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ClimateQuiet 10d · day 12

RHS tells English gardeners to ditch cauliflower as heatwaves reshape what grows

Record heat has made brassicas unviable for home growing; the charity recommends drought-tolerant alternatives.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 11d ago4 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • Record UK heat this summer (38.1°C peak in August) has made water-intensive brassicas like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage unviable for home gardeners and commercial farmers.
  • The RHS now formally recommends gardeners substitute drought-tolerant crops including kale, purple sprouting broccoli, okra, and Asian loofah, with tomatoes and peppers thriving under current conditions.
  • Commercial farmers expect one of the worst brassica harvest years on record; RHS horticulturists have abandoned cauliflower cultivation after years of repeated crop failure.
  • Scientists attribute the extreme heat to climate change driven by fossil fuel combustion; the RHS expects future summers to follow recent heat patterns.

“There's no doubt that we're set to see tomatoes continue as the most popular summer vegetable, but with the likes of Asian loofah and okra cropping up more at mealtimes.”

Guy Barter, RHS chief horticulturist · The Guardian ↗

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Gardening charity issuing cultivation guidanceGuy Barter RHS chief horticulturistSimone Bratt Kitchen gardener, RHS Bridgewater

RHS tells English gardeners to ditch cauliflower as heatwaves reshape what grows
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in 3h at Sep 12, 6 AM; 4 pieces over 12 days (2 articles · 2 posts) Sep 12, 6 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Sep 12, 9 AM — quietSep 12, 12 PM — quietSep 12, 3 PM — quietSep 12, 6 PM — quietSep 12, 9 PM — quietSep 13, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 13, 3 AM — quietSep 13, 6 AM — quietSep 13, 9 AM — quietSep 13, 12 PM — quietSep 13, 3 PM — quietSep 13, 6 PM — quietSep 13, 9 PM — quietSep 14, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 14, 3 AM — quietSep 14, 6 AM — quietSep 14, 9 AM — quietSep 14, 12 PM — quietSep 14, 3 PM — quietSep 14, 6 PM — quietSep 14, 9 PM — quietSep 15, 12 AM — quietSep 15, 3 AM — quietSep 15, 6 AM — quietSep 15, 9 AM — quietSep 15, 12 PM — quietSep 15, 3 PM — quietSep 15, 6 PM — quietSep 15, 9 PM — quietSep 16, 12 AM — quietSep 16, 3 AM — quietSep 16, 6 AM — quietSep 16, 9 AM — quietSep 16, 12 PM — quietSep 16, 3 PM — quietSep 16, 6 PM — quietSep 16, 9 PM — quietSep 17, 12 AM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 6 AM — quietSep 17, 9 AM — quietSep 17, 12 PM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 6 PM — quietSep 17, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 12 AM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 6 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 12 PM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 6 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 12 AM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 6 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 12 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 6 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 12 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 1–2
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  1. 1

    RHS gardeners detail failure of cauliflower crops under heat stress

    Simone Bratt, who tends kitchen gardens at RHS Bridgewater, reports cauliflowers have been grown only sporadically for years and failed entirely in spring 2026 due to heat, bolting before transplant. She recommends purple sprouting broccoli as a hardier alternative.

    “We tried a spring sowing again this year, but the heat really won. They bolted before we even got them in the ground. They simply haven't been able to cope with the severity of the conditions.”
    — Simone Bratt, RHS Bridgewater kitchen gardener
    • Soweitsogut@troet.cafe

      Sie sind ein wesentlicher Bestandteil des britischen Sonntagsbratens - aber Blumenkohl wird laut der Royal Horticultural Society jetzt von der Speisekarte genommen. Englands Klima hat sich so stark verändert, dass die RHS jetzt empfiehlt, dass Gärtner das Kohlgemüse von ihren Gemüsefeldern ausschließen. https://www. theguardian.com/environment/20…

      Soweitsogut@troet.cafeMastodon10d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. 2

    RHS advises gardeners to abandon cauliflower cultivation

    The Royal Horticultural Society issues guidance that home gardeners should stop growing cauliflower and other brassicas, citing inability to thrive in high temperatures and drought conditions. The charity recommends alternatives including kale, purple sprouting broccoli, okra, and Asian loofah.

    “Cauliflowers and their brassica cousins have been the hardest hit of those commonly found in domestic veg patches, and with summers likely to follow recent patterns, swapping them out for an equally as flavourful and nutritious alternative will save on all-important watering.”
    — Guy Barter, RHS chief horticulturist
  3. background

    England records peak summer temperature of 38.1°C — Kew Gardens in London reached 100.1°F (38.1°C), marking the UK's hottest summer on record according to provisional Met Office data.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Heatwaves hit the Sunday roast: why the RHS says cauliflower is off the menu

    first by The Guardian, 11d ago · also Guardian