? And I'm assuming that guide is to plant cauliflower seeds, right? I may try it. Like I said, I bought the cauliflower when they were small plants, so I've barely tried any plant from seeds as I've often had no luck with seeds. 

The Question Asker Replied August 10, 2024, 1:46 AM EDT
Pull up the plants as they are not edible now. It is almost time to plant cauliflower transplants.  Nurseries will have them out from around the end of August to mid-September.  I have not had much success with growing cauliflower from seed, as the soil stays too warm for them to germinate properly until the end of September, and they don't have time to form a head before the freezes come.  All of the cool season plants like cauliflower do better in the fall.  They grow when it is warm and mature when it is cooler.

Stephanie
An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 12, 2024, 10:13 AM EDT

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