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Grow Cauliflower In Your Garden

Let's learn how to grow cauliflower from seed in your garden. Cauliflower likes cool weather so grow it in early spring and late fall.

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Grow Cauliflower - 12/8-12/14/2025

You might not think of Texas when you think of cauliflower, but you should. If you like tender, mild cauliflower with butter melting over the top, you can grow it yourself, and it will taste better than anything you buy in a store.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to grow cauliflower from seed in your backyard garden in cool weather, early spring and late fall if you live in or near Texas. We’ll walk through every step together, from seed to harvest, in simple, clear language.

Cauliflower is a cool‑weather crop. That means it loves temperatures that feel like late winter or early spring to you. In much of Texas, that cool window is pretty short, but if you plan your timing right, you can squeeze in both a spring and a fall crop.

Before we jump into how to plant cauliflower, let’s talk about why you should. Cauliflower is filled with high fiber and low calories. It helps you feel full, but it does not weigh you down. Cauliflower is healthy so it is something that everyone should eat more of.

When you grow it yourself, you control everything: the soil, the water, and the harvest time. That’s why homegrown cauliflower usually tastes sweeter, milder, and more tender than what you buy in the grocery store, fresh or frozen.

I still remember my first homegrown cauliflower in Texas. I cut the head on a cool April morning, steamed it lightly, and covered it with a little butter and salt. I took one bite and thought, “Why have I been eating bagged frozen cauliflower all these years?”

To learn how to grow cauliflower from seed in your backyard garden in cool weather, early spring and late fall if you live in or near Texas, you first need to understand your local climate. Texas is big, and Houston is not the same as Amarillo. El Paso is not the same as San Antonio. 

In general, cauliflower grows best when daytime highs stay between about 60°F and 75°F, and nights are cool but not freezing hard. Once your weather gets much hotter than that, cauliflower starts to struggle and can turn bitter or “bolt” (go to flower).

Because Texas warms up fast in spring and stays hot for a long time, you want to grow cauliflower on the edges of the season: late winter into early spring, and late summer into fall and early winter.

Let’s keep it simple and look at three rough Texas zones for timing your spring and fall cauliflower plantings: North Texas, Central Texas, and South Texas / Gulf Coast.

In North Texas (Dallas–Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, etc.), aim to set plants outside around early March for a spring crop. For fall, set plants out in early September. Your exact dates will shift a bit with the weather each year.

In Central Texas (Austin, Waco, Hill Country), plan to set plants outside in late February for spring, and in late September for fall. Your winter is usually milder than North Texas, but the heat comes faster in spring.

In South Texas and the Gulf Coast (Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley), cool weather comes later and stays milder. You may be able to grow cauliflower mostly in fall and winter. Set plants outside around late October to November for your main crop.

Those are transplant dates, not seed dates. Since you’re starting from seed, you’ll begin several weeks earlier indoors or in a protected area. We’ll go over that in detail.

To learn how to grow cauliflower from seed in your backyard garden in cool weather, early spring and late fall if you live in or near Texas, you should always count backward from when you want to set your plants outside.

Cauliflower takes about 4–6 weeks to grow from seed to a sturdy transplant. Then it needs another 60–80 days in the garden, depending on the variety and weather, before you can harvest a head.

For a spring crop, count back 4–6 weeks from your target outdoor planting date. That’s when you should start your seeds indoors. For a fall crop, again count back 4–6 weeks from when you want to set them out as the summer heat starts to fade.

Here’s a simple example: if you want to set seedlings out around March 1 in Central Texas, start your seeds indoors around mid‑January to late January. For a fall crop with transplants going out October 1, start seeds around late August.

You don’t need fancy equipment to grow cauliflower from seeds. A  small grow light can work in your home. Other things you need are a clean container, good seed‑starting mix, and consistent moisture.

Use a seed tray, small pots, or even recycled containers with drainage holes. Fill them with a light, fluffy seed‑starting mix. Avoid heavy garden soil in your seed containers; it holds too much water and can cause the young roots to rot.

Moisten the seed‑starting mix before planting the seeds. It should feel like a wrung‑out sponge. Not soggy, not dusty, just damp. This helps the seeds take in water right away.

Plant the seeds about ¼ inch deep. That’s roughly the length of your fingernail’s white tip. You can drop one or two seeds per small cell or pot. Gently cover with mix and press lightly so the seed touches the soil.

Keep the containers in a warm spot, around 65–75°F if you can. In most Texas homes in late winter, room temperature is fine. Cauliflower seeds usually sprout in 5–10 days.

While you’re waiting for germination, keep the top of the soil moist but not waterlogged. A spray bottle or gentle drizzle from a small watering can works well. You don’t want to blast the seeds out of the soil.

Once you see green sprouts, give them as much light as possible. A south‑facing window can work, but many windows still don’t give enough light. That’s why a simple grow light or shop light, placed a few inches above the seedlings, makes a big difference.

If seedlings stretch and get tall and weak, they are not getting enough light. Strong seedlings should look short and sturdy, with thick, dark green leaves.

Keep the seedlings slightly cool if you can, around 60–70°F. This helps them grow strong and prepares them for life outdoors. Water when the top of the mix feels dry. Do not let them sit in standing water.

After about two weeks, once they have their first set of “true leaves” (the leaves that come after the tiny seed leaves), you can start feeding them lightly with a gentle, water‑soluble fertilizer at half strength every 1–2 weeks.

Meanwhile, get your garden bed ready. Cauliflower likes rich, loose soil with good drainage and lots of organic matter. If your Texas yard is mostly clay or sand (and many are), you’ll want to improve it.

Work in compost, aged manure, or a balanced organic fertilizer. Aim for soil that crumbles in your hand, not a sticky clump and not a pile of dust. Raised beds are great for cauliflower in Texas because they drain well and warm up just enough in cool weather.

Choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun in cool weather. In Texas, morning sun and afternoon shade can help a lot, especially for a spring crop that might run into rising temperatures.

Before you plant cauliflower seedlings outdoors, you need to “harden them off.” This means slowly getting them used to outside conditions: sun, wind, and cooler nights. If you skip this step, the plants can shock and stop growing.

About 7–10 days before planting in the garden, start moving the seedlings outside for a few hours each day. Begin in bright shade, then gradually give them more direct sun and more time outdoors.

Bring them back inside or into a protected area at night at first. By the end of the hardening‑off week, they should be able to stay outside all day and most nights, as long as frost is not severe.

When your soil is workable and daytime temperatures are cool but not freezing all day, it’s time to plant. For early spring in Texas, the soil may still feel cool to your hand, and that’s okay. Cauliflower can handle light frost once it’s established.

Space your plants about 18–24 inches apart in rows that are 24–30 inches apart. Cauliflower plants get big, and they need air flow. Crowded plants are more likely to get diseases and form small heads.

Dig a hole a little deeper than the seedling’s pot. Gently remove the plant from the container, trying not to break the roots. Set it into the hole so that the soil level in the garden matches the level it had in the pot.

Firm the soil gently around the roots and water well. That first watering helps settle the soil around the roots and removes air pockets. You can add a light mulch right away to keep the soil moist.

Mulch is your best friend in Texas gardening. A 2–3 inch layer of straw, shredded leaves, or pine needles around each plant helps keep the soil cool, holds moisture, and cuts down on weeds.

Cauliflower needs steady moisture. The soil should stay evenly damp, not bone dry and not soggy. In most Texas gardens, that means watering deeply 1–3 times a week, depending on rainfall, soil type, and wind.

Instead of sprinkling a little water every day, water deeply so moisture reaches the full root zone. Drip irrigation or a soaker hose works well. If you only have a hose, run it slowly at the base of the plants.

Cauliflower also likes regular feeding. Before planting, mix in a balanced fertilizer or compost. Then, about once a month, side‑dress with more compost or use a liquid fertilizer according to the label. Avoid overdoing high‑nitrogen fertilizer or you’ll get big leaves and small heads.

As the plants grow, keep an eye on weeds. Pull small weeds by hand or use a hoe carefully. Try not to disturb the cauliflower roots too much. Mulch helps a lot with weed control, so don’t skip it.

Now let’s talk about the heat problem. In Texas, spring can jump from cool to hot very fast. Cauliflower grown in rising heat can “button,” which means it makes a tiny head, or it can bolt. That’s why timing and variety selection matter so much.

For spring, choose faster‑maturing varieties that can form a head before the real heat of late spring. For fall, you have more time, since temperatures are dropping instead of climbing. Fall crops in Texas often produce better heads.

Some cauliflower varieties “self‑blanch,” meaning their own leaves curl up and cover the developing head, keeping it white and tender. With others, you may need to help by tying the outer leaves loosely over the head with a soft string or clip when the curd (head) is about 2–3 inches wide.

Blanching keeps the sun off the head, which can turn it yellowish and strong‑tasting. Check under the leaves every few days to see how the head is growing and to watch for pests.

Pests you might see in Texas include cabbage worms, loopers, and aphids. Look for small holes in leaves or tiny green worms on the underside of the leaves. Hand‑pick worms when you see them, and consider using a safe product like Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) if damage is heavy.

Aphids cluster on stems and undersides of leaves. A simple blast of water from the hose often knocks them off. Ladybugs and other beneficial insects will also help control them if you avoid strong chemical sprays.

Watch for signs of stress, like leaves turning purple (sometimes from cold or nutrient issues) or plants that stop growing. In my own garden, I once left seedlings in the pots too long. When I finally planted them, they just sat there and never formed heads. Lesson learned: don’t let transplants get root‑bound.

You’ll know it’s time to harvest when the head is firm, tight, and about the size of a softball to a small dinner plate, depending on the variety. The curd should look compact, not loose or fuzzy.

If you wait too long, the head will start to separate into little flower stalks and the quality drops fast. In warm Texas weather, this change can happen quickly, so check your plants often once the heads begin to form.

To harvest, take a sharp knife and cut the stem a few inches below the head, leaving some outer leaves around it to protect it. Harvest in the cool of the morning if you can. The flavor will be better, and the heads will stay fresh longer.

After harvest, you can eat cauliflower right away. Steam it, roast it, mash it, toss it with butter and herbs—whatever you like. Because you grew it in cool weather and picked it at the right time, the taste will likely surprise you. It’s mild, sweet, and tender.

When you eat cauliflower that you grew yourself, it feels different. You know it came from your own soil, your own effort, and your own careful timing. You’ll also know, now, that you really can learn how to grow cauliflower from seed in your backyard garden in cool weather, early spring and late fall if you live in or near Texas.

Once you’ve done it once—started the seeds, watched the plants grow, protected them from heat and pests, and finally cut that first white head—you’ll probably want to plant cauliflower every cool season. It’s tasty, it’s good for you, and it proves that even in Texas, cool‑weather crops can thrive in your backyard.

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Monday, December 8, 2025

Good morning. I have been awake since 4:16am. I finally got up and made a cup of mushroom coffee, picked up a Christmas book from my coffee table, and read old Christmas stories for quite a while in the living room. It was enjoyable.

We have five varieties of onion starts that are on sale now. We can ship them or you can come by and pick some out to take home. 

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Tuesday, December 9, 2025

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Return from Grow Cauliflower to Year Seven of Farm Life

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