Planting timing · Cool-season
When to plant cauliflower
Plant cauliflower in spring and fall on the cited sheets — not on a national calendar month. Regional dates stay source-specific.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Spacing lives on the cauliflower hub. Timing stays on the cited sheets.
Types and spacing live on growing cauliflower.
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1326 (South Carolina)
Cool-season. 60–65 °F. Piedmont Mar 20–Apr 30 and Jul 15–Aug 31; Coastal Mar 1–Apr 10 and Aug 15–Aug 30.
Details and limits (3)
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1326 (South Carolina): cauliflower is a cool-season vegetable. Average temperatures 60 to 65 °F. Timing on their sheet — not a national plant date.
Regions
Clemson HGIC 1326 (South Carolina): transplanting dates on their sheet — Piedmont March 20 to April 30 and July 15 to August 31; Coastal March 1 to April 10 and August 15 to August 30. South Carolina regions — not a national plant date.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1326. The regional table stays on this sheet. Not a ZIP calendar.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
5–7 week transplants 3–4 weeks before frost-free date. Fall seed or direct seed. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
Timing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): set out 5- to 7-week-old transplants 3 to 4 weeks before the frost-free date. Seed in beds or flats for fall transplanting or direct seed into garden soil. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Limit
Maryland cauliflower garden page. Frost-free wording stays Maryland. Not a ZIP calendar.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
April indoor. July fall indoor or direct seed. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
Timing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): for spring-planted cauliflower, start seeds indoors in April. For the fall crop, start seeds in July, indoors or direct seeded in the garden. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Limit
Minnesota cauliflower page. April and July start stay Minnesota. Not a ZIP calendar.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Transplants spring and fall. Not sooner than 2–3 weeks before frost-free date. Illinois timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
Timing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): cauliflower is best started from transplants for both spring and fall crops. Do not transplant sooner than 2 to 3 weeks before the average frost-free date in the spring. Illinois timing — not a national plant date. Illinois’s attributed frost-free wording — not a planting-safety promise.
Limit
Illinois cauliflower page. Spring/fall transplant timing stays Illinois. Not a ZIP calendar.
Sources differ
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
When do you plant cauliflower?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1326 (South Carolina): cool-season; Piedmont March 20 to April 30 and July 15 to August 31; Coastal March 1 to April 10 and August 15 to August 30. Maryland: 5- to 7-week-old transplants 3 to 4 weeks before the frost-free date. Minnesota: April, July for fall. Illinois: transplants for spring and fall.
Do the sheets agree on a fall window?
No. Clemson’s table lists July to August (Piedmont) and August (Coastal). Maryland names fall transplanting or direct seed. Minnesota names July. Illinois names fall crops. Four cards — not averaged.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.