Cauliflower

[Silverfox]

I think something has gone horribly wrong with my cauliflowers. I have just 2 in my garden and they are in side beds. Both have gone wrong for different reasons:

1: This one was growing nicely but the centre only got to about the size of a raddish, I thought if I left it it might get bigger. But the only thing that has happened is large long shots have pushed a few of the bits up in the air (they now stand about 2ft in the air).

2: The centre has gone a yellow / brown colour (I think this may be due to the sun).

Do you think any of them will live? or should I just cut my losses and dig them up and get something else in their space while I have the time to.

[Lesley Jay]

That Silverfox is the joy of growing cauliflowers! They can be really difficult to grow. You think you have some nice cauliflowers growing and the next time you look they have gone to seed. Perseverence. Home grown cauliflower is lovely but the hard part is growing more than a few!

[Lesley Jay]

In answer to your last question dig them up and grow something else in the space.

[Silverfox]

Well its my first year of growing so everything is a bit trial and error. At the moment I have "Invasion of the Caterpillar" being filmed in my back garden. I went away on holiday for 2 weeks and come back to about 1000 of the little monsters. I spent all last night picking and squishing and lost count after 500 (it also put me off my dinner).

I'm sure I looked like a mad women at lunchtime when I was trying to scare some butterflies out of the garden. The neighbours must have thought I was trying out a new type of exercise jumping in the air flapping my arms about.

[Lesley Jay]

Always net cabbages, cauliflowers and brocolli over. This stops the butterfly landing and laying eggs, which then turn into those damned caterpillars.