Crops › Cauliflower
How to grow Cauliflower
in the UK
Sow February to May, plant out June, harvest June to October. About 120 days from seed to plate.
Cauliflower, eh? A bit of a tricky customer, to be honest, but proper satisfying when you get it right. It's a Brassica, like your cabbages, so it needs a good bit of attention on the plot to give you those cracking big heads.
Sowing
You want to start your cauliflower seeds indoors, usually from February right through to May, depending on the variety you've picked. Just pop 'em in wee pots or seed trays, about 1 cm deep, in some good seed compost. They like a bit of warmth to get going, so a warm windowsill or a propagator is ideal. No rush, mind, just make sure they've got good light once they sprout to stop them getting leggy, you know what I mean.
Growing on
Once your seedlings are big enough to handle, usually with a couple of proper leaves, you'll want to prick them out into individual pots. Keep 'em growing on in a sheltered spot, maybe a cold frame or a cool greenhouse. Then, before planting out, give them a good hardening off for a week or two. Plant them out after your last frost – mid to late May up here in the North – into some proper firm soil, about 60 cm apart. They hate loose soil, so give it a good stomp around them.
Looking after it
Cauliflower absolutely can't dry out, especially when the head is forming, so consistent watering is key. A bit of a feed with a general fertiliser when they're establishing, and again when the heads start to show, won't go amiss. For the white varieties, you might want to snap a couple of outer leaves over the developing head; that keeps it nice and white, what we call 'blanching'.
What goes wrong
The main culprits are those cabbage white butterflies, their caterpillars can munch through a plant in no time. Netting is your best friend here, or regular checking under the leaves for eggs. Aphids can be a nuisance too, so keep an eye out. And club root, that's a proper killer for Brassicas, makes the roots swell up and the plant just wilts. Crop rotation and resistant varieties are your best bet.
Harvest
Cauliflower takes about 120 days from sowing to harvest, so you'll be picking from June to October, depending on when you sowed. You want to harvest them when the heads are nice and tight and firm, before they start to open up or discolour. Just use a sharp knife to cut the main stem. Best eaten fresh, like I say, but you can blanch florets and freeze them for later if you get a bit of a glut.
My top tip for cauliflower is all about the soil; make sure it's proper firm when you plant them out. If the soil's loose, they just won't form those cracking heads, and you'll be chuffed you remembered that bit of advice.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| All Year Round A good old reliable variety that's pretty consistent. Great for beginners wanting to try their hand at cauliflower. | No club votes yet |
| Snowball This is your classic white cauliflower, known for good, solid heads. Perfect if you're looking for decent yields to freeze. | No club votes yet |
| Graffiti F1 Produces striking purple heads that really stand out. Adds a bit of fun and colour to your plate. | No club votes yet |
| Romanesco Those stunning lime green fractal heads are a real showstopper. Great for something a bit different on the allotment. | No club votes yet |
| Clapton F1 This F1 variety is resistant to club root, which is a big bonus. Essential if you've had problems with that on your plot before. | No club votes yet |
| Aalsmeer A proper hardy variety that's good for winter harvesting. Extends your season, giving you fresh veg when not much else is around. | No club votes yet |
| Fioretto 60 A lovely sprouting type that gives you sweet, tender stems. You can keep picking from this one over a longer period. | No club votes yet |
| Goodman This maincrop variety produces proper big, white heads. Ideal for those late summer harvests when you want a decent yield. | No club votes yet |
| Walcheren Winter 3 Another cracking hardy winter variety that can withstand the cold. Great for fresh cauliflower when the weather turns grim. | No club votes yet |
| Minaret F1 A lovely lime green Romanesco type that looks as good as it tastes. A real eye-catcher for any gardener. | No club votes yet |
| Veronica F1 Classic Romanesco with stunning, intricate spiral heads. This one is a real conversation starter on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| Amazing This one lives up to its name with large, reliable white heads in summer. A consistently good performer for your dinner table. | No club votes yet |
| White Rock A good old reliable heritage variety that gives consistent results. Perfect for gardeners who value tradition and dependability. | No club votes yet |
| Fremont F1 Produces very white, uniform heads, which is great if you like things neat and tidy. Ideal for a show bench entry. | No club votes yet |
| Violet Queen F1 Stunning deep purple heads that will definitely brighten up your veg patch. Adds a fantastic splash of colour to any meal. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Cauliflower seeds
Partner retailers. If you buy through these links we may earn a small commission. It never costs you more.
Cook the harvest
Crisp, golden fritters packed with cauliflower, spring onion and cumin, served with a cool, tangy yoghurt dip — ready in under 25 minutes from start to finish. These are the kind of recipe that converts cauliflower sceptics, because there is nothing shy about them. Brilliant as a weeknight starter, a light supper alongside a salad, or heaped up for a casual sharing spread.
24 min · easyA deeply savoury open tart with a sharp, mustardy shortcrust base and a filling of roasted cauliflower set in a rich Gruyère and crème fraîche custard. This is the kind of thing you make when you want to show off what your garden is doing without making it look like you tried too hard. It slices beautifully and is just as good at room temperature as it is warm.
105 min · challengingThick slabs of cauliflower are seared hard in a cast iron pan until deeply golden, then finished in the oven and served over a smoky Spanish romesco sauce. The romesco — made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes and almonds — is rich enough to make this a proper main course. It is the sort of dish that makes people forget they are eating vegetables.
50 min · mediumThick wedges of cauliflower are coated in warm shawarma spices and roasted until deeply caramelised, then piled into soft flatbreads with a lemony tahini drizzle and sharp pickled onion. It is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels a little bit special without asking much of you. Everything comes together in under 30 minutes if you get the cauliflower in the oven first.
30 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Questions people ask
When do you sow Cauliflower in the UK?
Sow Cauliflower from February to May. Plant out June, after the last frost.
How long does Cauliflower take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 120 days, with the harvest June to October.
Which Cauliflower varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for All Year Round, Snowball, Graffiti F1, Romanesco and more.
Track your Cauliflower from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.