[JuneFR]

1st time of growing cauli.  They are in raised beds, the leaf looks green, healthy and good but the cauli heads are going black or are seperating.  I have bent leaves over the heads (as it says in all of the books) What am I doing wrong.  Thanks...

[Beetroot queen]

I once tried caulis which did the same so I will be interested to know why.

They lookes stunning and went down hill very rapidly and then ended up on the compost heap 

[DD.]

They need cutting when they look stunning! (Tight heads).

If you leave them in the hope they will get bigger, they'll certainly oblige, but will open up as they run to seed. This is perfectly natural.

[meterman]

The ground is not firm enough i put a plank down and walk up and down it (the only time i walk on my beds) i do this for caulis and sprouts. Also never allow them to dry out as this will cause them to bolt.

[peapod]

The ground is not firm enough i put a plank down and walk up and down it (the only time i walk on my beds) i do this for caulis and sprouts. Also never allow them to dry out as this will cause them to bolt.

I also make sure that I walk the soil down, and try to bug Chris into it...hes better at 12 stone than I am at 9...I lost all my sprouts last year through something so simple, but thats just a start
DD's spot on..once its over its over..take a small tight head and be chuffed..a lot of people dont even get a head (ok just me then  )

[DD.]

Forgot about the firm ground bit, as I read straight through "raised beds"! I know that this would be nigh on impossible with raised beds, but it's just to demonstrate.

I've just acquired an old, really heavy lawn roller and I run up and down a few times with it for the brassicas. I get strange looks, but they're coming on a treat. Not to be done if the ground's really wet though as you'll ruin the soil structure.

These are the brussells growing using this method:

[Mitsy]

Thats a lot of brussels  We only have 4 that I know of (have a bed which kids didn't label when seeding) 

[DD.]

Gets windy here about Christmas time!

[Aidy]

Gets windy here about Christmas time!

Windy!!! I bet it was you that ruined the career of Micheal Fish when he said back in 87 "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way... well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!" and we all know what happened then don't we.

[JuneFR]

Thanks all - I am now off to walk the plank!!

Raised beds appear to be giving their own challenges....

The curds are not large enough to eat about two and halve inches in diameter, and they do not look good to eat.