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Brassicaceae FAMILY

Brassica oleracea botrytis

Brassica oleracea botrytis

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitBiennial
Growth—

The cauliflower has been derived through cultivation in milder regions of the temperate zone, and can also be grown in the tropics, especially at higher elevations. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 10 - 25°c, but can tolerate 5 - 30°c[1]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but the curds can be severely damaged at -2°c[2, 1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,100mm, but tolerates 450 - 1,900mm[1]. Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained moisture-retentive fertile soil with plenty of lime[3, 2, 4]. Cauliflowers, especially the winter and spring maturing types, should not be given a soil that is too rich in nitrogen since this can encourage soft, sappy growth that is more susceptible to winter cold damage[4]. Prefers a heavy soil[5]. Requires a warm sunny position[5]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7[2], though it tolerates a pH in the range 5.5 - 8.5. Succeeds in maritime gardens[2]. Lack of moisture in the growing season can cause the plant to produce small or deformed curds[4]. Yields from 12 - 25 tonnes per hectare can be obtained[1]. There are many named varieties and, by careful selection, it is possible to provide cauliflowers all year round. The summer and autumn maturing cultivars are annuals, they need to produce a certain number of leaves before curd development will be initiated. The optimum temperature for this is around 17°c, but at temperatures above 20°c the curds will either be of poor quality or not be produced at all[2]. Winter and spring maturing forms are biennial and need exposure to temperatures below 10°c before they will produce curds and once again, this will not happen unless the plant has reached a certain size[2]. Summer varieties are not very cold hardy and will be damaged by light frosts, winter varietes are more hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to about -6°c, though the curds are more sensitive and can suffer damage at about -2°c[2]. This damage can often be prevented by bending over the leaves so that they cover the curd[PFAF]. Cauliflowers are widely grown for their edible immature flower heads (or curd).

Propagation

Seed - sow in a seedbed outdoors in mid spring to early summer depending on the cultivar. Plant out into their permanent position when the plants are 5 - 10cm tall. Seed of some cultivars can be sown in late winter in a greenhouse in order to obtain a harvest in early summer. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy and will not make such good plants. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them rather deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Brassica+oleracea+botrytis>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]The Gardener's Assistant. — Thompson. B. · Blackie and Son. · 1878 · ISBN - ↩︎Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
  4. [4]Vegetables — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Macmillan Reference Books, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0 333 62640 0 ↩︎Excellent and easily read book with good information and an excellent collection of photos of vegetables from around the world, including many unusual species.
  5. [5]New Vegetable Growers Handbook. — Simons. · Penguin · 1977 · ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 ↩︎A good guide to growing vegetables in temperate areas, not entirely organic.
  6. [6]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  7. [7]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. — Riotte. L. · Garden Way, Vermont, USA. · 1978 · ISBN 0-88266-064-0 ↩︎Fairly good.
  9. [9]A - Z of Companion Planting. — Allardice.P. · Cassell Publishers Ltd. · 1993 · ISBN 0-304-34324-2 ↩︎A well produced and very readable book.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎