‘Flamestar’ orange and the fractal Romanescos ‘Veronica’ and ‘Puntoverde’. The fussiest brassica, but a long, steady Queen Creek winter is exactly what it wants: transplant September through December.
Cauliflower is broccoli’s demanding sibling. It wants a long, cool, uninterrupted season — any check from heat, drought or transplant shock and it “buttons,” producing a head the size of a golf ball. Our winters, mild and long, suit it better than most places, provided it goes in early enough to head before spring and is never allowed to dry out. Do that and you get heads that make the grocery store’s look sad.
We commonly carry three: ‘Flamestar’, a vivid orange cauliflower rich in beta-carotene, and two Romanescos — ‘Veronica’ and ‘Puntoverde’ — with lime-green, spiralling, fractal heads that taste of nutty broccoli. The rest of the edible benches are on our Herbs & Vegetables page.
These are the cauliflower varieties we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
A bright orange hybrid cauliflower that keeps its color when cooked; sweet and mild. About 65 days from transplant.
An Italian Romanesco selection with pointed, fractal heads and a slightly longer season. plant by October.
The lime-green, spiral-patterned Romanesco hybrid: uniform, reliable heads with a nutty broccoli flavor. Needs the early planting — about 80 days.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
Transplant from mid-September through December; Romanescos, which take longer, by the end of October. September plantings need shade cloth and daily water for the first two weeks. Anything planted after New Year risks heading in April heat, which ruins the texture. Never plant cauliflower in spring here.
The richest, most evenly moist bed you have: heavy compost, a balanced organic fertilizer at planting, and 24 inches between plants. Cauliflower resents transplant shock — set the root ball in gently, water in immediately, and don’t let it wilt in its first week.
White and orange cauliflowers develop the best color and texture if the curd is shaded: when the head is the size of a fist, fold the outer leaves over it and clip them together. Romanesco doesn’t need it. Harvest while the curd is tight and smooth — a head that starts to separate is past its best. Cut with a few wrapper leaves attached. One head per plant; no side shoots.
Full sun through winter. Shade cloth only while afternoons remain over 100°F in September and early October.
Even moisture is everything: every two days in fall, every three to four in winter, on drip with three inches of mulch. A single dry spell can trigger buttoning. Side-dress with a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer three weeks after planting and again a month later; a boron deficiency (hollow brown stems) is prevented by compost.
Cabbage worms and loopers from day one — row cover or Bt weekly. Aphids in the curd in warm weather; hose them out and soak the harvested head in salt water. Cauliflower is non-toxic to pets.
Photo of the bed, how much sun it gets and what you want to eat — we’ll match varieties and planting dates to it. Advice is free.
We stock raised-bed and vegetable planting mix, compost and steer manure by the bag or the yard, organic vegetable fertilizers, tomato cages and stakes, shade cloth for the May-to-September stretch, frost cloth for January, and drip fittings. The pottery yard has half-barrels and 15-gallon pots for patio vegetables, and soil and mulch is sold by the bag or by the yard.
Mid-September through December, and Romanescos by the end of October. It needs a long, cool season and fails if planted in spring.
Buttoning — a stress response to heat, drought, transplant shock or planting too late. Plant in fall, keep the water perfectly even, and don’t let it wilt in its first weeks.
For white and orange types, yes — fold the leaves over the fist-sized head and clip them, which keeps the curd tender and well colored. Romanesco needs no blanching.
Every two days in fall, every three to four in winter, with mulch. Never let it dry out.
No. Cauliflower makes one head per plant. Pull it and replant the space with lettuce or onions.
Cabbage worms or loopers. Cover with row cover at planting or spray Bt every week or two.
Cauliflower live on the herb and vegetable benches; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.