Allotments 4 All

I'm very pleased with my sprouts this year because it is not so easy to grow them in my soft sandy soil. A few heavy westenwinds and they grow horizontally instead of vertically but this year everything is growing how it schould



Parsnips, sprouts and roast patatoes, Succes guaranteed.......

lovely stuff Lady Cosmos. ;D ;D

Wonderful Lady!  I gathered some today also.  And the amazing news, we had some with our roast yesterday, and daughter number one tried them, and couldn't believe how yummy they were and pinched her dads!!  Sprouts are right up there as one of my favourite veggies!

Now, do you own your own private orange grove or are you planning a marmelade session?  ;D

Looking Good, Lady C! Am envious as we had a poor year - some barely grew and the rest had very stunted growth and they have all been used.......

Lady Cosmos, i am so envious of them sprouts they were the flop of the year for me. :)

Lady C that looks fantastic.  Mine are ok but nowhere near as good as that.  I have some dirty purple ones though.  They look fine as plants but are a bit naff when you've picked them.

well done ,mine have had a poor year too, great that the family love them they dont seem to have that iony taste these days!

I have never had any success with sprouts, but considering their nutritional value, perhaps I should be trying harder? Both your sprouts and parsnips look impressive ... as are your pictures  :)

They look fantastic! The sprout stem looks so long!

Most jealous - I love sprouts and 'snips, but haven't had any success with either, yet!

Impressive -did you stake the sprouts? I've got big plants but small sprouts.

Jeremy

No, I never stake sprouts. But I started last autumn with lots of horse manure diggin , than every time I was there I was stamping and jumping on the soil during a week or so, ten minutes a time ;D, making the other gardeners laugh and laugh..... ( but now I am the one who laugh because nobody had proper sprouts ;D)  but my soil is loose and sandy and I had to make it firm. ( that is the way to do that in the Netherlands  >:() From the beginning I put sprouts always under a net, I have too many sea gulls and a few times I had to raise the net.
That is all I did ( a )

Oooo ... What was the variety Lady C?  They do seem quite tall!  When did you start them off?  I have never grown them before and intend to try this year.  So any tips gratefully received.

Hi Lady Cosmos,

those sprouts look very healthy!

When did you strip the side leaves off? As the sprouts grew, or when you picked the plant? I only had one plant survive this year, which supplied plenty for our Christmas dinner, but I hadn't removed all the side leaves and it was frozen solid, so quite difficult to pick.

I also made the mistake of planting it in soft soil, must choose a better place this year...

Great looking parsnips there LC.  I'm thinking of gining them a go this year as I've developed a real taste for them roasted.  Any tips on how you did so well (please don't tell me to get soft sandy soil -  mine is couch ridden clay :( )

Wow, those look great! :)

Ellkebe, sprouts do grow in any soil, and they special grow well in firm soil, As I said, my soil is soft and sandy, ( have to give the soil special treatment)  but clay is very good. And of March seed in trays, 13 C, germination in 1 week.
2 weeks later harden off and 4 or 5 weeks later plant out. Watch out for cabbage fly, so nets or so.
Great TIP:  For firm and good quality sprouts plant about 120 days before the expected hard freeze. ;D ;D, I am serious... and do NOT forget to eat the young leaves (the tops).

That is a very impressive harvest LC.  Now have a winter aim for next year.

But LC, I hate sprouts (gets ready to duck the flak  ;D) - it's the parsnips I want advice on!!

You could try this thread Ellkebe.http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=28&topic=15368.0

Thnaks for that Grawrc - an interesting thread.  Like the idea of the specially filled holes and reckon that 's the only way I'll get any on the allotment next season (couch, clay, stones!!) - or has anyone tried them in containers?