Is it to late to sow 9* perennial cauliflower seed if I can find any?
Janet
No, it's about the right time, we are about to sow ours... more a sprouting broccoli but that main head can be plate size... :)
I wouldn't have thought so. It'll still have planty of time to develop.
Extract from my website;
Autumn cropping;
Week 25; Sow seeds in pots or trays of seed compost and germinate at a temperature of 13°C (55°F).
Germination should take around seven days
Week 27; When the seedlings show their first pair of true leaves, prick them out into 75mm (3") pots of the seed compost and grow on at the same temperature, in a light position.
Week 32; Give the young plants a thorough soaking and set the plants, 500mm (18") apart each way
Spring cropping;
Week 30; Sow seeds in pots or trays of seed compost and germinate at a temperature of 13°C (55°F).
Germination should take around seven days
When the seedlings show their first pair of true leaves, prick them out into 75mm (3") pots of the seed compost and grow on at the same temperature, in a light position.
Week 37; Give the young plants a thorough soaking and set the plants, 500mm (18") apart each way.
Week 6; (the following year) protect the developing curds from frost by breaking a leaf or two over them.
For the record we are now in week 20!
Be sure to stake the plant well cos they do tend to get quite lanky. I dug mine out after the first year cos of the room it takes up. It's a nice veg if you have the room to be able to leave it in the ground.
How big does it grow Shirlton. Is it a lot bigger than PSB. I only want 2 or 3 plants.
Janet
mine grew to the same size as PSB and Ive just got some seeds from thompson and morgan half price
Seed sale is over now. It's 1/2 price plants ATM.
Janet
Ignore my previous reply!
I didn't notice the word 'perennial' in your query.
Had you mentioned cut & come again I would have known what you meant.
I grew them once and wasn't enchanted with them!
What I seemed to recollect was how they affected my 'rotation' system due to them occupying a spot that I would have otherwise grown something else in.
But don't let me put you off.
This link will seems to have some for sale and their are cultural instruction as well.
http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_plants/cauliflower_plant_cut_n_come_again/ (http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_plants/cauliflower_plant_cut_n_come_again/)
Best of luck with your venture!
We grow them, and you can crop them for about three years but we tend now to treat them like PSB and grow fresh each year... :)
How do they compare in taste to PSB & WSB> Got the seeds for those.
Janet
Much of a muchness, but the large heads allow presentation as Cauli if like me you struggle to grow large White Cauli... :)