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Open pollinated varieties available exclusively from Tozer for harvesting May to June
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The descriptions, advice, suggestions and vegetation cycles below are aimed professional growers and are offered in all good faith, for purely informational purposes.
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Developed in Europe and Scandinavia these are the smallest growing and quickest maturing varieties, best results are obtained when seeds are sown under glass in late October, overwintering under glass, transplanting to the open ground after hardening off in March, for heading Mid May onwards. Sowings can also be made at the end of January under glass and transplanted in April for heading June and July. Most of this group are fleece covered. Plant population 30-36,000 per Ha.
These are of Mid European origin mostly French. This group can be sown under glass January and February. They form a natural succession in heading when group 1 is completed. There are many varieties in the group that can be continuously sown and cropped up until the autumn. These can also be grown under fleece. Plant population 30-36,000 per HA.
These are of Mediterranean origin particularly Southern Italy. These varieties can be sown in Mid May and planted early to mid July for heading from September until the weather closes down in November December according to area. It is important to say that, if these types are sown too early they are prone, under certain climatic conditions to become interleaved or produce bracted curds. Plant population 22-30,000 per HA.
This group are more resistant to high temperature induced physiological problems than others grown to mature from September to November/December. They are extremely uniform in habit with compact foliage with clean bases and can be cropped in Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Kent, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire. These mature from 102-134 days from transplanting according to cultivar. Plant population 22-30,000 per HA.
This group covers what are known as the Roscoffs and Roscoff and Walcheren Types. The Roscoffs were bred originally in the 1920’s and subsequently from the well know French strain. It is however most important to note that this group is suitable only for favoured areas such as Cornwall and Pembrokeshire, the coastal parts of which enjoy the benefit, during the winter months, of the Gulf Stream. The coastal areas of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Devon, and East Kent, especially the Isle of Thanet, are also excellent production areas. There is a lesser degree of success in these areas than in Cornwall owing to the severity of the winter.
Over virtually all of the rest of the country, you are advised not to grow these varieties. On the Cornish Peninsula, from around Truro into the far Southwest, and in the southern coastal belt of Devon, conditions are seldom as severe as in the remainder of the country, with the result that the heading season of the many Roscoff varieties continues non stop from early December to the end of March. In some of the other winter production areas, growers sometimes cannot cut for several weeks in January and February because of frost. The warmer winters these days, however, mean that cutting continues over a much larger proportion of the favoured parts of the country, especially where the varieties are Roscoff cross Walcheren and not just pure Roscoffs.
Plant population 16-17,000 per HA.
This group of recent introduction which is outstanding for inland, Midland, North Country and coastal areas, especially exposed areas are outstanding for depth, colour and quality of curd. They are the best selections in the world today for period of cutting. They have proved in hard winters to withstand twenty degrees of frost as against other varieties grown along side which were severely damaged. These varieties start cutting in April through to the latter half of May and June.
Later selections crossed with the Old English will suit areas in the colder and more exposed districts of the Country such as Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and indeed further North.
Plant population 16-17,000 per HA
This must be free draining with no compaction and not grown on land that has had rape seed crops. Cauliflower do not like trees or hedges and must not have their feet wet.
Use Pre-emergence Sprays, but these are limited and expensive. You can use Post-emergence Sprays and these work best when the soil conditions are damp.
Plough December, January overwinter then with one pass with power harrow then plant end of March onwards according to area.
These follow crops that have been harvested in the spring, such as early summer cauliflower, cabbage etc. These crops should be swiped off, the soil sub-soiled then ploughed and power harrowed twice and plant from Mid July to the end of July.
Plough, keep work down to conserve moisture and plant first of July onwards according to area.
These again follow crops such as early potatoes and Brassica. Plant these first week of July to Mid August.
Plant six week old hardened off modules which have been drenched with a high PH and a spray for root fly and caterpillar.
This has been worked out for you offering the best varieties available from our extensive range in the catalogue.
The soil needs to be in good condition and the crops well fed, but not too soft giving the summer crops extra nitrogen with a high humus content in the soil, also put a base application of 7cwt to the acre of 20 10 10 and a base application for overwintered crops of 10 10 15 at 7cwt to the acre with a nitrogen top dressing in the Spring.
Cabbage Root Fly Larvae feed of the roots of brassica crops resulting in stunted plants often with red/purple discolouration of the leaves. There can be up to three generation per year starting in late April, extending into September. Traps need to be placed in the crops to monitor the three stages of cabbage root fly in order that routine sprays can be applied
These can occur from April until October and can often stunt the growth of young plants or spoil the curds of mature ones. There are currently two species of aphid in the UK which have an impact on commercial crops the Mealy Grey Aphid and the Peach Potato Aphid.
Caterpillars of many species can attack cauliflower and the damage caused will vary from species to species. Usually the leaves or curd will be eaten or the cauliflower deemed unmarketable due to presence of droppings.
Can be a problem in summer when they disperse from Oil Seed Rape crops. Curds can be attacked and damaged.
Slugs can damage both cauliflower seedlings and the leaves and curds of mature plants, particularly during wet seasons..
Club root is a disease of all brassicas; it causes a swelling of the roots which then rot, killing or stunting the plant. Once plants are affected there is no cure. Effective prevention can often be obtained by liming to a pH of 7.0-7.5. It is important to note that resting spores of clubroot can remain active in the soil for 20 years.
The tem damping off usually refers to an fungal attack on young seedlings by Pythium or Rhizoctonia species. Prevention can usually be obtained with the use of fungicide treated seed.
Often found when propagating under glass but can also attack field grown crops. The disease causes Yellow-brown areas to develop between the veins on the upper surface of the leaves and white/grey fungal growth on the under surface. A severe infection will cause leaves to die off and on mature crops it may cause black spotting on the curds.
Can occur during wet autumnal weather, Grey or brown circular spots form on the leaves which then turn black and die.
White blister is fast becoming an important problem in brassicas. Small glossy patches appear on the plant which later become powdery. Individual flower buds on the curd may swell, distort and turn white.
Found mainly in the winter months, black rot or Xanthamonas causes V shaped lesions on the leaf margins, within the lesions the veins become blackened. The disease can spread very rapidly in warm damp conditions. If the disease is identified a rotational break of two years is advised.
Three virus infections are known to be economically significantly problems for cauliflower: Turnip Mosaic Virus, Cauliflower Mosaic Virus and Turnip Yellow Virus. Identification may be difficult as symptoms can vary. Aphids can often act as vectors. It is usually recommended that affected crops be destroyed.
This is mainly confined to summer crops.
Cut by hand and placed onto rigs with moveable belts and cups.
Fresh market, supermarkets processors and freezers.
