Cauliflower

Chrismc530

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Armagh, Ireland
Not sure if there are many Vegetable growers on here , I’m wondering what breeds of winter cauliflower people are growing? Tried Triomphant, Leocen and Kashen this year , and they did well. Hard frost seem to be coming more in Feb and March now which helps.
 

Bigjon44

Member
Yeah we grow triomphant and leocen very good usually providing weather isn't too harsh throughout the winter.
Diwan is a very nice clean leaf Christmas variety. grow a fair few of them but usually mature end of November as weather usually mild!
Belot and maginot also good still
 
Yeah we grow triomphant and leocen very good usually providing weather isn't too harsh throughout the winter.
Diwan is a very nice clean leaf Christmas variety. grow a fair few of them but usually mature end of November as weather usually mild!
Belot and maginot also good still

Triomphant does really well for me & Lecatis from Hazera seed.

Yet gave up on Belot & Maginot years ago, matured too early & too many hollow hearts.

This year has been difficult with all varities maturing too early.

I once tried Alpen to get around the problem of early maurity but as with all Roscoff's it is not hardy enougth for my climate.

Can someone explain to me why Roscoff's & Autumn caulie are not frost hardy. Yet when crossed together they are reasonably tolerent of temps down to minus 5 subject to growth stage of course.
 
just bought a cauliflower in Lidl, went to cook cauliflower cheese and found the cauliflower was all leaves with a little tennis ball size bit in the middle, not impressed at all.
Not my season, but to experts

Very close spacing to get production cost down to Lidl offer?

Also of course bit of variation in a crop like caulie.

I paid 90p for superb Cornish caulie this morning at wholesalers. Which to my mind is too cheap.
 

cornishking

Member
Arable Farmer
Triomphant does really well for me & Lecatis from Hazera seed.

Yet gave up on Belot & Maginot years ago, matured too early & too many hollow hearts.

This year has been difficult with all varities maturing too early.

I once tried Alpen to get around the problem of early maurity but as with all Roscoff's it is not hardy enougth for my climate.

Can someone explain to me why Roscoff's & Autumn caulie are not frost hardy. Yet when crossed together they are reasonably tolerent of temps down to minus 5 subject to growth stage of course.
Roscoff Cauliflower varieties suit the south west uk as the climate is very similar to Brittany (mild and very little frost) Alpen was a mainstay in Cornwall, supplying the Christmas Markets. It was one of my favorite varieties to grow along with Triomphant!
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
just bought a cauliflower in Lidl, went to cook cauliflower cheese and found the cauliflower was all leaves with a little tennis ball size bit in the middle, not impressed at all.

Not my season, but to experts

Very close spacing to get production cost down to Lidl offer?

Also of course bit of variation in a crop like caulie.

I paid 90p for superb Cornish caulie this morning at wholesalers. Which to my mind is too cheap.


Where was it from? Possibly a grower chasing crop as hasn't got crop to size and is cutting early. Programmes in Lincolnshire were jiggered by the warm October. Crops planned to sequence through to Xmas concertinaed upto 6 weeks early and led to some crop bypass in October November. And then a dearth of crop. I noticed the Caulis were small in Morrisons a couple weeks ago.
 
Roscoff Cauliflower varieties suit the south west uk as the climate is very similar to Brittany (mild and very little frost) Alpen was a mainstay in Cornwall, supplying the Christmas Markets. It was one of my favorite varieties to grow along with Triomphant!

Just shows the difference of your maritime climate to mine.

I'm 70 miles from the sea so Xmas caulie always a gamble. But last time I had large losses was 2010 coldest December ever, (have some minor losses most years) yet have had crop mature too early for the highest prices maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 12 years.

Alpen just grows strap like leaves here & vunerable to even minor frost of minus two. Just climate, I can grow good Walcheren caulie, but packed that up, I get behind enougth in the late spring early summer period on this mixed farm.
 

cornishking

Member
Arable Farmer
Just shows the difference of your maritime climate to mine.

I'm 70 miles from the sea so Xmas caulie always a gamble. But last time I had large losses was 2010 coldest December ever, (have some minor losses most years) yet have had crop mature too early for the highest prices maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 12 years.

Alpen just grows strap like leaves here & vunerable to even minor frost of minus two. Just climate, I can grow good Walcheren caulie, but packed that up, I get behind enougth in the late spring early summer period on this mixed farm.
Yes we are fortunate from that point, winter veg is a massive industry down here. The seed reps are usually very helpful regarding suitability and heading dates.
 

Bigjon44

Member
Yes alpen very open and susceptible to frost/wet damage.
All depends on the price.if they are tight and making money then you cut them golf ball size!!
If only 4.80 for x12 then they stay in the field!!
Boxes will be a problem this year.t and b not making fold up crates anymore
 

Driller

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Down south
Not sure if there are many Vegetable growers on here , I’m wondering what breeds of winter cauliflower people are growing? Tried Triomphant, Leocen and Kashen this year , and they did well. Hard frost seem to be coming more in Feb and March now which helps.
We’re now into our Trevaskis.. very solid well wrapped frost hardy( not that we get many in west Cornwall)
It’s a mid/end January variety that follows on from Jeroboem
 
We’re now into our Trevaskis.. very solid well wrapped frost hardy( not that we get many in west Cornwall)
It’s a mid/end January variety that follows on from Jeroboem
When do you plant them Driller?

Seen lots of videos from Prince De Bretage & interesting that they plant on the flat & keep ridging untill they look like early potato rows, do you do the same in Cornwall?
 

Driller

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Down south
When do you plant them Driller?

Seen lots of videos from Prince De Bretage & interesting that they plant on the flat & keep ridging untill they look like early potato rows, do you do the same in Cornwall?
We start planting Trevaskis around the 8th July and then move on to other varieties normally ending planting first week in august. Mechanically hoed twice to control weeds then ridged or “banked” like pototoes to throw some soil around the plant to aid drainage and help keep the plant strong in our southwesterly gales. It also helps keep the rigs straight come harvest
 
We start planting Trevaskis around the 8th July and then move on to other varieties normally ending planting first week in august. Mechanically hoed twice to control weeds then ridged or “banked” like pototoes to throw some soil around the plant to aid drainage and help keep the plant strong in our southwesterly gales. It also helps keep the rigs straight come harvest
Thanks. I've always been told to avoid deep planting to not lose the rootfly control from verimark. When you earth up, are you applying tracer or minecto one or is it not a problem in your area?

I was brought up on 28 ridges but we now use raised beds 64 inch beds so 32 inch rows or with most crops 3 x 16 inch rows with 32 inch between beds.
 

Bigjon44

Member
Ours are all verimarked (£1500 pot!!!)
Had to put a decis through mine back in September time as had fair bit of caterpillar around. Did a nice job.
Then usually couple of rounds of fungicide and that's it hope for the best through the winter months!!
 

Sonoftheheir

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
West Suffolk
What’s up with the supermarket Cauliflower this year? They’re tiny? And only a handful left in Sainsbury’s.

Bought a couple from the side of the road stool and they were good size.
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