Topic: Disappointing Sprouts

[busy_lizzie]

This will be the first year in more than a decade that I won't have any B. Sprouts for Christmas. I planted Eveshams after I had grown them from seeds, and they appeared to be perfectly healthy.  However, they didn't grow, and look really stunted, and all the sprouts have now blown.
Is it the weather conditions, or did I have poor seeds. Anybody got any ideas?   love,  busy_lizzie

[ed dibbles]

I have planted Eveshams before and found the same thing. Healthy enough plants but blown sprouts. Now I only go for F1 hybrids the results are significantly better. The same with sweetcorn, F1 varieties only.

This year is the best crop ever after growing them under debris netting from planting out until near harvest. I'm thinking that because they did not get rocked by the wind they were able to grow a much better root system resulting in stronger plants as well as ones unaffected by root flies and caterpillars.

The variety I grow is one called Cromwell which is a tall variety so many more sprouts to the stem. But any F1 should be more reliable than the open pollinated kinds.

Shame about this years crop but there is always next year.

[Tee Gee]

What I have found (by accident) is that sprouts like plenty of sunshine ( the more the better) and this year this has been in short supply, at least around here it has.

So this could be part of your problem!

Plus I agree with Ed regarding F1's

[gray1720]

I'm not sure that I'll get sprouts this year - they are still very small on the plants, usually I can pick a few by now, but I'm still hoping that they'll come on later. After the lousy start to the year weatherwise, it seems to have turned into stonking brassica growing weather. I have late-sown Hispi and Greyhound coming on at a mad rate and the pigeons won't need to sit on the net to peck the broccolil because it'll soon push so hard on the net it'll pull the stakes out!

Another few years experience and I might get the spacings right - every year they all end up too close....

Adrian

[ACE]

I've picked a few smallish ones, now they have been dipped in chocolate, wrapped up in ferrera roche wrappers ready for the trick or treaters at Halloween.

[Obelixx]

I'm afraid I always find sprouts disappointing.  Hate the taste.

I've tried them boiled, steamed, microwaved, soft, crunchy, al dente, raw, flavoured with nutmeg and butter or bacon and cream, stir fried, mixed into mash.  All horrible.   Now I just let OH buy himself a few for his Xmas dinner and do them as he likes.

[Digeroo]

Sprouts this year are so so.  I only use F1 varieties.  Our soil is too light and dry to please normal varieties.   Earliest batch done well but the later ones are still tiny.  More like big peas.  Though I have not given up on them yet.
I really like amorosa they are very sweet.  But the seeds are no longer available in this country they are available in Holland.
Some of the new varieties have a much better taste.   

[gray1720]

Incidentally, am I alone in being amused by a variety of sprout called "Revenge"? Astonishingly, given the gazillions of smileys this forum has, I cannot see a farting one to put here!

Adrian

[Tee Gee]

Picked this stick this morning, it is Maximus which is a F1 hybrid.

Been growing it for a few years now and it has never let me down.

[Humbug carrot]

I grew Eveshams last year as a change from my usual F1 varieties and never picked a single sprout all season.
This year I've gone back to F1 varieties and its looking good for December harvests.
One variety is supposed to be a Purple variety from Marshalls, yet it is as green as the green varieties ,not sure whats going on there.

[Paulh]

Evesham have failed for me this year and last, too.

[BarriedaleNick]

Mine are doing very well for once.  They are tasty and a decent size - if only I could remember the variety.  They may be Maximus or Trafalgar...

[saddad]

I grow maximus as well, but have a poor showing this year. Dug the bed over too late (to get the muck in) and as a result thy have blown   

[busy_lizzie]

Thanks so much to everybody for replying. It is interesting to hear how everybody else has got on. It sounds like F1 seeds are the way to go next year.  busy_lizzie xxx