When to sow Cauliflower (winter / spring heading) in the UK
Cauliflower (winter / spring heading) is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Cauliflower (winter / spring heading) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| South Coast and Channel | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| South East and Home Counties | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| East Anglia | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Wales and West Coast | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Northern England | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Northern Ireland | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early May to late May | mid May to late June | late June to early August | late January to late May |
Growing notes
Sow from late spring to early summer; these take six months or more and are cut from late winter into spring and even early summer, so they occupy the ground for a full year. Bend a leaf over developing curds to protect them from frost discolouration.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 70 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 70 cm
- Plants per m²
- 2
- Days to maturity
- 300 days
- Yield per plant
- 1 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 35 cm
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- clubroot
- cabbage white caterpillars
- cabbage root fly
- pigeons
- pigeons
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for cauliflower (winter / spring heading).