Tue 30 Dec 2008
A plant set out in spring or fall can provide a hundred tiny sprouts as long as the weather stays cool. This member of the cabbage family produces edible “sprouts” that look like tiny cabbages. They belong to the crucifers along with cabbage and broccoli. Not everyone can grow sprouts because of their preference for a long growing period of cool weather. The plants grow large and the sprouts cluster tightly around the tall main stem, maturing from the base up. Harvesting can continue for many weeks. Four to six plants can feed four people. In containers. Large plant requires a massive container, but high yield makes growing one plant worth while.
How to plant
Where summers are short but cool, purchase plants early and transplant them to the garden as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. Protect plants on very cold nights by placing wide-mouth glass jars over them. Remove these during the day so the plants don’t cook. (Light frosts won’t harm the plants.)
Four to five months (80-100 days) of cool weather are required for Brussels sprouts to mature from seeds. Frost actually improves the taste. In California’s coastal belt, start seeds in the garden in late summer; else where set out plants so the sprouts will mature during cool weather. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep. Transplant to stand 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart. For fresh eating grow 5 to 10 plants per person. A direct seeded row 25 feet long will produce 12 to 15 mature plants.
Care
Give sprouts ample water and encourage growth with frequent applications of a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Remove leaves from all but the top of the plant as sprouts crowd them.
Pests
Try to keep aphids hosed off before they get inside the sprouts.
Harvesting
Snap or trim off the sprouts when they are firm and still deep green; they are at their best when about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. A well-grown plant can yield 75 to 100 sprouts over a 30 to 45 day period. Mild frosts improve their flavor, but where winters are severe, the harvest can be prolonged by uprooting the plants with a spade, snapping off the leaves, laying the plants on a bed of straw or leaves, covering the roots with soil, and spreading 6 to 12 inches of straw or leaves over the plants to insulate them.
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