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Flame Star Cauliflower

Flame Star
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Flame Star Cauliflower

(68 days) F-1 hybrid. The first discovery of an orange cauliflower was in 1970 in a field of white cauliflower near Toronto. This carotene-rich mutant was smaller and less flavorful than ideal, so work began to cross-breed it to white cauliflower in order to increase size and flavor, while keeping the unique color. Michael Dickson did this cross breeding and selection for decades at the Experimental Station in Geneva, NY. One of the early releases was Cheddar, a variety carried by Monsanto, so one we would not sell despite its obvious appeal. But now we have discovered Flame Star, whose pastel orange color is not only attractive but also makes it many times richer in vitamin A than its paler cousins. With 7" uniform heads of smooth dense curds on a sturdy plant, this is a highly adaptable variety that consistently performs well in a range of conditions, especially heat stress, and so a good choice for specialty markets. But the flavor! I’m a stickler for good taste in raw cauliflower and Flame Star gets high marks for a rich sweet flavor whether raw or cooked. At our warehouse trial table, at the end of the day we tasted cauliflower, Flame Star had disappeared. And that’s the ultimate approval rating. Tested negative for BR and BL. ⑥


3412 Flame Star
Item Discounted
Price
A: 10 seeds for $2.60  
B: 40 seeds for $7.50  
C: 100 seeds for $14.00  
D: 500 seeds for $50.00  
E: 1,000 seeds for $90.00  
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Additional Information

Cauliflower

Brassica oleracea (botrytis group)

~6,000–7,000 seeds/oz; 210–250 seeds/g.

Culture: Start like broccoli but needs more TLC. Do not allow to get pot-bound; avoid interruptions in growth. Cauliflower heads will “button” under stress. Most varieties can’t stand the heat and are not suitable for summer production. When heads first appear, bend leaves over curd to prevent discoloring.

Minimum germination temp 40°, optimal range 55–80°.

Brassica

Days to maturity are from direct seeding. Subtract 20 days from date of transplanting.

Note: We cannot ship packets greater than ½ oz. (14 grams) of any Brassica into the Willamette Valley. The State of Oregon prohibits shipping any commercial quantity of untreated Brassica, Raphanus or Sinapis because of a quarantine to control Blackleg.

Culture: Hardy. Require warm temperatures to germinate (68-86° ideal) but need 60s during seedling stage for optimal growth; higher temperatures make seedlings leggy. Heavy feeders; for best growth, need regular moisture and 2–3' spacing. Have done well for us succeeding onions and garlic in beds. Cauliflower and broccoli are damaged by hard frosts, especially in spring.

Young broccoli sproutlings make good microgreens.

Diseases:

  • BR: Black Rot
  • BS: Bacterial Speck
  • DM: Downy Mildew
  • FY: Fusarium Yellows
  • TB: Tipburn
  • WR: White Rust

Pests & diseases: Major pests: Cabbage Looper, Diamondback Moth, Imported Cabbageworm
Cultural controls: control cabbage-family weeds near crop fields, till under crop debris of early-season brassicas after harvest.
Materials: Spinosad, Bt.

Pest: Flea Beetle
Cultural controls: floating row covers, mulch with straw, time plantings for fall harvested crops only, crop rotation, perimeter trap cropping.
Materials: Spinosad, PyGanic.

Pest: Cabbage Root Maggot
Cultural controls: time planting to avoid first hatching, use row covers, control weeds.

Major diseases: Black Rot, Alternaria Leaf Spot, Blackleg, Club Root, Downy Milldew, White Mold
Cultural controls: avoid transplanting plants with yellow leaves or v-shaped lesions, crop rotation, destroy crop debris after harvest, avoid overhead irrigation, control weeds, allow for good air movement.
Materials: Actinovate, copper compounds may help for some of these diseases.