Growing Brussels Sprouts

Anyone have any luck or tips for growing brussels sprouts? I have not had much luck and even though my plants this year are large and appear very healthy, the sprout buds are extremely small (think pea size), and some have no sprout development at all! Is it still too early in the season to tell if I will get a harvest? I am in zone 5. Any advice would be most welcome - thanks!

Comments

  • Gardennan
    Gardennan Posts: 47 ✭✭✭

    Hi a long time ago I read on a blog that when the plants seem mature you should cut of the growing top so the sprouts will develop. I haven't grown Brussels sprouts before but I'm trying them this year. I'm in zone 7 so mine are still small.

  • chimboodle04
    chimboodle04 Posts: 286 ✭✭✭

    @Gardennan I actually tried this last year! All I got was three gigantic sprouts right beneath where I made the cut and the rest stayed small lol :) I guess three was better than none though!

  • Gardennan
    Gardennan Posts: 47 ✭✭✭

    I hope someone else can give a better tip. We really love brussel sprouts and I was hoping to get some good ones.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have never tried growing brussel sprouts, but maybe your growing season is too short for them? Thant might explain why they didn't get full growth, Is it possible to try them as a winter crop in your area?

  • chimboodle04
    chimboodle04 Posts: 286 ✭✭✭

    @shllnzl they are actually in the cabbage family, so they grow best in the cooler temps :) We start ours in the spring, but they spend the summer beneath shade cloth in the garden to help deal with any heat (we rarely get into the nineties here for any length of time anyways), and then they pick up in the fall again and will last well into November and December before it just gets too cold. If we waited until summer to sow them and tried to get them to crop before the winter kill, then yes, the season would be too short. The plants look great right now, just not much actual sprout development going on and I'm not sure why!? Thanks for helping me try to troubleshoot though! :)

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    This winter I grew brussels with ok results. Planted seedlings in early April (autumn) presently they are 3/4 ft high, unpruned. 4 plants out of 12 made it to now, more than enough for the 2 of us. They love water, very hungry. Mulched and a side dressing of blood and bone and dolomite, with liquid seaweed drink every couple of weeks. Not sure if I'd bother again, same with broad beans, heavy feeders with not much produce.

  • chimboodle04
    chimboodle04 Posts: 286 ✭✭✭

    @jodienancarrow thanks :) we have seventeen plants in (family really loves them!), so really hoping to get some harvest to justify using all that garden space! Its been a bit dry here lately and I haven't watered them since they still look fine - I think I will head out to give them a good drink and some food - thanks :) Beans varieties have been hit and miss with us too - one variety that I really like is Turkey Craw - we only plant a 16 foot row and we get enough dry beans from this to pretty much last the year. We can them in quart jars so they are ready to use and usually get twenty something jars... We grow another variety (Akira) that is on a much shorter (but earlier maturing) vine - only got a cup and a half of dry beans from it this year, so I will be looking for another variety to justify the space :)

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    I grew Brussels sprouts either two or three years ago using companion planting. They did well. I used some plants that are good companions for the Brassica family (I will have to look at my notes if you want specifically what else I planted with them) and they did well. Also I learned when I grew them that the leaves are edible as well as for most vegetables in the Brassica family.

    I am in zone 6 and received plants that I had transplanted in March or April.

  • cre8tiv369
    cre8tiv369 Posts: 67 ✭✭✭

    The best Brussels Sprouts I have ever had were dug out of 4 feet of snow. When the plant is buried in snow, it changes the starches and sugars and sulphur resulting in a super sweet nutty and clean tasting Brussels Sprout. Your seed packet should give you the number of days to maturity for the variety you are growing. I have never had any issues with the stalks setting sprouts. I like to plant mine at different times so I get sprouts to eat in a larger harvest window, making sure to have some mature in December and January (sprouts are best harvested in the winter).