[oakridge]

As it says on the title.  The plants are failing to produce proper heads. They are big sturdy plants with good green leaves.  The cabbages in the next row are doing very well as has pretty well everything else.  The plant has wilted a bit between pulling it up and taking the picture.   I have successfully grown cauliflower in the past so I am a bit confused.

Malcolm

[m1ckz]

look better than mine lol
while i was planting them in the sping  the guy next me gave me 5 clapton to try  they where the ones ones thar gew   lovely  large an pure white    reason   ive no idea   next year its clapton 4 sure   gl

[m1ckz]

oh by the way my own where     all year round    another codger 74 

[TheWhiteRabbit]

How long has that cauli been like that? Did it go straight from a small compact head to loose? Or did it grow to a reasonable size and then go loose?

[Goneterseed]

Cauliflower are temperamental things but given the right circumstances they will come good. I always grow Clapton as they are clubroot resistant.
I always lime the bed, start them off in 3" pots, keep them cool, they do not like heat.
When they get to about 5 or 6 inches high, I dig the planting hole and dust it with a second application of lime. Plant them in very firmly, water and give them a scattering of chicken manure pellets.
Keep them well watered netted from butterfly's and try to keep them shaded with debris netting. They don't like warm sunny weather. When they are about 2 feet high I give them another handful of chicken pellets.
Keep them cool and moist.

Here are a few I pulled today.
 

[ARPoet]

I have never managed to grow anywhere near good cauliflowers. I dont bother now.

[oakridge]

TheWhiteRabbit.  They were like that immediately.

Gonetersee.  Your picture is depressing, but your advice is very good.  I did feed them well, but I did not lime the soil and I did not firm them in well.

Here's to next year.

Malcolm

[Goneterseed]

If they are not firmed in they will blow. that is open up. They are a flower. Brussels behave in the same way. If they rock in the wind, they will break the tiny hair roots then get stressed into open flower. They also need to self blanch by keeping the flower covered by the leaves to keep the sunlight off. Clapton tend to do this naturally. Once the leaves start to open, then I lift them and freeze.

I just need to find some cheese seeds for next year. :-)

[oakridge]

Thank you again Gonterseed.  Our soil is pretty light and sandy so I must make more effort.

After giving up my 'proper' job due to failing eyesight in the early 80s I started with 7 dairy goats before we moved on to Angoras and Christine used to make some cheese.

Malcolm

[sunshineband]

Since I started firming the soil around the roots and for about six inches all around them, cauliflowers have performed well for me oakridge.

I do this right from when they are planted out with only one or two sets of leaves, and have to keep an eye to make sure that voles do not tunnel under them and loosen the plants. I also make sure that weeds are kept down.

From your photo, it does look as though this might be what went wrong for you, especially as you have light, sandy soil. Adding some organic matter will also help with moisture retention.

Hope they do better for you next season.

[Goosegirl]

As sunshineband says, all brassicas like a jolly good firming in all around their roots. Apart from improving the soil, you could get a bag of top soil, dig a big planting hole and fill it with the soil, pop the plantlet in upto its first leaves and give it a good hammering with your fists or trample around it with your boot.

[oakridge]

Thank you both for your replies - firming is definitely the name of the game.  I do make compost on a grand scale but it is quite light in texture - here's a picture.

Malcolm

[Mr Dog]

Never had success with caulis until I started growing Walcheren which are sown April/May and are ready the following March/April when there aren't many pests about, and not much other veg is ready.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Agree that it's most likely down to not being firmed in well enough. If they blew straight away like that and you've got quite sandy soil, I'd say that's the culprit.

[wrinkly1]

sandy soil says it all. i have heavy clay and swear by clapton. i heel them in well. good luck wrinkly1