Brussels Sprouts

[Garden Manager]

In 2007 I decided to try growing my own sprouts for the first time. I selected a mid season cropping variety for eating at christmas. However despite the wet summer, by christmas the sprouts were little more than pea sized. I picked a few to taste and they were nice, just not enough of them. Even now they are not much bigger.

I was wondering what I might have done wrong. They were sown in march (in pots) and planted out in improved, well firmed soil as for all brassicas, when they reached a decent size. They grew slowly through the summer and were kept covered in fleece to keep off cabbage butterfly. When they out grew the fleece and the danger of caterpillar damage had passed I removed the fleece and built a frame over the top of them and netted this to keep the pigeons off. The continued to grow steadily and began forming the sprouts around late autumn, but like i say these did not develop as expected.

The only things i can think of that i might have done wrong is firstly I may have planted them a bit closer together than idea. I wanted to fit in as many as i could into half of one of my veg beds so were planted about 9" apart. I didnt think the plants being closer together mattered that much. With most things I normaly get good results planting or sowing closer than instructed in the books.

The second possibility is that they werent planted in a sunny enough spot. The bed they went into is close to a hedge and is perhaps the shadiest part of the plot.

The third theory is that maybe they didnt get the rain at the right time. We did have quite a dry spell through October, possibly at the time the sprouts were forning. That combined with the planting position (in the rain shadow of the hedge?) might have contibuted to poor sprout development maybe?

I know it sounds like i have solved my own problem but i would like some feed back as to what the most likely cause could have been and how i could avoid it this year.

Thanks

[Garden Manager]

[windygale]

hi GA, have you checked the pH of the soil, (the soil could do with more lime added)
does the soil have any clubroot problems,
adding a general fertilizer a few weeks before planting out will help next time,
how many leaves do you leave on the plant, after the sprouts have formed, as by removing the bottom 2/3 (leaving the top third on) allows the sprouts to bulk up, and when picking, start from the base of the plant, moving up to the top of the plant, this allows the upper sprout to form,
hope this helps
windy

[BAK]

9 inches apart seems much too close to me.

Mine are approx. 2 feet apart which lots of people frown on but it gives a more than reasonable crop.

[morton]

As you say GA you have solved it yourself. They should be 2ft apart minimum. At 9" it must've been like a forest down there with the plants putting all their energy into chasing upwards for the light.
It was not the best weather for sprouts however with long dry and then long wet spells. But its the spacing in your case.
Don't give up as they are usually a very reliable plant and don't forget about crop rotation.
Another tip is to remove the tops when the plants are tall enough so that they can concentrate on forming the sprouts. The tops make good eating as well.

[Rob the rake]

9 inches apart seems much too close to me.

Mine are approx. 2 feet apart which lots of people frown on but it gives a more than reasonable crop.

I agree, 3 feet is not too much for the taller varieties if you have the space.

You can always intercrop with fast growing summer veg until the sprouts need the room, so that the space is not wasted.

One of my lottie neighbours (a newbie) planted her sprouts about a foot apart, despite my advice. The results were pitiful! ;D

[Stevens706]

Had a really good crop this year, I grew Darkmar, sown in 6th April, planted out 4th May and spaced about 18” apart about the centre of the plot. Firmed well and staked.
Been picking sprouts for a while now, hope this helps, however I’ll probably have a bad year this year -  seems to go that way.

[Garden Manager]

I did wonder,  thanks for confirming it for me.

I guess i thoght i could get away with it. Sprouts are such a long term crop i couldnt give over much space to them. The bed they are in is 1m wide by 1.5 long, being half of one of my raised veg beds. At 2'/60cm spacing i wouldnt get many plants in! 6 would be pushing it, 4 ideal but would leave a lot of empty soil in between.

So is there anything i can do to bring the crop on now or is it too late? Would thinning weaker plants and/or taking the tops out help at all?

[morton]

It will be too late now but sprouts stir fry well so the small ones would not be wasted. A friend of mine hates boiled sprouts but loves them stir fried.

[Suzanne]

I raised Brigitte and Diablo from seed last year and planted on my new allotment. I didn't realise that it had clubroot which has diminished the crop slightly - but we have had good pickings from mid Dec and looks like they will last to end of Feb. I plant them 18" apart as both are quite small varieties. I also grew 6 plants of Falstaff for interest but these haven't done well at all and I won't bother again with them.

[Rob the rake]

Beetroot, lettuce and radish do well as catch crops between the brussels.
Spring onions too. If you use a wide spacing for your sprouts you can even grow summer caulis and cabbage in the gaps.

Fast growing varieties are best. I would recommend Hispi cabbage, and Candid Charm caulis.

[Barnowl]

Can you take the same approach with PSB? i.e. intercrop?

[Tee Gee]

Been looking at your notes for clues;

I selected a mid season cropping variety for eating at christmas.

You don't mention what variety but my advice with sprouts is; always buy an F1 variety. Over the years I have tried dozens of varieties and invariably the F1's fare best. Currently I grow Maximus.

covered in fleece to keep off cabbage butterfly.

I have found that the c/white do not go to the sprout as much as they would cabbages & cauli. (only an observation)

were planted about 9" apart. I didnt think the plants being closer together mattered that much.

But it does!! I plant mine 15" apart which a lot of people think is too close but I get good results. My view on this is go for quality not quantity.

If you had grown them further apart you would have got both.

The second possibility is that they werent planted in a sunny enough spot. The bed they went into is close to a hedge and is perhaps the shadiest part of the plot.

I found by accident a couple of years ago sprouts don't like to be in the shade.

The third theory is that maybe they didnt get the rain at the right time. We did have quite a dry spell through October, possibly at the time the sprouts were forning. That combined with the planting position (in the rain shadow of the hedge?) might have contibuted to poor sprout development maybe?

My sprouts were plentiful but not quite as large as they have been in the past, this I put down to the season, this is how mine turned out;

I hope this bit of feed back helps.

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for the feedback! it was kind of what i was expecting. Being a first time sprout grower, it was bound to be a learning experience.

I have been to check my plants since i last posted. It looks like i managed to cram 12 into the space, when half that would have been almost too many. No wonder they didnt do very well! I hate bare soil on the veg plot and i probably grew too many plants initialy(dont like wasting good plants).

BTW, offhand i think they were a variety called 'Clodius'. I would have to check my records.

I am impressed by your sprouts TG. You say they were below your normal standard, but they almost look like supermarket quality sprouts (bet they taste better though ;)). Just shows what you can get if you grow them properly. I will definetly be trying again.

Thanks again for your help.

[tim]

Clodius -

[Rob the rake]

Can you take the same approach with PSB? i.e. intercrop?

Don't see why not, they take ages to grow, and you may as well use the space while you are waiting.

[Barnowl]

Thanks Rob.

Has anyone tried it? If not 'll report on how I get on.

[Garden Manager]

Clodius -

Aw Tim, dont rub it in! LOL

[tim]

Thing is, I did nothing special but stake them.

[Suzanne]

I have realised an important thing on using this forum - I need to take more piccy's.

Great photo's.  :)

[kt.]

If you plant 2ft apart - you can easily fill the gaps with summer cabbage which takes roughly 12 weeks to maturity. Once they come out in July / Aug, your sprouts will be large enough start closing the gap. Or other intercropping such as previously stated.

Last year I took TeeGees advice and grew Maximus in 2007 as I was getting poor sprout crop. They were large sprouts, all came through well, little if no disease, only one of 15 plants blew.

For a later variety I grew Bedford Fillbasket which also gave me a 99% perfect crop. These mature Nov-Mar. Massive sprouts, even bigger than Maximus! :o