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When to plant
cauliflower in the UK
Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicious too — don't throw them away.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
16 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 7 weeks before planting out
Get cauliflower seeds
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What cauliflower need
Sun. Rich, firm soil. Consistent watering. The fussiest brassica.
Spacing
60cm between plants
These are larger plants — give them plenty of space for air circulation.
Varieties worth growing
All the Year Round
commonCauliflower is famously difficult, and this one makes it as easy as it gets. Reliable, adaptable, and produces good white curds without demanding a PhD in horticulture.
Whole roasted cauliflower
Boil whole for five minutes, drain, then roast at 200C with olive oil, cumin, and turmeric until deeply golden. Serve with tahini drizzled over the top. The centrepiece that happens to be a vegetable.
Graffiti
rareVivid purple curds that keep their colour when cooked (unlike most purple vegetables, which betray you by turning grey). Tastes like cauliflower, looks like it fell out of a Willy Wonka film.
Purple cauliflower steaks
Slice thick steaks through the centre, brush with olive oil and za'atar, roast until charred at the edges. The purple deepens in the oven. Serve with a bright green herb sauce for maximum contrast.
Snowball
commonCompact, white, and well-protected by its wrapper leaves. A reliable variety for beginners that doesn't need constant attention — just consistent watering and a bit of faith.
Cauliflower cheese
Steam florets until just tender, lay in a dish, cover with a thick, mustardy cheese sauce, and grill until golden and bubbling. The side dish that's really the main event. Nobody is here for the meat.
Romanesco
rareLime-green fractal spirals that look like they were designed by a mathematician. Technically a cauliflower, aesthetically a work of art, and the flavour is nuttier and sweeter than white cauliflower. The vegetable that makes non-gardeners do a double take.
Roasted romanesco with brown butter and capers
Break into florets, roast until the tips are golden and crispy. Make brown butter in a pan, add capers and a squeeze of lemon. Drizzle over. The fractal tips catch the butter perfectly.
Good companions
Keep apart from
- Tomatoes
When to sow cauliflower
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy cauliflower seeds
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What you'll need for cauliflower
The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.
Without this, cabbage white caterpillars will strip your plants to skeletons. Cover from planting day — not after you spot damage.
Hold netting above the leaves. Draped directly on plants, butterflies lay eggs through the mesh where it touches.
Cauliflower is the fussiest brassica. Give it every advantage — collars, netting, and consistent watering.
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for cauliflower.