The Untouchables

Do you have a Midas plant, one you really struggle to grow. It might be climate, soil, or simply you cease to believe it’s in your capability. 

For me this is Calabrese, I’ve tried many forms and they all seem to go to seed rather than form heads. They are such a pain, I simply no longer bother. I have no issue with many other brassicas but, even broccoli raab fail me. 

This is a safe place air your woes.

Cauliflower. Impossible things to grow !
But I keep trying

Welcome to the circle SC,

What do you think is the issue if we share what we do then somebody else might have a solution.

I tend to start most things off in spring, I’m not one for forcing the issue by starting in a heated propagator. All my veg grows in raised planters about 50cm deep, The soil is fine and never trampled so I wasn’t sure if this might be an issue. I grow sprouts And PSB in a frame to stop them falling over but Calabrese and occasionally Caulis run to seed on me. I’ve assumed it a watering issue and that I need to be more vigilant, but I am wondering if the soil might be deficient in something they need specifically.

I start my seeds in March in plug / cell trays. When big enough & conditions are right ( May) they get planted into raised beds. The beds had a good layer of well rotted manure on them the previous autumn. And dug in a week or two before planting. Also with a treatment of nematodes a few days before planting.
They get puddled in and then stamped in. They are planted along side fellow brassicas and companion plants, nasturtiums, hyssop, thyme, coriander & dill.

I think the Stamping in has improved my results. The last couple of years I’ve had one decent head of cauliflower. But the rest have been half a tennis ball size or like yours gone to seed. But one out of 6-10 plants is still a bit cr@p !

Mines Aubergines all I ever get are pretty purple flowers and nothing else.

In the GH aubergines and peppers have never succeeded, I've given up on them but might try again next year now I've got a bit more space.
Outside broccoli raab always bolts and gets tough, cauliflower is never worth the bother or space, pak choi starts well but gets eaten by flee beetle.

Pak choi - a pair of seedling leaves and a flower stalk, without fail year after year.
I finally gave up last year, mostly because actually getting seedling leaves was a rare triumph over the flea beetles.
And cauliflower - I don't actually believe that normal people can grow them and no longer grumble at the price in the shops!

I do quite well with cauliflowers


I do nothing fancy, dig the soil the autumn before and just lightly hoe before planting. Each station has a few chicken manure pellets thrown in and a dusting of BFB. Before puddling in I remove any cotyledon leaves and plant to the depth of the first true leaves. After a week I refirm the soil as a high manure or compost mix tends to dry leaving pockets. Water well for the first month or so and add a top dressing of chicken pellets every six weeks.


   

   

   

I cant grow raddish though

They're awesome Admin!

Mine get planted in the bed with a bit of extra compost, watered and then abandoned to the care of the flea beetles, brassica bugs and voles. That might explain my lack of success ...

I bought 6 Cauli seedlings from the corner shop this year. They were growing really well, heads forming,  bent leaves of them to keep them white. Even the caterpillars kept their distance. Looking good I thought - maybe this year I'll be eating cauli cheese.
The following day (slight exaggeration) the heads had bolted and they looked like sprouting broccoli.


I have had some success with Nine Star perennial Broccoli/cauli though. 

    Old photo from April 2018.
I bought some seeds from Brown Envelope Seeds recently so must start some off as my remaining plants are a bit straggly now.