What's happening to my Cauliflower...disease or pest?

[journey11]

It starts out like this, with browning on the tip of the inner most leaves:

And ends up like this!

It rots, attracts flies and then the leaves flatten out.

It's happening randomly, one here, one there...about 4 have bit the dust over the past week or so. So far it's only happening to my Cheddar cauliflower, which were developing normally otherwise. Other than flies, I've not observed any bugs (yet). I sprayed them once a couple weeks ago. Gonna spray them again.

This is my first time growing cauliflower. I've never seen anything like this before. There are broccoli in the row beside them, then cabbage the next row over, neither of which display anything like this. There are also purple and Amazing (white) cauliflower in the same row. None of them have it.

 

[vfem]

They do look really eaten up by the cabbage moth caterpillars! However, I don't know if that caused all of the browning. There has been some seriously bad heat.

Did you dig one up and look at the roots?? You should... it would be something effecting them from underneath?

 

[digitS']

There's something called Black Rot of Crucifers , Journey. Here's what Cornell says, "1. Use resistant varieties. This management practice has been shown to be more effective than weekly applications of fixed copper or copper hydroxide beginning before development of symptoms. Resistant varieties have fewer infection sites and/or the affected area is much smaller compared with susceptible varieties." There are 18 more "controls" but that is #1.

There are apparently quite a few Black Rot resistant varieties of cabbage and some for broccoli. It doesn't look like that's the case with cauliflower. The University of Kentucky only lists 1 out of the 5 they recommend for home gardening, Majestic. U of K also tells us that "Spring CropSuccess is difficult, crop usually fails." (My emphasis) "Success more likely in fall."

As Vfem says, the leaves show a lot of what looks like caterpillar damage.

I don't know, I only grew cauliflower once - about 35 years ago. I was really discouraged by the results. It is a tough crop . . .

Steve

 

[journey11]

Thanks guys!

That sounds just like it, Steve. The leaves look just like their photos. Nasty stuff it seems! Warm and wet conditions have been the norm this spring/summer. Must just be that one variety I have that is susceptible. It says the bug damage can be the vector the bacteria enter by. I have not kept them sprayed or protected enough from the catepillars. I got away with it on the broccoli and the cabbage recovered once I did take measures. I will inspect them all more closely tomorrow. Sounds like there is not much you can do to stop it once you've got it. Good thing I planted 3 different cauliflower varieties!

Cauliflower is just plain hard to grow, all the way around!