[rowlandwells]

for those of you who grow cauliflowers do you think its best to grow cauli's to overwinter for picking in late spring and do you grow summer cauliflowers i ask this question because I'm not doing very well with my summer cauli's this year for some reason

I've got autumn king growing but there not going well is it the variety I'm growing should i look for another summer variety or just stick to growing overwinter varieties had good results from growing Boris from October sowings

[jaydig]

I usually grow the summer caulis, and the varieties I've had most success with are Candid Charm and Clapton. I have tried the winter ones, but have never done very well with these.  Cauliflowers are very greedy feeders and I start them off with a sprinkling of fish blood and bone, and also water with comfrey liquid every so often. I try to keep them well watered too.  All of my brassicas are under nets otherwise the pigeons would take the lot, but when it's very hot I usually throw an extra layer of scaffold netting over the top of the cauli bed as they seem not too like it too scorching hot.

[rowlandwells]

that seems worth a try jaydig because we have several spare scaffold nets the cauli plants we set where in raised beds netted but not scaffold netting and i note the varieties your growing sowings around Feb/March thanks for that info

[Missey]

Last year my cauliflowers were awful the early leaves were desimated by slug/snails.  This year I had some pidgeon muck from my plot neighbour so made sure I gave my plot a good feed.   I sowed All Year Round earlier in the year - limed the soil when I planted out and they were a great success.

They are now blanched & in the freezer; I'm interested in caulis to harvest in the Autumn