Romanesco Cauliflower

[ARV]

Just got back from a month away to find my Romanesco Cauliflower heading up nicely.




Grown from seed planted last year.

[ARV]

[manicscousers]

We still have 1 to go, I think the mild winter has helped them, prefer them to cauli now 

[willsy]

Are these a bit like purple sprouting broccoli? do you plant them and have to wait till the following year? reason Im asking is when Ive  planted them they do  putting leaf growth on but dont produce a head!

[Jayb]

They look great ARV 

[ARV]

Willsy, Yes they are a bit like PSB. I planted the seeds about April time last year, in a seed bed.  Then transplanted them to where they are now when they were 6-7 in tall.  When i went away 4 weeks ago, there was no sign of a head or anything.  Just lots of leaves.   I'd give your plants another month or so before giving up on them!!

[Russell]

Romanescos seem to be a bit sensitive to time of seed sowing. Some Romanescos on my allotments were planted out quite early, they all came on together really quickly in the warm spell we had in August and by the time the owner came back from holiday they had all gone over and half the crop was wasted.
I set mine off end April, and harvested them October to February. This year I plan to set them off a week earlier.

[galina]

Romanescos seem to be a bit sensitive to time of seed sowing. Some Romanescos on my allotments were planted out quite early, they all came on together really quickly in the warm spell we had in August and by the time the owner came back from holiday they had all gone over and half the crop was wasted.
I set mine off end April, and harvested them October to February. This year I plan to set them off a week earlier.

Thank you Russel.  I always thought they were autumn heading and surprised to read that they are heading now.  I thought they were not really winter hardy?  I wonder whether they survive in colder parts of the country.

I still have side shoots off last year's summer broccoli.  They definitely weren't meant to survive a usual winter, but last winter was mild.  Would appreciate anybody commenting on winter hardiness of Romanesco.

[manicscousers]

Just taken the last and very good size, no whitefly 

[realfood]

Here in the North, they normally head in Autumn as they do not normally survive the Winter due to the frosts. This Winter has been unusually mild so some may be ready now.
The only truly hardy cauliflower that I know of is the old variety Purple Cape.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They apparently originate in the eastern Mediterranean, and were once expensive because they couldn't be overwintered here for seed production. About 200 years ago, the Dutch worked out how to overwinter them under glass and the price came down.

[Digeroo]

  I normally find it does not survive the winter.  But this year I have some cropping now

Unlike the F1 types the plants cropped at different times.  The seed from Franchi is cheap enough as you get 1800 in the packet.

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/CAULI_ROMANESCO/p1834925_8313170.aspx

[Silverleaf]

I tried this a few years ago. I think I maybe planted them too close, they just grew upwards a bit like broccoli and then quickly bolted.

Time to try again this year I think (assuming I get my beds sorted out).