tc_31_fillAmenist
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How close to harvest is this Cauliflower?

I've never successfully grown cauliflower(tried once).

Do I have long to wait?

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It's probably only about six inches across now but I'm afraid that I'm going to untie it and find it half eaten.
Last edited by tc_31_fillAmenist on Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

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rainbowgardener
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Beautiful! I've never grown cauliflower at all, just its close relative broccoli. Like broccoli, they are ready to harvest just before the little buds start to separate, while it is still very compact. And yes, I understand, harvesting just before something happens is a very tricky concept! :) All I can say is keep monitoring it and harvest at the first sign of the buds ("curds") starting to separate from each other. Or just go for it now... all you have to lose at this point is the possibility that it could yet get a little bigger.

gumbo2176
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I agree with RBG about monitoring it for a while if you think it will grow bigger. Like broccoli, cauliflower heads grow to varying sizes. I've seen some at farmer's markets that look as big as bowling balls and others not much bigger than softballs.

I love cauliflower but don't grow it in my garden due to space limitations. Unlike broccoli that produces the main head and side shoots for a longer harvest, cauliflower is what I call a "one and done" plant. If I had more room, I'd definitely grow cauliflower and cabbage in the fall.

dustyrivergardens
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I grew cauliflower last year mine looked about like yours does right now I left for four days came back and it was a little to long I should have picked mine sooner the plus was they were still outstanding to eat even though there color wasnt what it was a few days earlier. I think if I had to do it all over again and I had a row I would pick that one and eat it and do what rbg said and give it another day or so enjoy them there going to be great. yum I still have a few in my freezer so good even alittle past perfect.

tc_31_fillAmenist
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I got up this morning to find another had opened up to reveal a head about the same size or a little bigger so... decision made.

I had bought these on impulse at Home Depot and wound up with six plants in the ground. Which is about all I had room for anyway. I found the little info-stake. It says they're "White Cloud" and get six inch heads so I suppose this one was getting pretty close anyway.

Anyway... this one is gonna be lunch! :D

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They seem to take a lot of space/time for a one head yield so will probably get replaced with... I suppose tomatoes since I started more than I have room for.

Thank you, your comments have all been helpful.
Last edited by tc_31_fillAmenist on Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

gumbo2176
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Until I was out on my own and doing my own cooking, I didn't realize how much I really liked broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower etc.

When living at home and eating my mother's cooking, I couldn't stand those vegetables. Her method of cooking them was barbaric and ruined many heads and spears over the years. She would simply cut the stuff apart and stick it in a big pot of boiling water and cook it until you needed to eat it with a spoon. She cooked the life out of those particular vegetables.

I'll now eat it just steamed enough to heat it through and still be fairly crisp, raw at room temperature with some ranch dip, or raw in a tossed salad.

tc_31_fillAmenist
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I'm with you on that. I didn't discover the joys of a steamer until a couple years ago but I've used the thing probably every day since.

I "lightly" salted the cauliflower and dipped it in melted butter and it was great.

I have a couple broccoli plants in the ground that I started from seed but it's still very small.

One is in the center, far edge in this box. It "may" give me a treat someday.

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I tried growing cauliflower and broccoli in Ohio ONE time but didn't know what I was doing. Bugs, dry heat and lack of attention got the cauliflower so I got nothing from that. Bugs ate a good portion of the broccoli too but left me a bit. I refused to use dust and didn't know about dt, white oil, neem oil, anything like that at that time.
Last edited by tc_31_fillAmenist on Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

dustyrivergardens
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great picture now I am digging threw my freezer to try to find some cauliflower. yee haw found some

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jal_ut
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I don't know about the cauliflower, but please resize your pictures to around 640 to 800 pixels width so they will load faster and actually fit our monitors.

That is one huge file at 5,637,422 bytes. 4752 x 3168 pixels .

tc_31_fillAmenist
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Hehe, sorry about that. I changed them to display "thumbs" to save bandwidth but included links to the full quality images to satisfy my OCD. :D

Hopefully works better.

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jal_ut
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Thanks.

I haven't grown cauliflower often enough to advise you much. I think its culture is a lot like cabbage or broccoli. Plant it early and feed it well and it should do well. Protect it from bugs. When to eat it? When it looks good. :)

Like broccoli, it is the flower buds that we eat, along with the tender support stems. You want to harvest the head before the individual buds get too large. If you wait too long the head will expand and the buds will separate into a big tree, then all those buds will bloom. The honey bees love it when I let some broccoli bloom. If you cut it too early you won't get as much weight. I can't say cut it when it is 4 inches or 6 inches, but it depends more on the size of the individual flower buds. The size of the head will vary a bunch depending on variety and growing conditions. My Dad used to tie the leaves together over the head to blanch it. I have seen advertised some self-blanching types.



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