Guide to Growing Brussels Sprouts

• A slow growing vegetable, taking 26–31 weeks to crop, but one of the few that can be enjoyed fresh from September through to February/March.
• Not recommended for close spacing or growing in pots as they need a lot of space and time develop sucessfully.

Sowing and Growing

• A member of the brassica family. Read the general brassica growing advice.
• Start off March–April and plant out May–June, into a rich soil with plenty of nitrogen.
• Consider planting in a sheltered area to help prevent wind rock.
• Allow sufficient space, around 75 cm (30 inches) between plants.
• In August–September, give the plants an extra feed of dried blood (10 ml) or sulphate of amonia (5 ml).
• In early autumn, draw earth up or mulch a few cm/inches around the stems, to help stablize the plant, and stake particularly tall varieties. Wind rock damages the roots, causing poor yields.

Harvesting

• Harvest once the sprouts have formed.
• Sprouts left for too long on the plant will 'blow' (see Pests and Problems below), so harvest as they mature.
• Once you have stripped the plant of sprouts, remove the top and use as a cabbage.

Pests and Problems

• If club root is a problem on your plot, read the article coping with club root.
• The most common problem with sprouts is when the crop 'blows' – the sprouts start to open up rather than form a tight head. Remove any blown sprouts and feed with a high nitrogen liquid feed.
• Cabbage root fly can be a problem. Use collars to keep the pest off until the crop is well established.

Varieties

• Older varieties are more susceptible to blowing than the modern F1 varieties.
• However, these F1 varieties have been developed for the commerical grower and produce over a short period. You can, of course, freeze any glut but an extended cropper can be better for the garden grower.
• Wellington, an F1 hybrid, is a late-maturing heavy cropper and holds well.
• Red varieties include Red Delicious and Falstaff (both awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit). Falstaff matures over a long period and has a mild, nutty flavour.

Eating

• An excellent source of vitamins C and D, folic acid and dietary fibre.
• Brussels sprouts also contain health-promoting compounds called glucosinolates, which may help to prevent cancer.
• Delicious if cooked properly.

RHS Award of Garden Merit

• Revenge
• Cascade
• More information on the Award of Garden Merit

• Sow seed March–April.
• Plant out May–June.
• Harvest from October and on through the winter, sometimes even until March.

• Brussels Sprouts
• Brussels Sprouts Fertilizer Requirements