My first time trying to grow cauliflower this year.
I seem to have failed miserably.
The head of the plants are very small and the
white heads go a nasty brown colour.
I am obviously doing something wrong but can't
think what.
Any help or suggestions please ??

Wally

"Wally" wrote...
My first time trying to grow cauliflower this year.
I seem to have failed miserably.
The head of the plants are very small and the
white heads go a nasty brown colour.
I am obviously doing something wrong but can't
think what.
Any help or suggestions please ??

They do not like any check on growth. So they need water if it's dry etc
although I haven't found that a problem this year. To keep the curds white
you need to bend/snap a few of the leaves over the curd so they stay in the
dark. The variety does matter too, we prefer the spring ones as these grow
with no insect damage and no possibility of any meat amongst the curd.
(Winter Walcheren Amardo April is one such)

Did you use any fertilizer and what is the pH of the soil?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

They do not like any check on growth. So they need water if it's dry etc
although I haven't found that a problem this year. To keep the curds white
you need to bend/snap a few of the leaves over the curd so they stay in
the dark. The variety does matter too, we prefer the spring ones as these
grow with no insect damage and no possibility of any meat amongst the
curd. (Winter Walcheren Amardo April is one such)

Did you use any fertilizer and what is the pH of the soil?

--
Hi Bob, No I haven't use any fertilizer and the pH is something else I've
got to learn about.
This is my first year on an allotment and been thrown in the deep end
with very little knowledge of gardening.
Overall I am very pleased with my results but have failed with a couple
of things, namely , cauliflower, onions and carrots, although when my
carrots failed e.g. very small and forked, I put in another lot (although I
was told it was too late) they came up fine and I am still bringing them
home.

Wally

"Wally" wrote in message
...
My first time trying to grow cauliflower this year.
I seem to have failed miserably.
The head of the plants are very small and the
white heads go a nasty brown colour.
I am obviously doing something wrong but can't
think what.
Any help or suggestions please ??

Wally

I suggest that you, prior to growing any vegetables, go to
www.google.com and search using appropriate search critera. In this
case it would be: growing cauliflowers and you would then would get
this http://tinyurl.com/24tmcs and other appropriate sites.

This site tells you, in simple terms, how to grow your cauliflowers. It
even mentions and shows a photo of the Armado variety mentioned by Bob
Hobson and it also explains about discolouration and protecting the
cauliflower head with its leaves - also mentioned by Bob.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

"Wally" wrote in message
...
My first time trying to grow cauliflower this year.
I seem to have failed miserably.
The head of the plants are very small and the
white heads go a nasty brown colour.
I am obviously doing something wrong but can't
think what.
Any help or suggestions please ??

Wally

Exactly the same happened to mine.

I'd given three of the young plants (I raised them from seed) to a son and
his were perfect! I wouldn't care but it was his first experience of growing
anything and his conditions are less then perfect.

Mary

"Wally" wrote
They do not like any check on growth. So they need water if it's dry etc
although I haven't found that a problem this year. To keep the curds
white you need to bend/snap a few of the leaves over the curd so they
stay in the dark. The variety does matter too, we prefer the spring ones
as these grow with no insect damage and no possibility of any meat
amongst the curd. (Winter Walcheren Amardo April is one such)

Did you use any fertilizer and what is the pH of the soil?

Hi Bob, No I haven't use any fertilizer and the pH is something else I've
got to learn about.
This is my first year on an allotment and been thrown in the deep end
with very little knowledge of gardening.
Overall I am very pleased with my results but have failed with a couple
of things, namely , cauliflower, onions and carrots, although when my
carrots failed e.g. very small and forked, I put in another lot (although
I
was told it was too late) they came up fine and I am still bringing them
home.

First thing, if you keep taking food out of the soil you have to put food
back. Otherwise eventually your harvest will decline drastically year on
year. I've seen it happen with "new" allotment gardeners. Even some
"Growmore" thrown on the cabbage patch will help as it also contains lime.

We get two loads of well rotted horse manure delivered every year and that
goes onto our potato patch, about 4 inches thick, for the coming year. The
next year that patch becomes the cabbage patch and receives two 25Kg bags of
lime (to ensure the correct pH). We use a 4 year rotation so after 4 years
every patch will have received manure and lime. Hope that makes sense.
We also use seaweed extract as a liquid feed and chicken muck pellets and
Growmore and Tomato feed too.

Whilst the pH isn't that important for most things, unless it's way outside
normal, it is worth getting it checked or getting a meter as some things,
and brassicas are one, prefer certain values. All brassicas prefer a
slightly alkaline soil (above pH 7) which is why a lot of gardeners lime
their cabbage patch. The more manure you use the more important it becomes
to check your pH.

You aren't the only one who had problems with onions this year, I've heard
others say cauliflowers are difficult so you aren't alone on that one
either, however I always suspect that the pH may be the problem. The usual
problem with carrots is germination, it's why we keep our own seed, so if
you got good germination and eventually a good crop ensure you use that same
variety again, it suits your soil/situation.


--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

First thing, if you keep taking food out of the soil you have to put food
back. Otherwise eventually your harvest will decline drastically year on
year. I've seen it happen with "new" allotment gardeners. Even some
"Growmore" thrown on the cabbage patch will help as it also contains lime.

We get two loads of well rotted horse manure delivered every year and that
goes onto our potato patch, about 4 inches thick, for the coming year. The
next year that patch becomes the cabbage patch and receives two 25Kg bags
of lime (to ensure the correct pH). We use a 4 year rotation so after 4
years every patch will have received manure and lime. Hope that makes
sense.
We also use seaweed extract as a liquid feed and chicken muck pellets and
Growmore and Tomato feed too.

Whilst the pH isn't that important for most things, unless it's way
outside normal, it is worth getting it checked or getting a meter as some
things, and brassicas are one, prefer certain values. All brassicas prefer
a slightly alkaline soil (above pH 7) which is why a lot of gardeners lime
their cabbage patch. The more manure you use the more important it becomes
to check your pH.

You aren't the only one who had problems with onions this year, I've heard
others say cauliflowers are difficult so you aren't alone on that one
either, however I always suspect that the pH may be the problem. The usual
problem with carrots is germination, it's why we keep our own seed, so if
you got good germination and eventually a good crop ensure you use that
same variety again, it suits your soil/situation.

Have noted all that Bob, thank you.
We do have a regular free delivery from a riding stable which contains a
lot of what's needed but the base of it is wood chip/saw dust and I am
told that this is not too good as it takes a long time to rot.

Wally

"Wally" wrote

First thing, if you keep taking food out of the soil you have to put food
back. Otherwise eventually your harvest will decline drastically year on
year. I've seen it happen with "new" allotment gardeners. Even some
"Growmore" thrown on the cabbage patch will help as it also contains
lime.

We get two loads of well rotted horse manure delivered every year and
that goes onto our potato patch, about 4 inches thick, for the coming
year. The next year that patch becomes the cabbage patch and receives two
25Kg bags of lime (to ensure the correct pH). We use a 4 year rotation so
after 4 years every patch will have received manure and lime. Hope that
makes sense.
We also use seaweed extract as a liquid feed and chicken muck pellets and
Growmore and Tomato feed too.

Whilst the pH isn't that important for most things, unless it's way
outside normal, it is worth getting it checked or getting a meter as some
things, and brassicas are one, prefer certain values. All brassicas
prefer a slightly alkaline soil (above pH 7) which is why a lot of
gardeners lime their cabbage patch. The more manure you use the more
important it becomes to check your pH.

You aren't the only one who had problems with onions this year, I've
heard others say cauliflowers are difficult so you aren't alone on that
one either, however I always suspect that the pH may be the problem. The
usual problem with carrots is germination, it's why we keep our own seed,
so if you got good germination and eventually a good crop ensure you use
that same variety again, it suits your soil/situation.

Have noted all that Bob, thank you.
We do have a regular free delivery from a riding stable which contains a
lot of what's needed but the base of it is wood chip/saw dust and I am
told that this is not too good as it takes a long time to rot.


New it will remove nitrogen from the soil to help itself rot down but it's
OK stuff if it's allowed to rot down first and I've used it myself (bird poo
in sawdust actually) to good effect. In fact I prefer it if the soil is in
any way clay as the sawdust helps because it's made up of small fragments
and keeps the clay apart.
Let it rot in a pile until it's dark brown. If you want to speed things up
chuck some Nitro-chalk on top of the pile.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK