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Cauliflower not hearting up.

Tattie HeidTattie Heid Posts: 14
in Problem solving
I seem to have great difficulty growing cauliflower. They get to about tennis ball size and then they just burst open, the plants themselves are very healthy with nice fresh leaves. I have no problem growing cabbage in the same soil so can someone please tell me where I am going wrong.

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    They are hard to grow well, but if I tell you what I do on improved clay soil, you may see something which may help.  They are started in small modules and transplanted to 4" pots when showing a couple of true leaves.  Grown on until they have 5 true leaves and then planted deep (right up to the lower leaves) and firmed-in well to their final growing positions.  The ground has well-rotted farmyard manure spread on the autumn before and I fork in a bit of fish, blood & bone to the general area before planting.  Regular watering is a must in dry weather or they will bolt.  If you have sandy soil then copius amounts of well-rotted FYM is a must in order to retain enough moisture.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’m sure I remember hearing, possibly on GQT, that cauliflowers will fail to fest up if they are planted too closely together. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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