Harvest guide

Cauliflower harvest guide: when to pick and how much to expect

Cauliflower is ready all at once and goes over quickly, so the trick is spotting it at the right stage. Here is what to look for and how to keep it.

Days to harvest: 50–55 days from transplanting(Montana State University Extension)
Harvest months: all year(RHS)
Typical yield: 3.6 kg per 3 m row (8 lb per 10 ft)(Montana State University Extension)
Per plant: about 0.73 kg (1.6 lb) per plant(Montana State University Extension)
Spacing: 45 cm (18 in) apart(Montana State University Extension)
Family: Brassicaceae (cabbage family)
Botanical name: Brassica oleracea (Botrytis group)

Cauliflower planting and harvest calendar

Sow January–June. Harvest all year.(RHS)

Cauliflower season timeline

Sow
Harvest

Year-round harvest needs a mix of varieties and sowing dates. Months are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate, based on RHS (UK) guidance. Shift them earlier or later to match your own frost dates, or by about six months in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sow
Harvest

When to harvest cauliflowers

Cut as soon as the head (curd) is big enough, while it's still firm and tight. Once it starts to separate it turns bitter.(RHS)
Pick white varieties before the curd yellows or turns grainy.(University of Minnesota Extension)

How often to pick

A row sown on the same day tends to mature all together. Start cutting some heads before full size to spread the harvest out.(RHS)

How many cauliflowers to expect

A 3 m (10 ft) row typically gives about 3.6 kg (8 lb).(Montana State University Extension)

That works out to about 0.73 kg (1.6 lb) per plant. Row yield divided by the 5 plants per 10 ft row that the same table assumes (50 plants per 100 ft).(Montana State University Extension)

Yields vary with variety, weather, soil and care. Treat these as ballpark figures, not targets.

Plan for your family

For 4 people eating cauliflowers fresh, plan on about 12–20 plants(University of Missouri Extension). That should give roughly 9–15 kg (19–32 lb) over the season(Montana State University Extension).

To preserve or store some as well, allow 5–10 plants per person.(University of Missouri Extension)

See the full planting-per-person guide →

Storing your cauliflowers

Keep cauliflower cold and humid. Expect about three weeks.(University of Minnesota Extension)
Leave a few leaves around the head to protect it. Florets can be blanched and frozen.(RHS)

Track it

Log every cauliflower harvest

Harvest Journal is a private garden journal for your phone. Tap to log each picking of cauliflowers by weight or count, and see your season add up, with no account needed.