Cauliflower in pots

[cazp]

Hi
I had some cauliflower plants given to me which I have put in pots (about 15 litres per plant) - I used good quality compost and well rotted manure to plant them in.

Having read how difficult they are to raise I am not holding out much hope but so far they are doing great though just leaves at the moment, no sign of caterpillars yet and I am not treating them with sprays or anything (don't plan to either). Anyone else tried cauliflowers in pots who can pass on experiences? Many thanks

[maypril]

I reckon you'll be fine. Failures are usually related to too much acidity, not enough organic matter, not enough nutrients or the growing medium not compacted enough. Assuming you've used good compost and packed it in, make sure you fertilise regularly with a nitrogen fertiliser and add lime (to increase alkalinity).

Caterpillars will very likely be a problem and will absolutely ruin your cauliflowers if they start eating away at the curds. Make sure you've netted them to keep the butterflies off. You can check for eggs daily if you prefer and remove them when seen, but they can be easy to miss sometimes.