[shadsncoops]

can anybody tell me what's happened to our caulis? the curds have gone hard & yellowy with soft rotten patches. not what i'd call appealing or edible!

[Willie_Eckerslike]

I lost all mine this year. One minute I had some lovely looking white heads about 3" across, next minute a big head of seeds. Apparently not the easiest crop to grow, but I'll have another go next year.

[shadsncoops]

yeah, i'd heard they were tough to grow. tried 2 varieties & both pants. ho hum. at least the runners & courgettes are going ballistic! good luck next year!

[Plottered]

If theyre anything like mine are its slugs...they were fine one minute and a few days later I go to harvest some and they are covered in slugs all hiding between the leaf and the head....they dont look very edible at all now and i wont be eating them for sure. 

[shadsncoops]

i wondered that, but in 2 years i've never found a slug or snail on my plot. the back garden is a different story...

[TerryB]

Always keep them well watered because if they dry out they will run to seed quickly.
Also start taking them when they are small, better to have some small nice ones than lose them.
Took us 3 years before we got some good sized ones.

[LottieSue]

Out of about 10 Cauli Igloo plants grown from seed, I got 2 or 3 mini caulis plus one big one - hooray! Yes, caulis arent the easiest things to grow, and my plot is infested with clubroot (plus attacks by cabbage root fly this year) - but I feel much prouder of my one big cauli than all the courgettes and runner beans that seem to flourish without much input from me!
Gonna try Cauli Clapton next year - that's the one that's more resistant to clubroot isnt it?

[brookegard]

sori bout your cauli, i sowed mine in the greenhouse and only put them outside early may, 12 plants in total mostly to give them a chance against the cabbage root fly as well as collars for protection, and planted in semi shade, lost none and have perfect large white/creamy heads, and a real treat to eat

[mumofstig]

Gonna try Cauli Clapton next year - that's the one that's more resistant to clubroot isnt it?

yes (I think there are others as well, though)

[DD.]

And highly recommended!

[LilacSandy]

I have tried for two years to grow cauliflowers, I do not have club root, and I have not had root fly but all I get is a lot of leaf and no curds.  Next year I will try putting them into ground that I dig this autumn as I have read that they do not like ground that has been disturbed recently, if that does not work I will just have to except the fact that I am not a good enough gardener yet    Horay for french beans and Kale

[brookegard]

try next time in ground that has not been fertilized ;)and see if that helps brassica i am thinking :unsure:could tend to put on leaf growth rather than fruit if the soil is to rich

[viettaclark]

Depends on the balance. Too much Nitrogen produces strong green growth. Potassium chloride (Potash) is what you need for flowers and fruit.
Fertilizers like tomato feed/seaweed feed contain a higher ratio of K (Potash) in their NPK balance or you can just sprinkle a bit of potassium (white powder) round the roots.

[NN2Blue]

yeah, i'd heard they were tough to grow. tried 2 varieties & both pants. ho hum. at least the runners & courgettes are going ballistic! good luck next year!

Sounds like you need to be making the runner bean and courgette chutney like me!  Took a punt at growing cauliflowers this year - couple of varieties, Graffiti F1 and Romanescue. To my amazement all gave up some form of cauli - nothing huge I would have to admit. Seems an aweful lot of green for not much curd! 

[Salmo]

all I get is a lot of leaf and no curds. 

Caulis do not often stick to the timing on the packet. If you leave them they usually produce curds eventually.