Broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicas may soon become a rarity this spring. Growers warn that an unusually mild autumn and winter has accelerated crop growth, posing a threat to supply at a critical time.

The anticipated shortages will extend the “hungry gap” – the period from April to early June when few UK-grown crops are ripe for consumption. This scarcity is exacerbated by the difficulty of supplementing vegetables with imports from the continent, as floods in key growing regions delayed planting for a spring harvest.
Experts link these challenges to climate breakdown. The Met Office highlights a clear warming trend in average UK winter temperatures, set to continue due to human-induced climate change. It cautions: “Observations show a clear warming trend for average UK winter temperature, and this trend is projected to continue in the future due to human induced climate change. This doesn’t mean the UK will no longer see cold spells … however, cold spells are projected to become less frequent and less severe.” The increase in heavy rainfall – damaging to crops – is also becoming more frequent in the UK and across Europe.
Hannah Croft, an agronomist at the organic vegetable box company Riverford, warned of “tight periods for broccoli supply later this spring”. She explained, “Our Spanish suppliers, who grow much of our winter broccoli, have faced setbacks due to heavy autumn rain, which caused quality issues and delayed planting for spring crops. This has pushed harvest schedules forward, meaning there’s a possibility of a gap in late spring.”
British cauliflower crops are also under threat. Croft noted, “UK cauliflowers have faced weather challenges including significant rainfall in autumn, which caused some losses in early crops, while mild temperatures brought winter cauliflowers ahead of schedule.”
As consumers seek alternatives, specialist advice suggests turning to spring greens and other cabbages. One expert recommended: “These crops are holding up well. Spring greens, protected under nets, are on track for harvest from January through April, and will take over as curly kales finish up.”
Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society, recounted a startling discovery on his Surrey allotment: cauliflowers ready for harvest months early. He said: “I think what happened here is that the plants went in at the usual time but grew mightily in the wet July and September and the very mild autumn, so their natural mechanism of timing flowering by chilling was overridden by their larger-than-usual size, hence flowering now rather than April.”
Meanwhile, slugs have flourished in the damp conditions, feasting on unprotected brassicas. Peter Adams, a horticulturist at RHS Rosemoor in north Devon, revealed that “the winter wet and local pigeon and slug populations” had destroyed all the cauliflower at his site.
This confluence of unpredictable weather patterns and biological challenges underscores the fragility of the UK’s spring vegetable supply, raising concerns for the future as climate trends become the new norm.
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