So So Sad

[greenfingers007]

Hi all,

Have just come home from a week away, and the first thing I did was rush into my back garden to my vegetable patch and pots to say hello, mainly my cauliflowers as they were getting a good size before I went away, anyway before i went i had bent all the leaves over the heads so that they did not go yellow or brown, how disapointed was I when i got home to find they had grown so much that three of them had pushed the leaves apart and had all gone brown, I am very sad indeed, I had the same last year, I have no success with keeping the heads white can anyone advice me on what I am doing wrong. On one of them I even tied th leaves together so they wouldn't be prized apart.

Not only that but the cabbage butterfly has had a feild day on my three red cabbage. eaten to shreds. am gutted.

Thank you for listening.

[Nicos]

Frustrating isn't it?

We've only grown them twice and each time they flowered whilst we were away!!!!

Not bothered with them since.
( wouldn't have minded, but they were only the size of tennis balls and we thought they'd need to grow much larger before blowing

May be next time cut them- or get someone else to keep an eye on them??

[Lurch]

Is it possible to cover them with a bit of hessian or something?

[Finedon.Dandy]

Dont feel too bad. Got my leaves to stay over but it only meant the critters got to eat undercover and therefore undetected!

[SarzWix]

I've never tried to grow them, as no-one in my family will eat it. But I think you can grow them over winter too, to mature in spring - why not give those a try?

[vegnut]

Erm...You could go away during the spring instead. hehe. Sorry couldn't resist that. They are just one of those crops, you either have success with them or not. someone on our site grew some, and just neglected them, and he had some beauties. Where's the justice in that eh.

[Flapjack]

We grew overwinter ones - only 2 made heads and they were tiny. They were also something of a slug hotel and got covered in grey flies. They take up so much room - so next year I'm not going to bother. Trying overwinter cabbages instead. At least we can eat whatever they grow into, not just a small portion of them!

[Jardiniere]

cant grow caulis here ...tried...failed...however the calabrese was lovely ..why not try them instead - its only green cauli isnt it? well not really ....

[greenfingers007]

thank you all, will try again next year, because im too stubourn to give up too easy, and get them when they are a little smaller. on the plus side most of my other veg's are and have been real good.

[SlugLobber]

Another failed cauli grower here, albeit years ago, now. Mine bolted and I was gutted. I'd love to grow my own caulis. Might try again next year, as I've learnt so much this!

[Cutecumber]

I think the only thing you did wrong was not to pick them - summer cauliflowers just will not stand once they're ready.

[Growem]

Can't you tie a paper bag around the heads? I thought I read that somewhere.

[gojiberry]

Have tried several times to grow them without much success.On the few times I have had success they all come at once and as Cutecumber says they wont stand once they are ready and I found that they don't freeze very well.

Ian

[OverWyreGrower]

Ours "blew" in 24hrs.... and were only tennis ball sized as well!!

Friday morning they were fine, and I thought that I would go and pick them on Saturday and when I went to pick them, they'd blown!!

Rubbish!! The chickens and rabbits enjoyed them though...

[tootles]

Strange, I have had no problem with growing cauli's - lettuces, however, completely defeat me!!!!!
Perhaps cauliflowers are best suited to the kind of gardeners who check their veg every five minutes (just in case) so that they can be harvested before they go over!!!!!!!