Surprise!

[rainbowgardener]

In the spring, as soon as I got some beds ready, I planted (among other things), some cabbage. I did some from seed and also planted a few cabbage plants I bought. All the stuff from seed has been growing like crazy, leaves getting huger and huger and huger, but not making any cabbage heads. Finally, just recently, those huge leaves have been making heads -- of cauliflower! I have never grown cauliflower before, so didn't know what it looked like. They are all brassicas, so the leaves look very similar, especially when they are smaller.

I will have to try to find the seed pack again, see if that was my mistake or the seed company's. Oh well, a learning experience!

[Lindsaylew82]

You have it heading up NOW? In this hot mess?

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, weird, right! Cauliflower is supposed to be a cool weather crop, like broccoli, but I don't see how it could be. I planted that seed maybe late Mar - early April and it didn't start making any heads for three months. Maybe you are supposed to plant it in July for fall harvest?

[applestar]

There are different types of cauliflower -- I think one type is called loosely "summer" cauliflower and the other is for fall and winter/early doting growing. Maybe you have the summer kind?

[Lindsaylew82]

I would really like cauliflower to grow here. I don't know how it would with the heat, and the CABBAGE butterflies.... but MAN WOULD IT BE NICE!

[rainbowgardener]

Maybe you have the summer kind?

Since I didn't know I had cauliflower at all, I guess it could be anything.

[Peter1142]

Cauliflower is known as the most finicky brassica. They are not really meant to be grown in temperate climates, but where there are cool growing periods for 4-5 months (not freezing, either,) like the PNW. There are is no such thing as a variety that prefers a hot summer, though of course there are varying levels of tolerance. 3 months is just how long some varieties take to mature.

I grew it for the first time this year and did get a halfway decent harvest for 1 meal for 3 plants that made heads put of 6 planted. Not at all an efficient use of space, but man was it tasty. The ones I cut the heads from are dying and won't make anything else. I am going to try an earlier variety Snow Crown next year. I also have some started to try for fall.

Enjoy the surprise! I suggest researching blanching it.

[jal_ut]

Have fun!