Author Topic: Sprout Varieties  (Read 2714 times)

Tiny Clanger

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Sprout Varieties
« on: January 11, 2018, 12:51:47 »
Have had no success with growing sprouts and would like some advice on a good variety to grow.  There is some club root on my plot but it seems patchy.  Can anyone recommend a good variety to try?
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Vinlander

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2018, 13:28:10 »
It's years since I had a plot with clubroot, but sowing in cells/pots helped, and growing-on in 10cm+ pots before transplanting worked even better.

There is a cold war over sprout flavour - some people think that the sweet ones that children "like" (ie. will eat) are fine and good.

Others like me think that the mustardy tang of a proper sprout is the only good reason to grow them. If I want sweet I grow cabbage, but for a roast I want punchy flavours.

Anyway there is a middle ground where the red sprouts are - medium sweet but have an extra flavour to compensate for the lack of tang.

Red Bull are well worth trying for this.

Rubine has the most red flavour but the sprouts are small and the plants are too. Falstaff has been a bit too wishy washy for me.

There are a few others that look & taste like tiny January King cabbage - which is fine except I already have the real thing through the season.

I'm going to bury my "Red Darling" stick from Lidl (a bit sweeter than Red Bull) - hopefully it will root and the remaining embryo sprouts will provide seed for 2019.

Cheers.
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Tee Gee

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2018, 13:28:31 »
My Vote goes to Maximus


BarriedaleNick

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2018, 18:51:32 »
Another vote for Maximus  here - certainly for crop size. I have grown a few others the last few years and Trafalgar come good with a sweet flavour. This year I tried two for succession - Bosworth and Brodie but the verdict is out on Brodie.  Bosworth have gone down well and are a decent size but the Brodie are still a bit small but they are supposed to stand well into Feb so we shall see..
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Plot22

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2018, 19:38:21 »
I have clubroot but I will not take the risk of growing non clubroot varieties otherwise you may have wasted 8 months of trying to get sprouts for Christmas. I set mine in in cells then transplant into pound shop cardboard pots and then when they are ready to take to the allotment I water well and tear the bottom off the cardboard pots before transplanting them into their final position.
I have tried everything to beat clubroot liming, Jeyes fluid, rhubarb in the holes you name it I have tried it. I usually grow Crispus but this year I have also tried Cronus . They are both sweet tasting but I have to admit that I have not done too well with them this season as I was very late setting as I needed the sprout net for my onions as we also are plagued with Onion Lead Miner. They are however still maturing so I will still have loads in April when I will need the ground.

Paulh

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2018, 20:13:17 »
You should definitely choose club root resistant varieties, sow them in modules and pot them up and on through stages into as large pots as are suitable. Lime the soil before planting out. Keep your fingers crossed.

Tee Gee

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2018, 21:04:14 »
I think crop rotation plays a large part in keeping club root at bay and when you add lime!

I lime my soil after planting out as it is my contention that doing it this way ensures that the lime percolates into the soil and covers the new roots thus upping the pH  around these roots when they need it most.

I am no scientist/ chemist but what ever I am doing seems to do the trick as  I am never affected with club root.

Having said that I noticed last year on the plot I have just given up I did have a mild attack on some spare plants I had planted and didn't lime in my usual manner,that is I didn't apply my lime grid on the surface of the bed.

So there might be some wisdom in method!

Plus the timing of preparing my plot I think  helps that is I do it prior the onset of winter.

This is a summary of my methods!

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/B/Brussels%20Sprouts/Brussels%20Sprouts.htm

picman

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2018, 09:24:57 »
The last two seasons we have grown 'Crispus' , and still picking a reasonable crop. Like TeeGee posted , crop rotation and mag-lime soil well, also we grow young plants on in pots to about 12" high and support with canes .

Tiny Clanger

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2018, 11:20:06 »
Thanks to everyone for the amazing tips you've given  :blob7:me.  I am new to allotmenting (second season) and need all the help I can get.  ANY brassicas are causing hassle. But I want to persevere with Sprouts. Many thanks to everyone - and a good season to   :blob7:
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Paulh

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2018, 12:44:49 »
If you want to look beyond sprouts, I've found Minicole cabbages to be resistant to club root and you can plant them 12" or so apart for nice, smallish heads, which is useful where space is tight.

BarriedaleNick

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2018, 18:22:07 »
Minicole are great - small but really nice tight heads and they stand really well into winter.  I do mine after early spuds and I still have one or two to pick.
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Digeroo

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2018, 05:40:06 »
My personal favourite is amorosa.  Not longer available in UK but not many sprouts head up well in our soil.  It is far too gravelly and well drained.  I have been getting them from Holland and keeping in freezer.  Went to Holland recently but could not find any on sale.  I do not like advertising Monsanto but Amarosa are the best I know.  They have 60 seeds to a packet so the packets t bought a few years ago are still doing well.  But will soon have to buy some more.

RobinOfTheHood

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2018, 23:46:26 »
Topline for me, not sure if they are still available though.

I'll try to find some for this season as I'm now out of them.
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ancellsfarmer

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Re: Sprout Varieties
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2018, 08:53:25 »
Have done well in the last season with both Seven Hills (realseeds) and Roodnerf(Lidl). However, the frost/rain has spoilt the later crop.
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