Christmas Brussels

[Merry Tiller]

Can anyone recommend a good sprout for christmas dinner next year, I need to try a new one

[Merry Tiller]

[terrace max]

Rubine is meant to be one of the best tasting, It's definitely the best looking. Yields aren't brilliant, though....

[sandersj89]

Trafalgar has done well for us for 2 years now, I am thinking about Darkmar 21 next year.

Jerry

[undercarriage plan]

Yup, grow Trafalgar too, and have been really pleased with it, am being very boring and have ordered the same for next season...
Lottie

[Mrs Ava]

Brilliant !

[RSJK]

Bridge are a good one to try

[Merry Tiller]

Thankyou all, will order accordingly

[Svea]

tell me, chaps, is one supposed to cut the brussel top off to ensure the brussels 'ripen', i.e. plumb out?
i have tiny ones on there, and as it's only one month to xmas (give or take a few days) i am getting nervuous i wont be able to eat mine own homegrown ones.

any advice?

also, i have two sprout plants which have blown their sprouts lower down, i.e. they are not tight heads, but fluffy loose ones. should i harvest them off to clear and encourage the perfectly shaped ones further up to bulk up a bit?

thanks
svea

[john_miller]

tell me, chaps, is one supposed to cut the brussel top off to ensure the brussels 'ripen', i.e. plumb out?
i have tiny ones on there, and as it's only one month to xmas (give or take a few days) i am getting nervuous i wont be able to eat mine own homegrown ones.

any advice?

also, i have two sprout plants which have blown their sprouts lower down, i.e. they are not tight heads, but fluffy loose ones. should i harvest them off to clear and encourage the perfectly shaped ones further up to bulk up a bit?

thanks
svea

Topping out will certainly help the sprouts size up more quickly as you will change the hormonal balance in the plant and change the growth characteristics. I would also take off the lower ones that are blown as they may well be initiating buds and taking nutrients from the other sprouts. Both the blown sprouts and the tops are edible (check both for "visitors" first though!) and will taste like sprouts.
Did you harvest any buttercup squash?

[Svea]

thanks john, i will take the blown ones off and check for edibility :)
my buttercups were beatuful. very tasty - i have stored the surplus outside on my balcony - under a table. they should be protected ok against frost this way - but i havent got anywhere cool to store veg indoors (other than the fridge). they will get eaten gradually. next to try i think will be the spaghetti squash - to see how we like it :)

[anneski]

I've got Rubine which will hopefully be ripe for Christmas dinner, and some Eveshams too. Never had the red before so am really looking forward to those!

[Svea]

i have two red plants and two normal green ones.
i will try to steam the sprouts so they keep the colour (says she ;))
hmmm, christmas dinners i cant wait :D

[colleenemp]

AH have similar sprout situation. Thankyou for that thread!
Onions

[micsmum]

My mum reccomended cutting off the tops but U didn't believe her ;D