sprouts again

[Paulines7]

Please could I have some help from the more experienced veggie growers amongst you.  The leaves on my sprout plants are looking really good now that they have recovered from attacks by caterpillars.  However, the actual sprouts are the size of small peas.  Will they grow much bigger given the lack of warmth at this time of year?  Would I harm their growth if I took away some of the tops to eat? If I did this, how many leaves would I need to keep on the plant to keep it going?
Any help would be much appreciated please.

[Paulines7]

[Mrs Ava]

Take the tops and the sprouts will grow quicker!  There is still time, just about, altho I doubt you will get monster sprouts, but plenty of delicate (an pricey in the shops) buttons sprouts.

[BAGGY]

Any ideas why mine have blown ?  Is it something to do with not firming them in enough?

[shifty581]

am i doing right, i pull the bottom leaves of, so the weather can get at the sprouts :-\

[RSJK]

your sprouts will still grow ok  they may be a late variety that do not form yet

[terrace max]

Any ideas why mine have blown?  Is it something to do with not firming them in enough?

Mine are baggy too, Baggy! Apparently 9/10 it's due to not planting them firmly enough. Last time this came up on A4A I was advised to plant out the seedlings really deep - in a 12" deep trench -  then they grow more lateral roots to stabilse themselves...this is what I'm going to try next year...

[Paulines7]

Thank you EJ and everyone else for your tips on my sprout problems.  I will cut the tops off and eat them.  I am new to veggie growing and haven't had much luck with brassicas.  The brocolli and cauli's are struggling too.  At the moment they have heads as big as a 50 pence piece.

[Merry Tiller]

It will speed up your sprouts when you remove the tops but you will get a much lower yield. I wouldn't worry about the size, late sprouts are still quite small at the moment

[Sarah-b]

Hi Pauline,
My advice is to try again next year. Depending on your local conditions, brassicas can be the hardest thing to grow. Last year our sprouts were all blown, but the tops were delicious. This year the actual sprouts are fab, but the tops have been attacked by so many pests, we won't be getting any at all.  What i have really noticed is that the purple sprouting broccoli plants have not suffered the same level of attack as the brussels, although they have the same conditions - and am thinking maybe they are easier to grow than sprouts and cauliflower. Kale too, seems a bit less prone to attack...

sb

[Paulines7]

I think I must wait and see how my brassicas develop.  Perhaps I will take the tops off a couple of sprout plants and compare the results.  The problems may be that I was late in planting them.  My first attempt was in May when I planted out several varieties of brassicas grown from seed in the greenhouse.  Chuffed with having got everything in, I then went away to France for almost 3 weeks.  When I came back, I found the pigeons had stripped the lot.  I then sowed more seeds at the end of June, and in July planted them out in the fruit cage where my husband had dug a large area in preparation for blackcurrant bushes. 

Next year, I will start off early again but this time I will put netting over them in the veggie plot and let my husband have his ground back for fruit bushes.

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions.

[colleenemp]

I have a half and half situation with my sprouts.... I blame the caterpillars that I spent many a happy afternoon picking off my potential produce! I am trying to be organic, but they are pushing me and thier luck....