Whilst inspecting my one brussel sprout plant and deciding not to pick any and wait I looked at my cabbages/greens whatever under netting that someone had given me plants of earlier in the year. Kicked them a bit to see how badly they were infested with white fly and surprise, surprise one plant was a cauliflower with a perfectly formed tiny white cauliflower. Looked at some of the other greens and they had tiny cauliflowers forming in the middle. The question is do I leave them, will the frost harm them, or pick the tiny one now. Also the sprouts at the bottom of the plant seem to be blowing a bit, but will leave them as thought it is better to wait for a frost. Don't want to loss my lovely tiny cauliflower, I am very impatient. Also some of the sprouts on the other allotments don't look too healthy, seem to have grown grey, and mine look fine, so shall I pick the small amount I have now, about 8 or 10 sprouts but I am happy with that. Last year all my sprouts blew and were a waste of space.
I like my sprouts just a little bigger than marble and have already picked quite a few, There will still be some left to catch a frost but I haven't had any blown ones as yet. I can't wait for a frost I'm afraid.
QuoteThe question is do I leave them, will the frost harm them, or pick the tiny one now.
Two things here;
One it will depend upon if they are a summer or an autumn/winter variety, and two if they are the former it will depend largely on the weather if they will mature/grow any bigger.
Personally I would break a few leaves over the developing curd, as if protecting from the sun, but in this case you will be protecting them from frost.
Then just keep a watchful eye on them.
If they are a late variety you should have no problem, a summer variety might go a bit snotty.
Thanks Tee Gee, I did look up cauliflowers in my gardening allotment book, but as the plants were given to me wasn't even sure what they were, but they look good, have been in since the Spring. I will keep an eye on the little one, and will probably pick it next week and leave the others and if I lose them, so be it. Quite excited as never had success with cauliflowers before and this although small looks very good and extremely white.
we always pick off any sprouts that have blown so the others will bulk up..plus, we always stamp around them or stake them :)