When to plant cauliflower
Half-hardy · light frost OKCaulifloweris keyed to your local frost dates. The offsets below hold anywhere — but the calendar dates they land on don’t. Enter your ZIP for dates tuned to your city’s nearest NOAA station.
Cauliflower planting timeline
Half-hardy: tolerates a light frost but not a hard freeze — plant out around the last frost date.
Shop cauliflower seeds →AFFILIATECauliflower planting FAQ
When should I start cauliflower seeds indoors?
Start cauliflower indoors 6–8 weeks before the last spring frost, so seedlings are ready to plant out once the weather warms.
Can I direct sow cauliflower?
Cauliflower is usually started indoors and transplanted rather than direct sown, for a reliable stand.
How long does cauliflower take to grow?
Cauliflower takes about 55–80 days from transplanting to harvest, depending on the variety and conditions.
Can I plant cauliflower in the fall?
Yes — sow cauliflower for a fall crop 10–12 weeks before the first fall frost.
Is cauliflower frost-hardy?
Half-hardy: tolerates a light frost but not a hard freeze — plant out around the last frost date.
Never miss a window in your area
An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to your frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.
Other crops
155 morePlanting windows are offsets from your local 1991–2020 NOAA frost normals. How we compute this.