One of the cauliflowers I sowed on March 7th was ready for harvest yesterday. 4 1/2 months from seed to dinner plate – I’ve no idea if that’s normal, but it’s now my benchmark.
This particular cauliflower didn’t have the easiest road to my kitchen. I moved it about 3 weeks ago into a new bed and, against all odds, it survived transplant shock and kept growing. I had 7 plants in total (6 now) and most have smaller heads which I’m hoping will give me a staggered harvest.
Even the cauliflower within reach of my chickens (in particular, Bronwyn who sees a strand of chicken wire as a hassle, but not a deterrent) is putting in a valiant effort. I guess leaves are an optional extra in the cauliflower world.
The ripe cauliflower head was served lightly steamed with dip for last night’s dinner. I tasted it raw and steamed and was pleased with both. It was more tender and sweeter than store-bought cauliflower. It’s also about 1/4 the size of the giant grocery store variety.
A new veggie for me from my garden – a great result for my first try!
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
That looks like a very successful crop – you are very organized to keep track of when things are planted. I was just thinking is was ages ago that I planted my carrots – another long growing veggie.
I started the blog for just this reason. My thinking was that I could speed up my knowledge about when was best to plant and how to share space in beds. I’ve got a long way to go before I optimise growing seasons and crop rotation, but I’m working hard at building a store of knowledge that I can refer to. The big surprise is how much I like writing this blog and meeting like minded souls through it.
I’m thinking that planting time for cauliflower in my local is sneaking up on me pretty quick.
Here cauliflower is sown in autumn and you get a nice mid-winter harvest. It is a good winter food – yummy creamy cauliflower soup is the perfect comfort food on a cold day.
Do you get much frost?
Absolutely none. It rarely gets below 10 degrees (that’s about 50 Farenheit) even over night. Sydney has a great climate for gardens – and for humans as well!