When to plant cauliflower in St. Louis

Cauliflower is cold-hardy, so every date keys off St. Louis's frost dates of Mar 30.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Feb 16 – Mar 9
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Mar 17 – Apr 7
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 16 – Jun 10
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 4 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jul 12 – Jul 26
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 5 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 17 – Oct 12
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 85 d
St. Louis's 218-day season leaves this much room.
Cauliflower on St. Louis's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
MAR 30
NOV 5

Common questions

When will cauliflower be ready to harvest in St. Louis?

Expect to harvest from around mid May (May 16–Jun 10) in St. Louis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.

When should I start cauliflower seeds indoors in St. Louis?

Start seeds indoors around mid February (Feb 16–Mar 9) in St. Louis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.

When can I transplant cauliflower outdoors in St. Louis?

Transplant outdoors around mid March (Mar 17–Apr 7) in St. Louis, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.

Can I plant cauliflower in autumn in St. Louis?

Yes — St. Louis supports a second, autumn sowing of cauliflower around mid July (Jul 12–Jul 26), timed to mature before the first fall frost.

How long is the growing season in St. Louis?

St. Louis has roughly 218 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow cauliflower to maturity outdoors.

The rule of thumb

Sow cauliflower as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and St. Louis's frost dates.

Confidence 84/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.