how to grow brussel sprouts
How to Grow Brussel Sprouts
Firm, fertile soil is essential for a tightly packed sprout vegetable. Learn how to grow Brussels sprouts successfully and you will really enjoy eating them.
If you are serving up loose, open sprouts to to your loved ones then - this hurts me to say - but you are to blame… ouch! `Blown` brussels sprouts have virtually no flavour so it is not surprising that your family turns their noses up and would prefer to take a dose of cod liver oil.
You don`t want those `school meal` type sprouts that have had all their colour and crispness boiled out of them. You can even dice or grate your brussels sprouts raw and serve them up in a salad.
Learning how to grow brussel sprouts should not be a disappointment to you now we have the modern F1 hybrids. Many of the old favourite, non hybrid varieties have been left behind by the F1`s because of their non uniform growth habit and ability to `blow` quite quickly if not picked promptly.
Whilst F1 brussels sprouts do have a tendency to mature all at the same time, nevertheless they hold their mature buttons for many weeks without opening. But once you have become an expert at growing brussel sprouts - why not try one or two plants of an older, non hybrid variety to experience the difference in taste and growth habit… it all adds to your knowledge.
Soil Details
As mentioned above, when learning how to grow brussel sprouts it is important to remember they require a firm, fertile soil as the main cause of failure (blown buttons) is loose, infertile soil. This is where a fairly heavy soil is an advantage to the vegetable grower.
Using the three year crop rotation is ideal as you can plant them where peas and beans grew the previous year as their soil would have had manure or compost dug in. If that was the case, no more need be dug in.
If that is not the case and your soil is poor, dig in plenty of well rotted compost or manure as early in the autumn as possible in order to give the the soil maximum time to settle.
This gives time for the essential firmness to establish, whilst having that all important fertility… remember - feed the soil not the plant - an essential first tip if you are just starting to learn how to grow brussel sprouts.
Acid soils encourage club root, a terrible disease of the brassica family which gardeners fear, so make sure you add lime to get a pH of about 6.5 to 7.0 - this is not rocket science.
For those who want to know how to grow brussel sprouts without the guesswork just get yourself a pH meter or soil testing kit and follow the instructions. It`s always a sensible move to get to know all the facts you can about your soil.
Apply a dressing of a general fertiliser like Growmore in the spring, two or three weeks before planting out. Don`t dig it in but rake gently over the surface as you will want to keep the bed firm.
Sowing Seed
Brussels sprouts are quite often raised in an outdoor seed bed for transplanting into their permanent beds later. Again a very fertile soil is required to give the plants a good start.
Making a Seed Bed
In early spring rake over and level the area you have chosen as a seed bed - frosts will have done a lot of the work for you by then… hopefully. If you only require a few plants then this need not be too big an area.
Cover the bed with sifted mature compost - the bed may be small enough to purchase a bag or two from your garden centre, especially if you`re just getting to know how to grow brussel sprouts, you might not have the organic matter to compost.
Tread over this to make it firm… but only when the soil is dry enough i.e. not sticking to your boots. Then give it a light raking over.
Mark out the rows using string stretched between two stakes for a straight line and make shallow drills along the length of the string with a trowel 13mm(1/2″) deep and rows 15cm(6″) apart. Sow the seed thinly into the drills and cover them over with soil, lightly firming with the head of the rake.
Mark both ends of the row, labelling one end with the variety and date of sowing. Keep the seed bed moist, always use a fine spray.
When the brussels sprout plants are about 2.5cm(1″) tall, thin the seedlings to about 7.5cm(3″) apart in the rows. This is to stop overcrowding thus causing the seedlings to become weak and spindly
The seedlings are ready to plant out when they are about 10cm(4″) to 15cm(6″) tall. Water the bed the previous day before removing them to their permanent position.
Then make your choice… especially around a nice cosy fire. The anticipation really energises you for the coming spring.
But as a rule-of-thumb:
Sow early varieties outdoors in mid March, transplanting in mid May. This will give a crop of brussels sprouts during October and November.
For an earlier crop (September), sow seeds under cloches in early March and plant out in early May.
Sow late varieties outdoors in April and transplant in June. This will produce brussels sprouts between December and March.
How to Grow Brussel Sprouts - Sowing Seed Into Trays
As ever, when learning how to grow brussel sprouts or any vegetable, there are other ways to achieve the same outcome.
So if you have a greenhouse, cold frame or cloches - growing brussel sprouts from seed can be made easier and more convenient if you don`t have a large garden to accomodate a seed bed.
Sow brussels sprout seed in a tray filled with seed compost bought from your local gardening centre. Water thoroughly and place them inside one of the above (cloche etc…).
When the first two leaves have formed prick them out into 7.5cm(3″) pots filled with potting compost. Plant them into these pots a little deeper - to just below the two leaves - water in well.
Leave plants to grow on until tall enough for planting out by following the growing instructions above
Planting Out
The place chosen as your permanent bed for your brussels sprouts can be in full sun or partial shade, partial shade is better. Water plants the day before you aim to transplant them into that well-firmed bed prepared last autumn - all ready to settle down to the long growth to maturity.
Transplant brussels sprout plants in the evening to minimise distress and to make a quicker recovery - keep as much soil around the roots as you can.
Use two stakes with string stretched between them like you did on the seed bed, to mark out a straight line. Make a hole with a trowel or dibber large enough to take the root ball. Plant the seedlings to just below the two lowest leaves.
Firm the soil around each plant with your hands or the dibber. Remember - firm planting helps to grow firm, tight brussels sprouts.
Note Well… an important point to remember when learning how to grow brussel sprouts is that transplanting is necessary. Planting out seedlings from pots or seed beds encourages a stronger root system to be established in their permanent bed.
Planting distances vary depending on the vigour and size of the variety. For hybrid varieties - 45cm(18″) to 60cm(24″) each way. Non-hybrid types - 60cm(24″) to 90cm(36″) each way. Don`t forget, all this information will be on the seed packet - you can`t go wrong. Water well after transplanting.
The spacing is important but it does not have to be wasted space. Plant quick-growing crops in between like lettuce, salad leaves and many others.
How to Grow Brussel Sprouts - Caring for Your Plants
Hoe regularly to keep down weeds but don`t loosen the soil to deeply - a firm bed… remember - in fact earth up around the plant stems from time to time and firm the soil down to help support the brussels sprout plant as it gets taller
Water the young plants in dry weather but unless you have a prolonged dry spell the mature plants shouldnt need watering - this is because you have prepared the bed properly… right!
To protect the mature crop from pigeons just insert stakes along the row then bend some semi-rigid plastic fencing or netting material over the tops of the sprout plants to form a tunnel - the material only needs to cover the top growing area -and tie it to the steaks. This leaves the brussels sprout buttons exposed for easy picking, but the pigeons are detered.
Apply a foliar feed during summer as the plants respond very well to this. Far more nutrients are absorbed than by feeding at the roots.
Two other menaces that can have a bad impact on your plants are caterpillars and aphids. See ways of dealing with these pests below under `Pest Control
As the plants get taller make sure you support them so that the strong winds in winter don`t blow them over - tie them tostakes. The old practice of pinching out the growing tip to hasten maturity is no longer recommended.
Mulch around the base of the plants with rotted compost to feed and conserve moisture.
Control
Mealy Aphids are a serious pest, weakening your brussel sprout plants and introducing viruses which further weaken plants. Spray with Derris if infestation is serious. Eggs of the Large White butterfly. Caterpillars can defoliate a plant quickly so watch out for them. Inspect the underside of the leaves for clusters and squish them. Practice your tennis strokes when the butterfly is about Caterpillar of the Small White butterfly. Defoliates plants quickly, watch out for them. Pick off and destroy, use a nematode spray or spray with Derris. Eggs are laid under leaves in a random way, not in clusters, nor are they brightly coloured.
Knowing how to grow brussel sprouts to minimise pest problems will mean following some sort of crop rotation plan. This simply means not growing vegetables of the same family in the same piece of earth year after year…it encourages pest build up in the soil.
For brussel sprouts this means - broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, turnip, cauliflower. Whether you are a seasoned vegetable grower or are just starting to learn how to grow brussel sprouts or any vegetable - pests and diseases don`t care… so get to know your enemy.
Cabbage root fly can be a problem so use protective discs at the base of the brussels sprout plants as they lay their eggs in the soil at this point.
These can be made from old bits of hessian backed carpet, underlay or roofing felt - use your imagination. Also cover with gardening fleece when the plants are young. Fleece is a great friend to the gardener, it allows rain and light through but insulates against frost and deters pests.
Keep a watchfull eye for the appearance of caterpillars as left unattended they will devastate your brussel sprout plants. They feed on the underside of the leaves and the best answere is to just pick them off and… squish `em.
They also lay their eggs there too so look for yellow clusters, squish `em.
It uses nematodes to provide an environmentally safe and efficient treatment which can be watered straight onto edible plants. Use `Just Caterpillar` once they are seen on the plant, preferably whilst they are still small, and the nematodes will quickly seek out the caterpillar and kill it. Get it from your garden centre.
Spraying with Derris will also have an impact.
Club root is a fungus and all brassicas (thats the family umberalla for brussel sprouts along with broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, turnip, cauliflower) can be affected. The roots become stubby and swollen. Leaves become yellow and wilt causing severe stunting of growth.
This causes swelling and reduces the flow of water and nutrients to the plant. Spores are produced and can survive in the soil for up to five years.
Prevent club root by practicing crop rotation and take extreme care if you buy in seedlings from outside as this is often the way this fungus is introduced. Reducing the acidity of the soil by adding lime will help.
Aphids can be a serious pest by weakening your brussel sprouts plants and introducing viruses. Try planting Marigolds or Tagetes plants among the crop
They attract beneficial insects like hover flies and lady birds which feed on the aphids and will help reduce the infestation - yet another aspect of learning how to grow brussel sprouts is to understand how nature can be used to benefit your environment.
Spraying is the only way to have a real impact on badly infested plants. Spray with Derris, an organic compound recommended by organic growers.
Flea Beatles are tiny beetles that can make sieves out of your brassica leaves. When you touch the brussel sprout leaves they ping off just like regular fleas, only these won’t bite you! To deter them:
Use horticultural fleece placed over your brussels sprouts, as soon as you transplant them outside; a floating row cover.
Lightly hoe over the soil regularly to destroy eggs and larvae and expose them to predators
Give your plants a midday shower with the hose (not in full sun though), as they’re most active then and they don`t like wet conditions.
Try `Companion Planting`, to attract the beneficial insects
Harvesting
Start picking when the sprouts or `buttons` are about the size of a walnut and are still solid and compact. Begin at the base of the stem and work upwards only taking a few brussels sprout buttons from each stem at a time. They can be snapped off with your fingers or cut off with a sharp knife
Remove any yellowing leaves or `blown` sprouts as you go and don`t leave any hanging about on the ground which attract slugs.
Once all the sprouts have been harvested you can let the `tops` grow for a little longer and use them like cabbage. These are delicious and tender.
When everything is used dig up the stem and dispose of it. I shred mine and add it to the compost heap. Alternatively mash it with a hammer and then add it to your compost heap.
