Romanetto 80 is a stunning sprouting cauliflower that delivers beautiful Romanesco florets in just 62 days. This F1 hybrid grows compactly enough for most gardens while remaining cold-hardy from zones 3 through 10, making it reliable whether you're planting spring or fall crops. The variety thrives in moderate moisture and slightly alkaline soil, rewarding consistent care with the chartreuse, fracttal-like heads that Romanesco is famous for.
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Moderate
3-10
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High
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The 62-day timeline means you're harvesting before many other brassicas even hit their stride, and the compact growth habit slots neatly into smaller garden spaces. Its frost-hardiness extends your growing season in both directions, letting you plant earlier in spring and later into fall without worrying about cold damage. The stunning geometric florets look almost sculptural on the plate, making this variety as much a conversation piece as a serious harvest.
Romanetto florets are prized for roasting, where their nutty sweetness deepens under heat, and for raw platters where their fractal geometry and vibrant green color create visual impact. The compact heads are also excellent for steaming or blanching, and because they're smaller than traditional cauliflower crowns, they cook more evenly and quickly.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds in 72-cell plug flats, keeping soil at least 70°F (21°C) until germination occurs. After germination, lower soil temperature to around 60°F (16°C) to promote stocky, healthy growth. Seedlings should be ready to transplant in 4 to 6 weeks. For spring crops, start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date. For fall crops, calculate backward from your first expected frost, aiming to transplant seedlings that are no older than 4 to 5 weeks at planting time. Older, stressed seedlings will not perform as well as vigorous, actively growing ones.
Harden off seedlings gradually by increasing cold exposure over 7 to 10 days before moving them to the garden. Transplant outdoors when seedlings are 4 to 5 weeks old, spacing them 18 inches apart. Avoid planting older, stressed transplants, as they tend to bolt or produce inferior heads. Transplant in early spring or mid-to-late summer for fall harvest, timing plantings to avoid the hottest weeks of the year.
Harvest when the Romanesco florets have fully formed and are still tight and vibrant green, typically 62 days from transplanting. Cut the main head with a sharp knife at the base, leaving several inches of stem attached. Side shoots will often develop after the main head is removed, providing additional smaller harvests over the following weeks.
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