Q&A Veg: Cauliflowers

By Elisabeth Arter

My cauliflowers have not swollen to a normal size, but are about 8cm (3in) in diameter. What has gone wrong? Help!
Doug Hill (02.09.07)

Elisabeth: They were probably short of water. Despite all the news of flooding and heavy rain, some parts of the UK – including my area of East Kent – have been very dry for much of the summer. Also, cauliflowers do need good, fertile soil to do well and you should do better next summer if you can dig in plenty of well-rotted organic matter this winter

Have your say

Why not continue this discussion on cauliflowers on the Forum. Non-members, if you follow the link you will be given the option to become a member of the site quickly via Quick Post, and able to post questions and messages on the Forum. Our team of experts will join the Gardening.co.uk community in answering your questions. To discover further benefits of free membership to this site, see Why Join?

Bookmark this

Printer friendly version

Want to send this article to a friend? Please join here

Discuss this article, 1 of 1 messages, read more:

Doug Hill

Posted: 29/09/07 21:58:27 27

Thanks Elisabeth, I shall take note of your comments about manure as the plot had manure 3 years ago, but laid fallow last year and I did not manure prior to planting. Many thanks once again.

Related articles:

	Grow your own: Late veg Find out which veg you can sow and plant from summer onwards, with useful growing tips

	Grow your own: Cucumbers Elisabeth Arter shares her knowledge of growing cucumbers with tips on planting and harvesting

	Q&A: Organic gardening Bob Flowerdew answers your questions on organic gardening from aphids to weeds

	Grow your own: Garlic Liz Dobbs visits The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight

	New fruit and veg seeds Autumn 07: New edibles to order from the seed companies' latest catalogues

	The greenhouse in September Clean up, pot up, sow and harvest this month under glass

	The allotment in September Prune, pick and store fruit, and there's more veg to sow and harvest

	Crop protection: fleece Protect precious crops with new, extra-thick fleece

	Make sure you reap what you sow Organic gardener Bob Flowerdew shares his experience of storing fresh home-grown produce

	Grow your own: Beetroot for beginners A step-by-step beginners' guide to sowing and growing beetroot outside

	Composts: a quick buyer's guide Choose from peat or peat-free composts, with different types explained and useful buying tips

	60-second guide: organic matter Take a minute to find out which materials make the best 'well-rotted organic matter'

	Grow your own: Root crops Sow easy-grow root crops beetroot, carrot and parsnip, with recommended varieties to try

	Raised beds Decide which crops you want to grow, then build your raised beds to suit

	Crop rotation: beginner's guide New to growing veg? Understand what crop rotation is and why we do it

	Grow your own: Rhubarb Why grow rhubarb? Because it's easy, long-lasting and delicious in desserts

	Q&A: Vegetables Our team of experts is on hand to answer queries about veg


Home » News > Q & A	denotes Subscriber-only content \| Friday 25 July 2008 \| Help \| Glossary

Q&A Veg: Cauliflowers

By Elisabeth Arter

My cauliflowers have not swollen to a normal size, but are about 8cm (3in) in diameter. What has gone wrong? Help! Doug Hill (02.09.07)

My cauliflowers have not swollen to a normal size, but are about 8cm (3in) in diameter. What has gone wrong? Help!
Doug Hill (02.09.07)