Why are my cauliflower heads not tight, do they close after reaching maturity?

Question

The heads are a meduims size already, I did cover them with a leave as soon as they were forming

Answer 1

Yes I agree with granny, all plants open up to the light, and this vegetable is no different, so keep it's head in the dark

Answer 2

what trolls are marking perfectly great AND true answers with the thumbs down?

confess up.

Answer 3

This is from the University of Illinois Extension:

Q. What causes leaves in the head and separation of the head into loose, smaller curds?

A. These conditions are caused when cauliflower matures during hot weather. Try to time maturity dates of cauliflower to minimize the risk of extreme heat as the heads form.

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/cau...

Answer 4

Covering the heads will prevent them becoming yellow from the sun and give them a nice fresh look but it has nothing to do with the plant having a loose head, I have struck this problem a couple of times, once was late in the season and the plant wanted to bolt to flower and didn't form a tight head and the other time I planted cauliflowers straight after other crops and the soil was depleted of organic matter, top dressing with good compost and using liquid manure will help.  Happy gardening.

Answer 5

That is a method used by some commercial growers to improve the looks of the cauliflower.  You really don't need to unless you want it super white.  We never did, we usually ate it right away unless we were going to put some in the freezer.

See below......................................

To get those prized white heads of cauliflower, commercial growers practice a method called 'blanching'. When small white cauliflower heads become visible through the leaves, gather the outer leaves over the head and tie them in place with a string, twine, or large rubber band.

http://www.farm-garden.com/growing-veget...