Topic: Why oh why...

[Mrs Ava]

do my cauliflowers start to form curds, then they go grey and dirty looking and never develop properly? 

[jennym]

Wish I knew too. Best ones ever had were planted in the early days of the allotment, forgotten about, and then found in a weed infested area, quite by accident when I was cutting the weeds down. Maybe the shelter the weeds gave helped !

[Roy Bham UK]

I've no idea, but can report I have had one good edible cauli and one like that described, the rest I'm just waiting for them to develope. :-\

[calendula]

they are not the easiest of veg to grow but this is often thought to be boron deficiency in the soil - the soil neds balancing, or keep trying different varieties - I tend to stick with 'all year round' for better success rates

[keef]

If the curds are in full hot sun i think they go like that.

[saddad]

It doesn't happen to my Purple Cape.... but I don't try to grow white ones!!!
 ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Interesting Jen.  Mine are growing this year in the shadier end on the allotment - but I have had this problem every year no matter where in the rotation they are.  Interesting about the boron calendula.  Cany you buy testing kits to find out things like that?  And what can I add to the ground to try to balance it??  I shall pick up a pack of all year round and see how I get on.  I have also tried purple caulis saddad, but they went kinda gritty also.  I would like to master them.  You lot taught me how to grow corn successfully, how to beat blight and how to grow melons successfully.  I would love to crack these as these are one of those veg that my lot would eat year round!

[calendula]

it is a valuable trace element so you don't need much but it could be an indication of a wrong ph value in the soil. you could try a soil testing kit but not sure how reliable they are but take stock of what you are already putting on to the ground in the way of feeds etc - are you liming enough for your brassicas and how well do all your other crops do, if they are excellent then other nutrients are probably at a good level and maybe a change in 'diet' for the caulis is all that is needed - I use calcified seaweed for my brassicas and feed extra to them if needed when about to form 'heads' etc, and use crop rotation to keep a good balance of nutrients

[plot51A]

Don't know, but mine are the same - am thinking of giving up on them if the current crop don't come good.
However, an "old boy" told me last week it was because my ground was too soft - said they like growing in concrete! I always try and firm the ground for all brassicas, but think possibly I'm not tough enough. I use a bed system so I don't walk on growing areas - so it doesn't fell right to stamp and jump around. But maybe I should! Other brassicas seem ok.

[laurieuk]

One reason for caulis curding early and small is that they do not like being checked while growing. I have found that by sowing a couple seeds in seperate pots and pinching one out if both germinate gives you good little plants to put out without any check at all. They get away quick and generally with me give a good crop.

[MikeB]

Some questions and answers from an american site, hope it helps.

Q. What causes leaves in the head and separation of the head into loose, smaller curds?

A. These conditions are caused when cauliflower matures during hot weather. Try to time maturity dates of cauliflower to minimize the risk of extreme heat as the heads form.

Q. Why does my late cauliflower fail to make satisfactory heads?

A. Late plantings are sometimes difficult to grow. The young plants often do not become well established under hot, dry summer conditions. Give the plants ample water and do not plant late cauliflower plants too close together.

Q. Is purple cauliflower grown in the same way as regular cauliflower?

A. Purple cauliflower is actually a type of broccoli that is purple. It resembles cauliflower in overall appearance and does not require blanching. The purple head turns green when cooked.

Q. What causes browning of the curd?

A. This condition is caused by downy mildew. Downy mildew, which is brought on by wet conditions, can be controlled through the use of a suggested fungicide. Raised-bed culture and any other cultural measures that encourage good soil and air drainage also help minimize the risk from this disease.

[zorro]

Cauliflowes need a neutral or slightly alaline soil. if the soil is to acidic the plants will not be able toextract molybdenum if the soil is to chalkey or limey may lead to a boron deficiency which would then lead to stunted discoulered curds. A soil test should be between 6.8/7.0 Dug and manured in the autumn  and then left It seems to better grow in in blocks rather than rows don't know why?  Zorro

[Mrs Ava]

My horrid cauli.  I have over a dozen like this, and only 1 that was vaguely okay.  So, what do you reakon?  Is that clubroot also??




and the okayish one:

[Robert_Brenchley]

They tend to be a bit fussy about growing conditions, so it could be the weather. of course, in a year like this, it's easy to blame the weather for everything!

[zorro]

Dosn't look like club root. Club root is swollen foul smelling roots, this looks like gallweevil and is not as serious as club root. Hope that helps Zorro

[davy1]

I feel because i am new on here i may be telling members how to suck eggs.
That is definatly Boron deficiency which is a trace ellement. I dont know if you can still get Borax which is the answer to the problem. Cauli,s are very sensitive to this.
Try giving them a folier feed or Chempac No 2.
I was taught to give the Cauli a drink of water every day without fail.

[Roy Bham UK]

I've no idea, but can report I have had one good edible cauli and one like that described, the rest I'm just waiting for them to develope. :-\

An update on above, I can report that about half a dozen more caulies are almost ready for pulling and they are creamy white although not very big but big enough for us. 8)

I planted them on clay soil that had potatoes in and previously manured, I trod them in and with all that dry weather the ground became solid and cracks appeared, when I pulled a couple last week they came out quite easily the soil breaking up nicely due to all that recent rain. ;D

I still have no idea why some look yuk! and others look normal as they are all in the same bed. ::)

[redimp]

I am growing the green ones which are supposed to be more tolerant of conditions.  Also have some white ones which I got from my dad but they were well leggy when the went in so not hopeful.

[carloso]

if it makes you feel better Em i also have some exactly the same as you !

Same seeds ? best excuse i have im afraid ! mind you they taste ok !

carl

[Kepouros]

That is definatly Boron deficiency which is a trace ellement. I dont know if you can still get Borax which is the answer to the problem. Cauli,s are very sensitive to this.
Try giving them a folier feed or Chempac No 2.
I was taught to give the Cauli a drink of water every day without fail.

Boron deficiency, although fairly common, can (and should) only be properly determined by laboratory analysis of the soil.  Simply attempting to increase the boron presence by adding borax may result in an excess of boron, which will be as bad, if not worse, than a deficiency.

Boron is not very soluble, and although present in the soil it can become unavailable to the plant in very dry conditions such as we have experienced this summer, and I have seen many plants with apparent symptoms of boron deficiency this summer caused by the lack of moisture. In addition, the unavailability of boron is exascerbated by a high soil pH (resulting from liming for your brassicas).  However, with true boron deficiency you would almost certainly get brown heart in your potatoes and swedes, `hollow stem`of cauliflowers and corky pit in your apples.

As davy rightly says, cauliflowers are particularly susceptible to boron deficiency and dryness of the soil resulting in a reduction in the availability of boron could well result in  the damage your cauliflowers have.  His remedy of a drink every day without fail is
absolutely correct.