Hybrid

Fioretto 70

Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Wikimedia Commons

Most reliable sprouting cauliflower in our trials. The sweet and tender, light green stems with white florets are ideal for light cooking or serving raw for dipping. Eye-catching when paired with sprouting broccoli. Market heads whole, or cut and bunched. Stems will continue to elongate once heads form. Harvest anytime up to about 8" tall. NOTE: This variety can be difficult to grow. Requires moderate heat, but excess heat can result in purpling and uneven curds. Recommended temperature range: 60-80°F during head formation. We suggest trialing before implementing on a larger scale.

Harvest

70d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun to partial shade

☀️

Zones

6–9

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

10-24 inches

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Harvest

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for Fioretto 70 in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 brassica →

Zone Map

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Fioretto 70 · Zones 6–9

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing18-24 inches

SoilWell-draining loam, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0-7.5)

WaterModerate; consistent moisture during head formation (1-2 inches weekly)

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorSweet, delicate, and mild with a tender, buttery character—less dense and more subtle than standard cauliflower

ColorLight green stems with white florets

Size8"

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 1	April – May	June – July	June – July	August – September
Zone 2	April – May	June – July	May – July	July – September
Zone 11	January – January	January – February	January – February	February – December
Zone 12	January – January	January – February	January – February	February – December
Zone 13	January – January	January – February	January – February	February – December
Zone 3	March – April	May – June	May – June	July – October
Zone 4	March – April	May – June	April – June	July – October
Zone 5	February – March	April – May	April – May	June – November
Zone 6	February – March	April – May	April – May	June – November
Zone 7	February – March	April – May	March – May	May – November
Zone 8	January – February	March – April	March – April	May – December
Zone 9	January – January	February – March	February – March	April – December
Zone 10	January – January	February – March	January – March	March – December

Succession Planting

Fioretto 70 comes in at 70 days and doesn't re-head meaningfully after the main harvest, so succession planting is worth planning out. In zone 7, start seeds indoors in late February and transplant in April for a late-June harvest, then start a second round indoors in late June for an August transplant and a mid-to-late October harvest. That fall planting catches the cooler temperatures that tighten the curd and improve flavor on most cauliflower types.

Don't run two rounds through the same bed without a rotation plan. NC State Extension's IPM guidance notes that planting the same family in the same spot in consecutive years builds pest and disease pressure — black rot and clubroot in particular persist in soil. Any bed coming out of brassicas should stay out of them for at least 3 years. Follow Fioretto with a legume crop to put nitrogen back before a heavier feeder moves in.

Complete Growing Guide

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed, Stem Cutting. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Fioretto 70 reaches harvest at 70 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 8" at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

The fruits dry and split when ripe.

Color: Brown/Copper, Green. Type: Siliqua. Length: > 3 inches.

Garden value: Edible

Harvest time: Fall, Summer

Edibility: The foliage is edible raw or cooked but when cooked can emit an unpleasant odor.

Storage & Preservation

Harvest Fioretto 70 heads when compact and firm, ideally in cool morning hours. Store immediately at 32–40°F with 90–95% humidity in perforated plastic bags or ventilated containers; properly stored heads will keep 2–3 weeks. For longer preservation, blanch florets for 3–4 minutes, cool rapidly in ice water, then freeze in airtight bags for up to 10 months. Alternatively, ferment florets with salt (5% by weight) in jars for a tangy condiment, or dry them slowly at 95–105°F until brittle for soups and broth. Because Fioretto 70's smaller, tender florets mature more quickly than standard varieties, harvest secondary side shoots promptly after the main head is cut to encourage continued production rather than storing the entire plant at once.

History & Origin

Fioretto 70 is an F1 hybrid developed through controlled cross-pollination. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: W. Europe

Advantages

+Most reliable sprouting cauliflower variety based on trial results
+Sweet, tender light green stems with white florets ideal for raw consumption
+Stems continue elongating after head formation for extended harvest window
+Eye-catching pale green color pairs beautifully with sprouting broccoli
+Can be marketed whole or cut and bunched for flexibility

Considerations

-Requires precise temperature control between 60-80°F during head formation
-Excess heat causes purpling and uneven curds reducing market quality
-Growers advised to trial before large-scale implementation due to difficulty
-Sensitive to temperature fluctuations making consistent production challenging

Companion Plants

Onions and thyme are worth prioritizing near Fioretto 70. Onions' sulfur compounds disrupt the host-finding behavior of cabbage moths and aphids — both flagged by NC State Extension as common problems on this variety. Thyme works by a similar mechanism: its volatile oils interfere with cabbage loopers orienting toward brassica foliage. Nasturtiums pull their weight as a trap crop. Aphids find them before they find your cauliflower, which concentrates the problem in one easy-to-yank spot instead of spreading it across the whole bed.

Tomatoes and pole beans belong on the opposite end of the garden. Tomatoes compete for calcium and share enough soil-borne disease pressure with brassicas that planting them adjacent raises the risk of both crops suffering for it. Pole beans are an allelopathy problem — Brassica oleracea crops grown within a few feet of them show measurable yield suppression, and Fioretto 70 at 70 days to harvest can't afford to spend weeks recovering from a slow start.

Plant Together

Dill

Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control cabbage worms

Onions

Repel cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles with their strong scent

Nasturtiums

Act as trap crops for aphids and flea beetles, protecting brassicas

Marigolds

Repel cabbage worms and other harmful insects with their strong fragrance

Lettuce

Grows well in partial shade of brassicas and doesn't compete for nutrients

Spinach

Compatible growth patterns and helps maximize garden space utilization

Carrots

Deep roots don't compete with shallow brassica roots, mutually beneficial

Thyme

Repels cabbage worms and other pests that commonly attack brassicas

Keep Apart

Strawberries

May inhibit brassica growth and compete for similar soil nutrients

Tomatoes

Can stunt brassica growth and both plants may suffer from shared diseases

Pole Beans

Can shade out brassicas and compete for nitrogen in the soil

Nutrition Facts

Calories

31kcal(2%)

Protein

2.57g(5%)

Fiber

2.4g(9%)

Carbs

6.27g(2%)

Fat

0.34g(0%)

Vitamin C

91.3mg(101%)

Vitamin A

8mcg(1%)

Vitamin K

102mcg(85%)

Iron

0.69mg(4%)

Calcium

46mg(4%)

Potassium

303mg(6%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #747447)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Common Pests

Cabbage moths, flea beetles, aphids, cabbage loopers

Diseases

Black rot, clubroot, cauliflower mosaic virus, downy mildew

Troubleshooting Fioretto 70

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Yellowing leaves with V-shaped lesions spreading from leaf margins, starting on older foliage around days 30–45

Likely Causes

Black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) — bacterial disease that enters through leaf margins and spreads through the vascular system
Infected transplants or contaminated seed

What to Do

1.Remove and trash affected leaves immediately — don't compost them
2.Water at the base, not overhead, to reduce splash transmission
3.Per NC State Extension's IPM guidance, rotate this bed out of all brassicas for at least 3 years before replanting

Small, irregular holes punched through leaves on young transplants within the first 2 weeks after setting out

Likely Causes

Flea beetles — tiny, fast-jumping beetles that feed most aggressively on stressed transplants in warm soil above 50°F
Transplant stress leaving plants vulnerable during establishment

What to Do

1.Cover transplants immediately with row cover (Agribon AG-19 or similar) and seal the edges — flea beetles will find any gap
2.Side-dress with compost at transplant to get roots established faster; a healthy plant at 18–24 inches spacing outgrows flea beetle damage more easily than a stressed one
3.Remove row cover once heads begin to form and daytime temps stay above 70°F

White or grayish coating on leaf undersides with corresponding yellow patches on top, appearing during cool, humid stretches

Likely Causes

Downy mildew (Peronospora parasitica) — thrives when nights drop below 65°F and humidity stays high for several consecutive days
Poor airflow from crowded spacing or weeds growing tight against the base of plants

What to Do

1.Thin or transplant to the full 18–24 inch spacing — cramped plants trap moisture and kill air movement
2.Strip affected leaves and put them in the trash, not the compost pile
3.Switch to drip irrigation or water early in the morning so foliage has time to dry before nightfall

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Fioretto 70 take to grow from seed to first harvest?▼

Fioretto 70 reaches first harvest around day 70 from transplant (not seed). Starting from seed, expect 12-14 weeks total: 6-8 weeks indoors for seedlings, 7-14 days for germination, plus 2-3 weeks hardening off and establishment before counting down the 70-day maturity. First head harvest typically occurs 4-6 weeks after transplanting; secondary stem harvests continue for 3-4 weeks afterward with proper management.

Is Fioretto 70 good for beginners?▼

Fioretto 70 is not beginner-friendly despite its reputation for reliability. Its difficulty lies not in disease resistance or basic care, but in temperature sensitivity. Excess heat causes purpling and uneven curds; cold stalls growth. Success requires matching your climate to the 60-80°F window during head formation. Experienced gardeners in suitable climates find it reliable; beginners in unstable climates will struggle. Trial a small block before committing larger space.

Can you grow Fioretto 70 in containers or pots?▼

Yes, Fioretto 70 grows in containers, though stems remain smaller and production slightly reduced compared to in-ground. Use 5-7 gallon pots (minimum) with well-draining potting mix enriched with compost. Container growing offers a key advantage: easier temperature management through partial shade and watering control. Ideal for gardeners in hot climates seeking to cool the root zone and moderate air temperature around the plant.

What does Fioretto 70 taste like compared to standard cauliflower?▼

Fioretto 70 is notably sweeter and more delicate than dense-head cauliflower, with a tender, almost broccoli-like character. The thin stems taste mild and buttery when lightly cooked or served raw. Standard cauliflower has a denser curd and more pronounced brassica flavor. Many gardeners and chefs prefer Fioretto's subtle sweetness for fresh applications, dipping, and light cooking; standard cauliflower suits roasting and richer preparations better.

When should I plant Fioretto 70 for best results?▼

Timing depends on your climate. In cool regions (zones 5-6), transplant in late spring (after last frost) to ensure head formation occurs in summer's cooler periods. In warm climates (zones 8-9), plant in late summer for fall heading. In hot climates (zones 9+), spring planting works only if you can deploy shade cloth when temps exceed 85°F during head formation. Avoid planting into cold soil (below 50°F); wait for soil warmth to ensure vigorous transplant establishment.

Fioretto 70 vs. sprouting broccoli—what's the difference?▼

Both produce branching side shoots, but Fioretto is cauliflower (white florets, milder flavor, more tender stems) while sprouting broccoli produces green florets with a stronger brassica taste. Fioretto stems are thinner and more delicate; broccoli florets are larger and denser. Both pair visually on a plate. Fioretto suits raw and light applications; sprouting broccoli stands up to heavier cooking. Fioretto 70 is also more temperature-sensitive than most sprouting broccoli varieties.