Gardening: Cuttings: Cauliflower success

MRS Laidman-Locher writes from Bangor about cauliflowers. 'For many years I shared your disappointment at not being able to grow a decent summer cauliflower. Our soil is very acid, stony and hungry, in spite of applications of tons of manure over a 30-year period (well-rotted horse manure applied when the ground is rotovated in the third week in March).

'All this changed last summer with the variety 'Lateman' (Dobies 89p). I sowed in the greenhouse (unheated) in a tray on 31 March, transplanted to a cold frame and put out the plants in the garden on 14 May. In spite of the difficult gardening season, we started to harvest in the second week of August; beautiful cauliflowers with tight curds and wonderful flavour.'

Dobies is introducing a new cauliflower this season called 'Marmalade'.