Ha! I'll add my own discoveries...I had purchased the seed from Baker Creek, so I went there to look for reviews. It seems I am not the only one to have "big, beautiful plants" with no heads. many others have complained of the same thing.
One person did mention planting it successfully as a fall crop. I may have to try that to see if I can get it to head. Plenty mentioned using the giant leaves as greens. I'm not a greens eater, so....all of that will probably end up in the compost pile, sadly.

Sharon

I am sad too my cauliflower broccoli and cabbage never made it past the flea beetles and before the heat.
Hopefully we can get a fall crop in
kim

Sharon, We just get too hot too early for it here in spring time probably 8 or 9 years out of 10. Both cauliflower and brussels sprouts perform much better here as summer-planted/autumn-harvested crops than as winter-planted/spring harvested crops. I believe they really benefit from the fact that in the fall we are hitting cooler and cooler temperatures as they near maturity, while in spring we are getting progressively hotter and they don't care for the heat.

I did get some harvest from cauliflower and brussels sprouts plants last spring, but from plants that went into the garden the last week of January, and they still barely had time to produce anything at all before they began bolting. I usually plant them for fall, but every now and then chance a winter planting just because I'm hoping luck (and the weather) will be on my side.

Dawn

Well, that explains my cauliflower not having a head. And thanks for posting about the romanesco! I'm itching to grow it.

I thought for sure it would work this spring...got it in early enough, cooler temps, etc....have to try again in the fall!

Thanks....Sharon

Sharon, You just never know with Romanesco. It seems temperamental---like a diva. Sometimes even when I feel I've done everything right, I still won't get those lovely spiraling heads, even if I also think the weather has been perfect. I think it must have to have everything "just right", and maybe our temperatures fluctuate too much for it in most springs. Cauliflower usually produces something for me (as opposed to producing nothing at all) in fall, but in spring it can be real hit and miss. 2002 was a great spring broccoli/cauliflower year because we had nights with lows in the 40s deeply into May and I was cold all the time. We got so much cauliflower we couldn't eat it fast enough and had to freeze a bunch. I don't think we've had a great spring cauliflower harvest since, but we've had some good fall crops.

Sometimes I plant it without really planning to. I'll be in a store in January and they'll have the first round of tiny little transplants in 4-packs or 6-packs and I'll see them and think "why not try it?". Why not, indeed. Of course, when I do that, we start having an occasional 80 or 90 degree day in February or March, and then I remember why not.

Dawn