As usual with gardening, some great some not so...why?

I started both Cauliflower and Broccoli off in a heated propagater way back at the beginning of the season. Planted both out around the middle of May in the same part of the garden/same soil etc. The Broccoli have been monumental with lovely heads about the size of footballs (oh maybe I shouldn't mention football?). They are pretty well finished now and greatlyl enjoyed. The Cauliflower are pants. Loads haven't set heads despite being planted firmly so as not to rock and the ones that are setting heads are tiny with massive leaves. I reckon you'd need a head each to have even a 1/2 decent amount. Why have I had such differing results? I don't go in for lots of augmented feeding, mainly relying on wood ash from the stoves and well rotted horse manure as have a very!!! constant supply. I am presuming I have the level of nitrogen wrong for Cauliflower maybe? I have grown both together under the same conditions before and they were ok. Could also be that cauliflower dislikes the incredibly hot weather we are having and the Broccolli didn't mind so much. Any advice would be appreciated as the damned Caulis have taken up a fair amount of available veg growing room with b all results to show for it. I have about 50 growing and could have used the room for something else if I had known they were going to be a dead loss. If it makes any difference where they are growing had spuds in it last season.

 

I always get confused when people talk about Caulis and broccoli.
Broccoli, is that calabrese? or purple sprouting.
I also think there are summer caulis, the true cauliflower and a winter one which is, I think, closer to broccoli.

 

Think I may be joining you @Marley Farley and not bother with Cauliflowers again altho annoying as I have grown decent ones in the past. I only know Cauliflowers have white flowers and Broccoli green or purple if the sprouting variety.
Cheesed off as do oh so like Cauliflower Cheese. Broccoli cheese just isn't as nice some how.

 

Well, I may be wrong but purple sprouting always used to overwinter and crop in spring the following year, similar to winter cauli.
Calabrese was always a summer crop along with real caulis that are not easy to get right if the weather don't play ball.

But I dont grow either anymore and I know things might have changed.

 

yes @pete I grew purple sprouting broccoli last season and overwinter it to eat come spring.Well the deer put paid to most of that and the little they dained to leave me was not exactly thrilling. Won't bother with that again. The cauliflower I am having issue with is the bog standard whiteish flowering kind which you sow early spring and harvest late June/July.
Well I am feeling slightly less like a failure as while in Morrisons today I looked at what they had on offer cauli wise. Mine are better than the "wonky" ones they are selling and not quite as good as their "posh" ones. Reckon it has mostly got to do with it being far too hot for their liking. Oh well would I swap a fabulous summer for great cauliflowers? .......that will be a resounding no!

 

Boron deficiency

 

Not water deficiency then

 

Good god @Zigs never even heard of Boron far less being deficient in it. I am just about coping with the water deficiency this season and you are now giving me yet more things to worry about. Hmmm thought gardening was meant to be a good form of relaxation...fat chance