How to grow Cauliflower
Updated October 2026
Cauliflower is the fussiest of the cabbage family: it needs steady cool weather, steady water and steady feeding, and any shock can make it form a small, early button instead of a full head. Get the timing right, though, and it gives firm white, orange, green or purple heads in fall, winter or early summer. Most white types need their heads shaded from the sun to stay white.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Cauliflower
Where to plant
Cauliflower needs full sun and fertile, well drained soil with plenty of organic matter, at a pH of about 6 to 7. Utah State notes it grows best below about 75°F (24°C); both cold near freezing and heat above about 80°F (27°C) slow growth and spoil the heads. UF/IFAS adds that 10 or more days between 35 and 50°F (2 and 10°C) can trigger buttoning.
In Florida, UF/IFAS gives late August to January for North Florida and September to January for Central and South Florida; the Gulf South, Texas, the desert and Southern California also plant from late summer into winter. In the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic, plant in late winter and again in midsummer for fall. Across the North, the Midwest, the Mountain West and Alaska, set transplants out 1 to 2 weeks before the last frost, and plant early varieties again in midsummer for fall, which often gives the best heads.
Choosing a variety
Self blanching varieties curl their inner leaves over the head, saving the work of tying. Utah State recommends Snow Crown (about 50 days), Amazing (65 days), White Contessa (heat tolerant, 65 days), Self Blanche (60 days) and Denali (80 days, for summer planting and fall harvest). Snowball Y Improved is a dependable self blanching standard. Orange, green and purple varieties and Romanesco are grown the same way.
How to plant
- Start seed indoors 6 to 7 weeks before your planting date, a quarter to half an inch (6 to 12 mm) deep, and grow transplants at 55°F (13°C) or warmer to avoid buttoning.
- Plant out young transplants with 4 to 6 leaves. Larger, older transplants are more likely to button.
- Avoid any shock at planting: water well, and do not let transplants dry out, get chilled or go hungry.
- Space plants 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) apart in rows 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) apart.
- For a fall crop, choose an early variety and plant 50 to 75 days before you want to harvest, aiming for heads to mature a week or two after the first fall frost.
Watering and feeding
Water deeply and evenly, about 1 to 2 inches a week, ideally by drip, and mulch to keep the soil moist and cool. Dry soil is one of the commonest causes of buttoning.
Work compost and a complete fertilizer into the bed before planting, guided by a soil test, and side dress with nitrogen about four weeks after transplanting to keep leaf growth strong; a big leafy plant is needed for a big head. In Florida, feed again after heavy rains.
Pruning and care through the year
- When the head is about the size of a silver dollar, gather the outer leaves over it and tie them loosely with twine or a rubber band. Sunlight turns white heads yellow and bitter.
- Check tied heads every few days; they grow fast once covered.
- Use row cover against cabbage worms and flea beetles while plants are young.
- Rotate cabbage family crops to a new bed each year to reduce clubroot and black rot.
Harvesting
Cut the head when it is fully developed, compact and white, typically 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) across, before the curds start to loosen. Cut with a few leaves attached to protect it.
Cauliflower keeps about 3 weeks at 32°F (0°C) with high humidity, such as in a fridge crisper drawer.
Companion planting
Aromatic herbs and flowers around cauliflower draw the predators and parasitic wasps that attack its pests.
Good companions
- Beet A low, quick crop for the space between plants.
- Celery Likes the same rich, moist soil and cool season.
- Onion Narrow and low, so it fits between rows.
- Dill Its flowers feed small wasps that parasitize caterpillars and aphids.
- Rosemary A sun loving herb for the bed edge.
- Sage Another aromatic herb for the edge of the bed.
- Chamomile Small flowers that draw hoverflies and other beneficial insects.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to cauliflower.
- Strawberry Traditionally kept apart from cabbage family crops.
- Tomato A summer crop with different timing; traditional charts keep it apart.
- Climbing beans Tall pole beans shade the cauliflower and are traditionally grown elsewhere.
Pests and diseases
Cauliflower shares the pests of other cabbage family crops; UF/IFAS lists many in Florida, led by caterpillars and aphids.
Pests to watch for
- Cabbage worms Green caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly, loopers and diamondback moth chewing leaves and hiding in heads.
- Aphids Gray green colonies under the leaves and in the head.
- Flea beetles Tiny holes in young leaves.
Diseases to watch for
- Black rot Yellow, V shaped areas at the leaf edges with blackened veins.
- Clubroot Stunted plants that wilt on warm days, with swollen, distorted roots.
- Downy mildew Yellow patches on the upper leaf with gray fuzz underneath in cool, wet weather.
Common questions
Why did my cauliflower make a tiny head?
That is buttoning, an early, undersized head caused by stress: dry soil, low nitrogen, chilling (10 or more days between 35 and 50°F), transplanting shock or transplants that were too old. Plant young transplants on time and keep water and food steady.
How do I keep cauliflower white?
When the head is about the size of a silver dollar, tie the outer leaves over it to shade it. Self blanching varieties do this partly on their own. Sun turns the head yellow and bitter.
When is cauliflower ready to harvest?
When the head is fully developed, firm, compact and white, before the curds loosen. Check tied heads every few days, as they size up quickly.
When do I plant cauliflower in Florida?
UF/IFAS gives late August to January in North Florida and September to January in Central and South Florida.
Can I grow cauliflower in a container?
It needs space and very steady watering, so it does best in the ground.
Sources we checked: Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Cauliflower in Your Garden; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Cauliflower.
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