When to harvest cauliflower?

[Randommoose]

Hi,
I've never grown cauliflower before. This year I grew three varieties (Romanesco for autumn, All The Year Round for autumn/winter/spring and Galleon for spring).

I had a lot of problems with germination (Romanesco) then young plants getting eaten by slugs, then not planting them out till a month late. Oh and the voles have eaten a few plants too! So all in all I thought I wouldn't get anything. However yesterday I found cauliflowers hidden in the leaves!

It might be daft but I don't know what might be ready, what needs longer, what might have bolted etc - can you advise me please?


1.Romanesco - is this ready or do I need to wait for the gaps to close up a bit more?


2.This one looks ready, just is small!


3.This one is still buds?

[Randommoose]

4.Ready or wait for the gaps to close up a bit more?


5. Growing but not ready?

Secondly, I have one other Romanesco plant with no curd. As it hasn't cropped within its harvest season, I assume it won't - is this correct?

Thank you!
Moose

[Alison]

It can be difficult as you want them as big as you can. However, the ones that are separating are about to bolt so want picking now. Think you've done well after such a stressful start.

[BertieFox]

Romanesco is really a broccoli rather than cauliflower, but of course, both are closely related and similar in form. Ideally you should harvest the cauliflowers when the curds are still tight, but both the plants in your photos show the curds beginning to separate and open up.

The taste is much the same anyway, it's really a matter of aesthetics in the end, so I wouldn't worry about it as long as they taste fine. Use some kind of butter sauce and you will really enjoy them.

Caulis are particularly difficult in our experience. I have never properly succeeded outdoors as they always bolt or get full of snails or slugs. But in the polytunnel it is a very different matter, as the protected conditions and more regular watering means they grow better.

In the polytunnel I plant them on a one plant per square foot spacing, usually 'All the Year Round' sown between November and January, and pricked on into modules. Usually they grow into large caulis as good as you find in the shops, and we have a glut of them by April or May.

I guess in the tunnel they simply get watered daily and copiously and we always add plenty of good organic fertiliser to each planting square, so that's why they do so much better. Pest control is also better.

I'd love to know how to do the same outdoors, but despite many efforts we have never succeeded on our heavy clay soil.

[Alison]

Use some kind of butter sauce and you will really enjoy them.

Noooooo, don't ruin them with grease, it'll disguise the beautiful subtle flavours you get with the freshness. Much nicer eaten just lightly steamed but left with a nice bite and with a good grind of black pepper. Nothing like the horrible mush you get in pubs and the best way to appreciate fresh home grown is almost the simplest (and easiest too )

[BertieFox]

Noooooo, don't ruin them with grease, it'll disguise the beautiful subtle flavours you get with the freshness.

Must be the insidious influence of living in France for eleven years! If it goes on the plate, it is compulsory to smother it with some sauce or another! I must be going native!

[Randommoose]

Thanks for the advice. I'll harvest the two big curds, keep an eye on the little one and see what the two weird looking ones do.

[Scarlet]

The romanesco looks lovely, I've never had much luck with those and as Alison has said as they've had a stressful start, you can't expect huge heads - they can be a tricky crop to grow. Some years I have great success, others rubbish! As a rule of thumb as soon as you see little gaps to form, pick asap - they are ready, they don't tighten up, they open out ready to flower.