Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to determine your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By looking at the USDA zone info for Portland you should be able to determine when to plant cauliflower.

Planting Calendar for Cauliflower

Frost tolerance for cauliflower:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Cauliflower can survive in some cold which means that you can plant them a little earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant cauliflower in Portland is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant cauliflower and expect a good harvest is probably October. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your cauliflower may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a few weeks earlier by starting your cauliflower indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is February 15 in Portland. It might get as low as 25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Portland may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Half of the time in Portland there is a last frost after February 15 so always be ready to protect your cauliflower if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Portland

Here is the info for USDA Zone 9b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	February 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	December 15
Lowest Expected Low	25°F
Highest Expected Low	30°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 30°F.

Plants to Grow in Portland

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Portland.