Cool-season crops
Cauliflower planting calendar and growing plan
Cauliflower benefits from steady establishment and a plan that accounts for local conditions. A date offset alone cannot prevent stress-related early heading.
Plan dates for Cauliflower
Editable exampleTransplant outside
Apr 17, 2027 Suggested windowDirect sow
Apr 17 – 24, 2027 Suggested windowPaired transplant date (optional)
| Transplant outside | Start indoors |
|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2027 | Mar 6 – 20, 2027 |
Sowing windows combine possible transplant dates. Choose a paired transplant date to narrow the nursery window. Wait for suitable soil and local conditions.
Direct sowing and transplanting are alternative ways to start a crop. Keep the tasks that match your method.
Sources and conditions
The nursery chart uses four to six weeks before setting out.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- Keep transplant growth steady. Root disturbance and environmental stress can promote premature small heads.
The chart’s setting-out reference is conditional on healthy plants and suitable weather.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- Keep transplant growth steady. Root disturbance and environmental stress can promote premature small heads.
The detailed planting section supports one to two weeks before last frost; the introductory summary differs. This record preserves that section choice.
- These are reviewed planning references. Check the variety, local soil and weather before acting; a frost date is not a forecast.
- The detailed planting section is used where its spring timing differs from the introduction.
A planning reference, not a weather forecast.
Read the chosen section
The Utah guide’s detailed planting section and introduction do not give exactly the same spring timing. This record uses the detailed section for direct sowing and names that choice.
Handle young plants carefully
The guide identifies several stresses that can lead to small premature heads. Plan nursery space and the outdoor move together, rather than treating a larger transplant as automatically better.
Reserve a full plant footprint
The selected spacing is for individual headed plants in rows. Keep leaf room and access in the layout, then save a cultivar-specific override if your packet recommends one.
Questions growers ask
Why is there no universal fall cutoff?
A fall crop depends on the chosen variety, maturity target and local conditions. The reviewed sources do not justify one automatic cutoff for every cauliflower planting.
Sources and conditions
These sources describe particular climates and growing methods. Use the conditions alongside the numbers.
Seed-Starting Date Calculator ↗
General nursery and setting-out reference, using a user-supplied spring frost-free date. Nursery duration is measured before setting out.
How to Grow Cauliflower in Your Garden ↗
Utah home gardens; detailed planting-and-spacing section selected where it differs from the introductory summary.