Succession Planting Program: Cauliflower Varieties
Succession Planting & Season Extension for Cauliflower
Planting a sequence of cauliflower varieties, each in its proper seasonal window, gets the most yield, quality and length of harvest. Choose among many varieties by type, days to maturity, heat and cold tolerance, color, and best sowing and harvest periods.
Succession Planting & Harvesting Chart • Cauliflower |
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 Legend
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Set out | Pick | |||||||
| Cultivar | Spring (cool) | Summer (warm) | Fall (cool) | Winter (cold) | |||||
| White cauliflower, standard | |||||||||
| 'Song TJS-65' | |||||||||
| 'Earlisnow' | |||||||||
| 'Fujiyama' | |||||||||
| 'Snow Crown' | |||||||||
| 'Tessaury' | |||||||||
| 'Synergy' | |||||||||
| 'Twister' | |||||||||
| 'Bishop' | |||||||||
| 'Paxton' | |||||||||
| 'Amazing' | |||||||||
| 'Denali' | |||||||||
| 'Sierra Madre' | |||||||||
| 'Skywalker' | |||||||||
| Colored cauliflower, standard | |||||||||
| 'Clementine' | |||||||||
| 'Cheddar' | |||||||||
| 'Amethyst' | |||||||||
| 'Flame Star' | |||||||||
| 'Purple Moon' | |||||||||
| 'Lavender' | |||||||||
| 'Vitaverde' | |||||||||
| 'Graffiti' | |||||||||
| Romanesco Cauliflower | |||||||||
| 'Puntoverde' | |||||||||
| 'Veronica' | |||||||||
| 'Whitaker' | |||||||||
| 'Delaverde' | |||||||||
Variety Comparison Chart • Cauliflower |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultivar | Comments | Days to harvest | Heat tolerance | Cold Tolerance | Color |
| White cauliflower, standard | |||||
| 'Song TJS-65' | Handles heat and lower fertility better than standard white heading types, with a sweeter, more tender eating quality. | 42 days | Very strong | Strong | White curds on green stems. |
| 'Earlisnow' | Dependable, adaptable early variety. Medium plants with moderate head cover. | 45 days | Very strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Fujiyama' | Very good heat tolerance. | 45 days | Very strong | Low | white color |
| 'Snow Crown' | Very early and adaptable, with medium heads. All-America Selections winner. | 50 days | Strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Tessaury' | Organic variety with heat tolerance. | 58 days | Very strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Synergy' | Adaptable; big heads that mature between 'Snow Crown' and 'Bishop'. | 60 days | Strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Twister' | Excellent wrapper-leaf cover and adaptability; large heads well protected by big leaves. | 62 days | Very strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Bishop' | Summer and fall crops. Vigorous, adaptable, with well-covered heads. | 65 days | Very strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Paxton' | Summer and fall harvests. High resistance to club root races 0–2. Large, well-covered heads. | 67 days | Very strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Amazing' | Copes with both heat and cold stress. Well-fed plants grow upright, self-blanching wrapper leaves. | 68 days | Strong | Strong | white color |
| 'Denali' | Fall crops; broadly adapted. Big self-wrapping heads. | 73 days | Strong | Very strong | white color |
| 'Sierra Madre' | For overwintering on the West Coast. | 73 days | Very strong | Very strong | white color |
| 'Skywalker' | A strong organic choice for late summer and fall. Medium self-wrapping heads. | 80 days | Moderate | Very strong | white color |
| Standard Non-White | |||||
| 'Clementine' | Large, sturdy plants even in tough conditions. Early orange type for summer and fall. | 55 days | Very strong | Strong | vibrant orange color |
| 'Cheddar' | Attractive early orange type that holds in the field and keeps its color when cooked. | 58 days | Very good, though not quite equal to 'Flame Star' | Strong | orange color |
| 'Amethyst' | Very early purple cauliflower. | 59 days | Strong | Strong | purple color |
| 'Flame Star' | Good heat and stress tolerance. Does very well in spring and fall. | 62 days | Very strong | Strong | pastel-orange color |
| 'Purple Moon' | Widely adapted and very early; a top purple for warm weather and a fine fall crop. | 62 days | Strong | Strong | purple color |
| 'Lavender' | Best as a fall crop but also works for summer. | 70 days | Strong | Strong | violet color |
| 'Vitaverde' | Big, heavy heads. Grows in cool or warm weather. | 71 days | Very strong | Very strong | green color |
| 'Graffiti' | Best for fall, but spring sowing also works. Forms true cauliflower heads on large plants. | 80 days | Very strong | Very strong | purple color |
| Romanesco Cauliflower | |||||
| 'Puntoverde' | Dependable Romanesco for every season. | 78 days | Very strong | Strong | green color |
| 'Veronica' | Plant in summer for harvest from fall into midwinter. | 78 days | Low | Strong | green color |
| 'Whitaker' | White-curded Romanesco-type hybrid. | 80 days | Strong | Moderate | white color |
| 'Delaverde' | Romanesco suited to short-day conditions. | 83 days | Strong | Strong | green color |
Cauliflower Photo Comparison
Tech Tip: How to Blanch White Cauliflower Varieties
Blanching white cauliflower
Sun on white cauliflower heads can turn them yellowish or faintly purple. Self-wrapping varieties help prevent this. For other varieties, a simple blanching step gives the clean, creamy white heads most buyers want. Here's how.
- Start blanching once the heads first show through the leaves, at about 1–2" across.
- Pull the outer leaves up over the head and fasten them with twine, a clothespin or a rubber band.
- Or snap the leaf midribs and fold the leaves over the head until it's fully covered, taking care not to break them off, or they may blow away.
- Keep checking the heads as they grow. Covered heads stay more humid, which makes them more prone to Alternaria.
- In the cooler, shorter days of fall, blanching matters less.
Colored cauliflowers don't need their leaves tied up; they require sunlight to develop their full color!
