#Brussel sprout plant how to
#Brussel sprout plant full
#Brussel sprout plant free

When to Plant Brussels Sproutsĭue to Brussels sprouts’ need for a long growing season, we recommend planting them with a fall or winter harvest in mind. Work several inches of aged manure and/or compost into the soil to improve soil fertility and texture. Soil should be well-draining and moderately fertile. Raised beds are especially recommended for cool-season vegetables, especially in the spring and fall, when temperatures are not consistent.

#Brussel sprout plant full

Over generations and generations, this versatile plant has been bred in different ways to highlight its different features-flowers, leaves, buds, stem, and root-to provide us with a wide variety of foods! Brussels sprouts form as buds along the main stem of the plant, just above each leaf axil.Ĭhoose a planting site that gets full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day). The sprouts improve in flavor after a light frost or two.Īs long as you plant them at the right time, keep them cool and well watered during the heat of summer, and protect them from pests, Brussels sprouts are a rewarding vegetable crop to grow-an accomplishment!īrussels sprouts are a cultivar (cultivated variety) of wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea, which is the same plant species that cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and a number of other popular food crops stem from. This is probably because they aren’t the easiest vegetable to grow! They require a fairly long growing season (80–100 days to harvest) and are a cool-season crop, meaning that they produce best when grown for a fall or early winter harvest. Named for Brussels, Belgium, where they were first cultivated in the 16th century, Brussels sprouts are a vegetable that is commonly seen in the grocery store, but not-as-commonly seen in the home garden.

#Brussel sprout plant how to

Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest Brussels sprouts in your garden! About Brussels Sprouts

Ensure alkali soil and crop rotation to reduce risk.Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family and an excellent source of nutrients. Fine netting prevents eggs being laid.īirds like pigeons and magpies can quickly strip plants – another reason to keep them covered.Ĭabbage root fly can be deterred by a brassica collar around each plant to stop female flies laying eggs at the base of the stem.Ĭlub root is a fungal infection that distorts roots and stunts growth. In particular, netting plants prevents them being eaten by something other than you.Ĭaterpillars of the Large White and Small White butterfly thrive on brassicas including sprouts.

While easy to cultivate, sprouts need protecting from a range of pests. Pick any yellowing lower leaves off the plant and cropping the tops (also edible) encourages your sprouts to grow. If left until leaves begin opening they’ll be edible but past their prime. Sprouts are ready to pick when firm and around 3cm diameter, simply twist them off the stem. Later varieties are harvested through to March. In autumn mound soil round stems for stability in strong winter winds.ĭepending on your chosen variety sprouts start budding at the bottom of stems from September onwards. A late summer nitrogen feed will boost the crop.

#Brussel sprout plant free

Keep weed free taking care not to disturb the shallow roots, watering if soil dries out. Sprouts can grow up to a metre high with a spread around 50 cm, so allow 60cm between plants, 75cm between rows. By mid-May to early June plants will be 6 – 10 cm tall and have developed several leaves, ready to be planted out in their final position. Thin them to 6 – 7 cm once a few cm tall. Outdoors sow in drills 2 - 3 cm deep and about 10 cm apart. You can sow singly in modules for transplanting, or in a well-prepared seedbed. Growing: Sow seeds late March through to mid-April. If pH is below 6.5, add lime, watering in to avoid loosening soil structure by further digging. Sprouts don’t like acid soil so check the pH a few weeks before sowing. Prepare soil in autumn by digging in compost or well-rotted manure, covering with weed matting to prevent heavy winter rain leaching nutrients away. Brussel Sprouts need lots of nitrogen so growing in succession to a nitrogen fixing pea or bean crop will give them a good supply. Reduce risk of pests and disease by leaving four years before planting where other brassicas have grown. They need neutral to alkaline soil, firm enough to hold top heavy crops upright through winter. Depending on the variety, crops can be harvested through autumn and winter, giving you tasty fresh sprouts as well as sprout tops when other home grown food is scarce.įull sun to partial shade suits sprouts, ideally with shelter from winter winds. Thriving in cooler conditions, brussels sprouts are hardy plants well suited to growing across the UK. Sowing and growing: Brussel Sprouts Seeds Brussel Sprout Bosworth Sowing Guidelines