Growing Cauliflower

Introduction

The vegetable, emanated from Asia Minor, was first cultivated in Turkey around 600 BC. It became popular in Europe in the 16th-century but was only cultivated in America at the beginning of the 20th century.

Types

There are hundreds of varieties of cauliflowers that differ in color, size, shape, taste, and nutritional composition. Aside from white, cauliflowers also exist in other colors such as green, purple, orange, brown, and yellow.

The Puakea, or Hawaiian Volcanic Cauliflower, is a hybrid developed for Hawaii's climate. It is a white variety, slightly smaller than most other cauliflowers with with heads ranging from 3-4 inches in diameter.

Germination & Propagation

Sow your seeds in fertile material at a depth of a quarter to a half an inch deep and water them thoroughly. I suggest using starter pots. They need to be kept wet while the seeds germinate. You can water often, keep the pots in a tray with water in the bottom or cover the soil with plastic wrap until the seeds have sprouted. Cauliflower seed germination usually takes 8 to 10 days. When the seedlings appear, remove the plastic and keep the soil evenly moist.

Seeds are best stored in the refrigerator and can be purchased directly from us via our Seed Store. We get our seed stock directly from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (C/T/A/H/R), University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

Planting

Cauliflower is a cool-season crop that does best when planted in early spring or late summer/early fall. For those living in warmer climates, cauliflower can be grown all year long.

When temperatures start to exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit, growth will slow down and the quality of the head will decline and the head will eventually start "bolting".

Cauliflower requires a fairly fertile, well draining soil with a decent water-holding capacity and a balanced pH level.

Cauliflower can be grown in the ground or a container. To transplant, carefully remove the starter plant from the original container and place it into the hole in the new, larger container.

If planting in a bed make sure to space them at least 15 inches apart.

Use the Best Hawaiian Soil Mix once the seedlings have established themselves.

Sun and Water

Cauliflower needs a lot of sun, six hours of direct sunlight per day is the bare minimum. Placement of the plants is crucial to yield; full sun will result in the biggest vegetable returns.

Cauliflower requires copious amounts of water at all times. It is best to keep the soil moist and watering in the morning is best. During the rainy season, it is fine to keep watering at a minimum but during the warmer spring and early summer months, it is best to water more often especially if you are using containers.

When the curds start to dominate production one whould avoid perpetually wet conditions as that can lead to issues.

In short, cauliflower can be a very complicated crop and definitely not one for beginner gardeners.

Fertilizing

Cauliflower will do better with the application of low nitrogen, high potassium plant fertilizers and foods.

Fertilizing at the right time is crucial for getting the most out of your plants. In general, you should fertilize once every two weeks during active growth periods.

For transplants, fertilize once before transplanting and then again two weeks later using mild concentration rates.

Once plants are larger, feed at a full spectrum strength every 3-4 weeks for beds and every 2-3 weeks for planters.

Harvesting

As the heads develop and approach the right stage for harvesting, one or two inner leaves should be bent inward at the mid ribs to protect the curds from sunlight and keep the curd white.

Curds exposed to sunlight will turn yellow. The heads should be harvested at the right stage of maturity, when the curd is compact and smooth in appearance.

“Ricy” or over-mature curds appear irregular and uneven, with spaces showing in the curds.