Cauliflower is the fussiest of the common brassicas to get right -- it wants steadier moisture and a narrower temperature window than broccoli, and rewards that attention with a single dense, valuable head rather than an ongoing supply. That makes it a poor choice if you're short on water or growing in an unpredictable climate, but a worthwhile one if you can meet its needs: it's a genuine source of vitamin C and variety in a diet that might otherwise lean heavily on stored grains and root vegetables through a long season.
Water need
More demanding of consistent moisture than broccoli -- irregular watering during curd formation is a common cause of small, discoloured or "ricey" heads.
Calories at a glance
250 kcal/kg -- low compared to calorie staples like potatoes or dried beans (scale is log-based across all 55 crops in the calculator, staples included, so vegetables don't all bunch at the bottom).
Temperature Range by Month
Month on the bottom, temperature up the side. The pale green background is what the plant can survive at all -- fatal above or below it, labelled directly on the chart where that applies to your zone. The coral band is its ideal range, and only fades in during the months this zone would actually have the crop in the ground -- reusing the exact same sowing/harvesting data as the calendar further down the page. The blue line is real monthly climate data (not a modelled estimate) for a representative rural/agricultural location in this zone -- a small farming town or agricultural research station rather than a major city, to avoid the warmer bias city weather stations have. For the actual verdict on how well this crop does in your zone, see the badge at the top of the page -- that's based on the site's own researched yield figures, not this chart.
Quick Start: Sowing to Harvest
- Sow. Sow under cover in early spring for the main summer/autumn crop, or check your variety for a specific window -- cauliflower is less forgiving of a cold or erratic start than broccoli, and a growth check while young often shows up later as a small or malformed curd.
- Transplant & space. Move seedlings out once well-rooted, giving plants about 60cm (24in) each way. Cauliflower is a large, greedy plant and crowding shows up directly in curd size.
- Tend through the season, and blanch if needed. Keep moisture consistent throughout -- this matters more for cauliflower than almost any other brassica, since irregular watering during curd formation is the single biggest cause of poor heads. For white varieties, tie the outer leaves loosely over the curd once it's visible to shield it from sunlight and keep it pale.
- Harvest the curd. Cut while the curd is still tight, compact and evenly coloured, before the individual segments start to separate or discolour. Unlike broccoli, there's no meaningful side-shoot regrowth afterwards -- this is a one-shot harvest per plant.
Sowing & Harvesting Calendar
Pick your zone under "Temperature Range by Month" above and this updates too. The Sow row: green is the normal safe sowing window, amber is pushing the season by roughly a month either side with basic outdoor protection (cold frame, fleece, cloche), blue is starting seed indoors or under glass for an even earlier transplant. The Harvest row shows the curd window -- like broccoli, cauliflower is a one-shot harvest per plant with no extended "still pickable" tail, so once that window closes, that planting is finished.
Calories & Yield
Cauliflower is a nutrition crop, not a calorie staple -- about 250 kcal per kg, less than broccoli and well below true calorie staples. Grow it for variety and vitamin C, and let calorie-dense crops carry the bulk of your energy needs.
| Climate Zone | Yield per plant | Calories per plant | Viability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical / Humid | 0.5 kg | 125 kcal | Viable |
| Subtropical | 0.6 kg | 150 kcal | Viable |
| Mediterranean | 0.6 kg | 150 kcal | Viable |
| Temperate Maritime | 0.6 kg | 150 kcal | Viable |
| Temperate Continental | 0.6 kg | 150 kcal | Viable |
| Cool / Boreal | 0.3 kg | 75 kcal | Viable |
| Arid / Semi-Arid | 0.12 kg | 30 kcal | Viable -- challenging (60% yield) |
| Highland / Alpine | 0.3 kg | 75 kcal | Viable |
Figures per plant sown, from the site's own crop database. Arid-zone figures already include the 60% yield penalty the calculator applies to "challenging" growing seasons there. Subtropical, Mediterranean, Maritime and Continental all tie for the highest yield -- the crop database doesn't single out one as more reliable than the others the way it does for broccoli.
Varieties Worth Knowing
Cauliflower has fewer OP heirlooms in wide circulation than most brassicas, since it's been heavily bred as F1 hybrids commercially -- these are the well-established exceptions. All the varieties below are open-pollinated (OP), meaning seed saved from them breeds true and is worth keeping under this site's seed-saving approach; none are F1 hybrids.
Seed Saving -- Quick Guide
Cauliflower crosses freely with broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi -- all one species (Brassica oleracea). Like broccoli, the part you eat is the unopened flower head, so seed-saving plants have to be reserved from harvest entirely.
SERVINGS, NOT DAILY CALORIES This works out plate-sized servings of cauliflower from your seed during its fresh harvest window only, not your group's full daily calorie needs. For that, use the main calculator.
BIENNIAL Cauliflower is a biennial, not an annual -- it doesn't produce seed in its first year. Plants grow through year one, a few overwintered plants flower and set seed in year two, and that seed is only ready to sow in year three. If you're starting from scratch with no ongoing seed supply, that means having enough seed on hand for both year one's and year two's sowing up front. Plan for roughly double the seed quantity below if that's your situation.
Estimated for your selected zone above, using this site's own germination, loss and yield figures for cauliflower -- a helping is roughly what you'd put on a plate as part of a meal with other veg. Treat it as a planning estimate, not a promise.
Storage & Preservation
Cauliflower keeps a little better than broccoli -- typically 1-2 weeks refrigerated depending on climate zone -- but quality (a bright, tight curd) declines well before it actually spoils, and there's no meaningful storage life at ambient temperature.
For real preservation: blanch and freeze is the most reliable method and works about as well as it does for broccoli. It can also be pickled (a classic use for cauliflower specifically, often in a mixed vegetable pickle) or fermented. As with broccoli, there's no "leave it in the garden" option -- once a curd is ready, cut it.
Growing Cauliflower Without Bought Inputs
Cauliflower shares the same pest profile as the rest of the brassica family -- cabbage white caterpillars, flea beetle, aphids -- and exactly which one causes trouble depends heavily on where you are. What works almost everywhere instead:
Floating row covers or fine insect netting are the single most effective input-free defence -- they physically exclude the large majority of common brassica pests regardless of which one is active locally, with no identification needed.
Blanching the curd costs nothing but a few minutes: loosely tying the outer leaves over the developing head once it's visible keeps sunlight off it, which is what keeps white varieties white rather than yellowing and toughening.
Crop rotation matters as much as pest defence -- avoid growing cauliflower, or any brassica, in the same bed two years running. This breaks the life cycle of soil-borne problems like clubroot, which can persist in soil for years without a host to reset the clock.
Consistent watering is cauliflower's biggest zero-input lever specifically -- since irregular moisture is the leading cause of poor curds, mulching to hold soil moisture steady does more for a good harvest here than almost anything else you can do without buying inputs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it matter which type of cauliflower I grow for seed saving?
Yes, more than with most brassicas. Summer/autumn types are sown in spring and mature the same year -- if left uncut, they generally need to overwinter before flowering the following year. Winter cauliflower (sown one year, curd forming the following spring) tends to flower again in that same extended cycle without needing a further full winter. Check your specific variety's habit before planning a seed-saving timeline.
Can I save cauliflower seed if I'm also growing broccoli or kale?
Only carefully. Cauliflower can cross-pollinate with kale (oleracea-type), broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and purple sprouting broccoli if more than one is left to flower nearby at the same time. Keep varieties about half a mile (800m) apart for home use, or only let one flower per season.
How much heat and cold can cauliflower survive?
Established plants tolerate light frost down to around -4°C (25°F), but the curd itself is notably more frost-sensitive than the plant and won't survive a hard freeze. Heat is the bigger practical risk: warm weather above the ideal 16-18°C (61-64°F) range inhibits or distorts curd formation well before the plant itself is threatened.
Why did my cauliflower turn ricey or discoloured instead of forming a tight head?
That's usually heat or inconsistent watering during curd formation -- cauliflower is fussier about steady moisture than broccoli, and irregular watering or a warm spell at the wrong moment is the most common cause of loose, grainy ("ricey"), or discoloured curds.
How long does cauliflower keep after picking?
About 1-2 weeks refrigerated depending on climate zone -- a bit longer than broccoli, though quality (a bright, tight curd) declines well before it actually spoils. For longer storage, blanch and freeze it.
Is cauliflower a good calorie crop for self-sufficiency?
No -- cauliflower provides about 250 kcal per kg, less than broccoli and well below calorie staples like potatoes or dried beans. Grow it for variety and vitamin C, and let calorie-dense staple crops carry the bulk of a household's energy needs.
How long does cauliflower seed stay viable?
Around 4-5 years if kept cool, dark and dry, similar to other Brassica oleracea seed, though germination rates decline gradually each year even within that window. Test old seed before relying on it for a full planting.
Do I need pesticides to grow cauliflower?
No. Floating row covers or fine insect netting physically exclude most common brassica pests without needing to identify which one you're dealing with, and companion planting, crop rotation and hand-picking cover the rest for a home-scale planting.