Cauliflowers are one of the more popular brassica plants that are eaten in a range of dishes including things like stir-fries. As a result of cauliflowers’ popularity, many people grow it at home but if you are a beginner gardener you may be wondering how many cauliflower heads you get from one plant.
Cauliflower plants typically produce a single head in most cases and once that head is removed then you will find that cauliflower rarely grows back though there are some cases where it can occur.
As a result of this is typically best to harvest the cauliflower head and then remove the plant to allow space for other things to be planted as you are unlikely to get much more once the primary head is removed.
Additionally, because cauliflower is more challenging to grow than something like broccoli which is closely related, it is important to ensure that you remove the Cauliflower head when it is at its very best.
The reason for this is that the C]cauliflower head deteriorates relatively rapidly if left on the plant, particularly in cases where the weather is getting warmer.
What Happens To The Head Of Cauliflower Plants If They Are Left Too Long On The Plant?
Typically, cauliflower plants will start to deteriorate in a number of different ways. The first thing that happens if cauliflower is exposed to too much light is the head of the plant will start to yellow which means that it does not look as attractive though it is still fine to eat.
The second thing that starts to happen to a head is that the curd starts to break up and sections of the cauliflower head will rise up producing more and more stalks which destroys the quality of the head. This tends to happen very rapidly in warmer conditions which means it is very difficult to grow cauliflower successfully once the conditions get too hot.
How A Good Quality Cauliflower Head
The most important thing to do to ensure that you do get a good cauliflower head is to plant seeds at the right time of the year. As mentioned above cauliflower heads bolt relatively easily in warm weather which means that cauliflowers are most suited to be grown in the cooler parts of the year which is either autumn or spring. They can also be grown through the winter period if the conditions are mild enough.
This means that the ideal time to plant seeds is typically in late winter and also late summer which may seem counterintuitive. However, one of the most common mistakes that beginner gardeners make with winter vegetables such as cauliflower is that they plant the seed too late in the season.
To ensure that you get a harvest in autumn or even winter the plant needs to reach maturity just as the weather is starting to deteriorate significantly. The advantage of doing this is that in winter once the cauliflower head has formed it will generally sit for an extended period.
If you miss the window to plant the seeds typically what will happen is that you will have plants that will not produce a flower head until the following spring.
The second thing that often affects the quality of the cauliflower head is when it yellows. This typically occurs when the cauliflower head is exposed to too much light. There are generally two ways that you can deal with this issue the first is to select a blanching variety of cauliflower which means that the outer leaves grow over the head of the Cauliflower naturally shielding it from light.
However, if you are growing a non-blanching variety where the head is exposed it is still relatively easy to prevent the yellowing by folding leaves over the head of the cauliflower just as the head is starting to appear. The leaves can be held in position using a rubber band or a peg.
How To Grow Cauliflower
Cauliflower seeds can be planted directly into the garden, however, most people tend to use seed trays because of the timing of the sowing. To get the plants off to a rapid start in late winter it is best to use a seed tray because you can keep the seedlings warmer to allow more rapid growth.
Starting seeds early in the spring is important because you have a limited amount of time before the weather gets too hot to produce your cauliflower heads so the earlier you plant them the better result.
In summer when the weather is warmer the advantage of using seed trays is that it minimizes the amount of time that the plants spends in the garden. This is advantageous because at that time of year you are often growing many other types of summer crops.
To start the seeds off start fill the seed tray with a good quality seed-raising mix and then firm the soil into the individual cells to form solid plugs. Doing this helps to reduce root disturbance later on when the plant is transplanted.
Once the soil is in position plant 2 to 3 seeds per cell add a depth of approximately half an inch and then water the plant in well. Once the seeds have been planted the seedlings typically will take around 7 to 14 days to appear and will need to spend up to 6 weeks in the seed tray before they are large enough.
If more than one seedling germinates in an individual cell it is best to remove the weaker seedlings to ensure stronger seedlings have the best possible chance of developing a strong root system.
Transplanting Cauliflower Seedlings Into The Garden
Once the seedlings have reached the height of around 3 to 4 inches they are ready to go out into the garden which can be done at any stage as cauliflower seedlings are frost tolerant, though most people recommend planting them in the garden after all risks of frost has passed.
Cauliflower plants should typically be planted approximately 15-inch apart as they are relatively large plants and do you require a reasonable amount of space. In terms of growing conditions, cauliflowers should ideally be placed in a location that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sun per day.
In terms of soil conditions, cauliflower plants typically prefer rich moist soil that has plenty of nutrients so it may be necessary to add an additional bag of compost before putting the seedlings in.
Cauliflower seedlings are susceptible to attack from slugs and snails, it is, therefore, important to sprinkle snail bait around the plants on the day that they go in as slugs and snails have been known to decimate the entire crop overnight.
Once the cauliflower seedlings are in position in the garden the only other important job to do is to ensure that you water the plant regularly and ensure that remains weed-free to avoid any additional competition.
Typically, cauliflower plants will develop greenish-grey foliage that is around 2 to 3 ft tall before the plant begins to produce its flowerhead. Up to that point, there is very little to do and you can pretty much leave the plant to its own devices.
However, as soon as the flowerhead appears this is the point at which you need to monitor the plant carefully to ensure that you can pick the cauliflower head at the optimal time. Typically the cauliflower head should reach at least 4 to 6 inches in diameter before you consider harvesting the plant however cauliflower heads can get up to 10 or 12 inches wide in some cases if the conditions are favorable.
Once the Cauliflower head reaches a reasonable size it can be harvested at any stage, however, as mentioned above, if the cauliflower shows signs of starting to deteriorate you must harvest it immediately even if you have a glut of cauliflower.
Any glut of cauliflowers can be frozen by cutting up the heads into small florets and blanching them for 1 to 2 minutes and then freezing them. This will enable you to grow enough cauliflower for a year-round supply.
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