🥦VegetablesHardy
When to plant Cauliflower
Default: central Europe (50°N)· 50.0°N
Last spring frost: 5 May
First autumn frost: 5 Oct
Frost-free season: 153 days
Calendar windows
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec
Sow indoors
17 Mar – 7 Apr
Plant out
28 Apr – 9 Jun
Harvest
3 Aug – 12 Sept
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Light
Full sun
Water needs
High
Frost hardiness
Hardy
Takes frost; can go out weeks before the last one.
Life cycle
Annual
Spacing
60 × 70 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Soil pH
6.5–7.5
Days to maturity
75–110
Containers
Needs open ground
Plant family
Brassicas
Soil temp. to sow
≥ 7°C
Practical notes
The fussiest brassica: it wants rich, firm, evenly moist soil and will not forgive a dry fortnight. Snap a couple of outer leaves over the curd to keep it white.
Knowing when to pick
Cut while the curd is dense and smooth. Once it "rices" into visible grains the texture is gone — check every day in warm weather.
Storing the crop
A week in the fridge wrapped. Blanch and freeze, or pickle in florets.
Crop rotation
Rotate on a 4-year cycle: clubroot spores survive in soil for up to 20 years.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: cauliflower diseases and pests (5) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.