Snow Crown Cauliflower

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

12 - 18 Inches

Mature Spread

18 - 24 Inches

Put out of your mind the notion that you cannot grow cauliflower in your garden. Snow Crown Cauliflower is going to prove for once and for all, that you too can successfully grow cauliflower! For over 30 years gardeners have been turning to Snow Crown Cauliflower, an All-American Selection winner, for their go-to cauliflower variety. Its large snow white head matures quickly, helping gardeners capture the cool early spring temperatures that this and other cole crops prefer, maturing in under two months. This beautiful white cauliflower stays sweet and mild all season long, even if you don’t harvest it right away. This vegetable is suitable for gardeners in Zones 3 to 9, giving the majority of the United States the privilege of growing this award winning hybrid.

Cauliflower originates from a kale-like plant that grew on the island of Cyprus. By hybridization both naturally and man-derived, numerous cole crops have been developed from these wild ancestors. While cauliflower is nearly a fat free food, it packs a wallop of vitamins and a respectable amount of fiber, making it a natural choice for a crunchy raw snack, or a delicacy when roasted or steamed. It is also being touted as an acceptable and more healthy alternative to white rice.

Snow Crown Cauliflower Plant Care

Sow seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date in your area. Plant the seedlings out in the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost date. This hardy hybrid can handle temperatures down to 25 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit so don’t be too concerned about frosts. In fact, your cauliflower will do better if it stays on the cool side for longer. Snow Crown seedlings have an unusual vigor not usually seen in seed starts. Plant on an overcast day for best results. Leave 24 inches between plants, and plant in rows that are 2 to 3 feet apart. Mulch your seedlings to help retain moisture. A second harvest of cauliflower is possible by planting more seeds in mid summer with the goal of harvesting in the fall. If your spring turns hot too soon, making it difficult to keep cauliflower from bolting and going to seed, consider planting in the cooler late summer temperatures for fall harvest instead.

Growing Snow Crown Cauliflower Plants

This is a fast growing variety of cauliflower. Seeds sprout in about 7 days. Your seedlings are going to amaze you on how quickly they put on their true leaves. Once they reach the point where the cauliflower head starts to grow in the center of the leaves, loosely tie the leaves up over the white head, taking care to leave it loose enough to allow for expansion. A rubber band will help with this, giving it room to grow. Sunlight will darken your lovely white cauliflower head, so blanching, or protecting the head with its own leaves, is needed to maintain the whiteness. Snow Crown will not be affected by a slight pink tone if the sun does reach it, it will still be mild and sweet. Harvest your plant in about 55 days from the day you planted it in the ground when the head is about 8 inches across and has a good firm feel to it. Cut it about 2 inches above the ground, leaving the root intact. This is an indeterminate hybrid, meaning it may send out more smaller heads of cauliflower before it is done for the year. Be sure to rotate your crops each year, taking care not to plant in the same location as the previous year. This will thwart any soil borne diseases that are specific to that crop, and not allow them to proliferate. Use an appropriate control for cabbage worms and aphids as needed.

Small home gardeners and apartment dwellers can plant cauliflower in raised beds with success as long as they have access to a full sun location, giving at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Due to its mature size, you will want to use a raised bed or a container that is at least 18 inches in diameter. Cauliflower grows on a tap root so a deep 24 inches of good draining rich garden soil amended with good compost will be essential.

Watering Snow Crown Cauliflower

Water weekly and deeply and maintain 2 to 4 inches of mulch around your plant to keep weeds to a minimum and to retain moisture. Dry periods will spell doom to your efforts to grow cauliflower. You must be able to maintain a consistently moist but not soggy soil. Irrigate with soaker hoses for best results.

Feeding Snow Crown Cauliflower Plants

Cauliflower are heavy feeders and will appreciate an application of a general purpose fertilizer like a 20-20-20 worked into the soil at time of planting, at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 100 foot row. As an alternative, make a compost tea by adding water to some well aged compost and water your seedlings with this in the morning, giving the foliage plenty of time to dry before nightfall. Fertilize with compost tea more often than you would a commercial granular fertilizer. Cauliflower prefers a neutral to alkaline soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 8.0, so test your soil if you have any questions. The proper pH range will allow the plant to take up nutrients efficiently from the soil.

SKU:

CAUSCP