🥦 When to Plant Cauliflower

When should I plant cauliflower?

Plant cauliflower outdoors 6 weeks before last frost. For a head start, start seeds indoors 6 weeks before your area's last frost date. Transplants can go out 4 weeks before last frost.

Is cauliflower frost sensitive?

Cauliflower can tolerate light frost, surviving temperatures as low as 28°F. This makes it a great candidate for early spring or fall planting when other crops can't go out yet.

What temperature does cauliflower need?

Cauliflower grows best between 45°F and 65°F. It can survive down to 28°F, but growth slows significantly below 45°F. It prefers cool weather and may bolt or stop producing if summer heat arrives early.

How long does cauliflower take to grow?

Cauliflower typically takes 85–100 days from transplant (or direct sow) to first harvest.

Should I start cauliflower seeds indoors?

Yes — start cauliflower seeds indoors 6 weeks before your area's last expected frost date. This gives seedlings time to develop strong roots before outdoor conditions are ready.

Is it too cold to plant cauliflower?

It is too cold to plant Cauliflower outdoors when nighttime temperatures are falling below 28°F. While Cauliflower can tolerate temperatures as low as 28°F, growth will be slow until nights consistently exceed 45°F. Use CanIPlant to check your local 7-day forecast and get a real-time answer for your ZIP code.

Is it too hot to plant cauliflower?

Cauliflower starts to struggle when temperatures climb above 65°F. As a cool-season crop, Cauliflower is especially heat-sensitive — high temperatures cause bolting, bitter flavor, or complete crop failure. Avoid planting in the peak of summer and opt for spring or fall instead. CanIPlant checks your local forecast highs to flag this automatically.

Any tips for growing cauliflower?

Needs steady cool temps. Finicky.