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My brussels are looking good with little chubby sprouts on them. Most of the books tell you to leave them until the first frosts....but some of the sprouts on my plants look a really good size. Should I leave them until frosts etc or because they are a good size should I pick them now.  Will it do them any harm if I leave them on for longer. Its my first time growing them so I would appreciate any advice.

Duke

we use them as we want them..there are usually enough to use throughout the winter, start from the bottom so the top ones get bigger  ;D

Thanks manic:)

Sprouts, like swedes and parsnips taste sweetr after frost.

Mine are buttoning up nicely, thanks to the pigeons who've bounced on the netting and eaten the tops, which always makes the sprouts firm up.

They'll keep. Personally, I'm not ready for sprouts yet. (Don't get me wrong - I adore them, but they're a winter veg and it ain't winter yet.) Eat them as & when, but don't feel you have to if you're not ready for them.

Winter veg waits for you; summer veg don't - you're always trying to catch up with it!

As usual I didnt get my ground firm enough or stake them properly so I've got sprouts like fluffy cabbages. There are quite a few small ones in there too mind you.

It depends on what variety you planted,   EARLY  which are ready from October to December or MAIN crop which are ready from December to March.

Best if you plant F1 hybrids. I use Maximus, which seems to hold for ever, but I'm sure there are others. (I rather fancy a reliable red one - advice, please....)

The traditionial ones (Fillbasket and so on) don't produce tight buttons unless the conditions are just right. My natural inclination is for the older varieties, but in in this case the newer ones really are best.

(They'll all shoot me down in flames now!!)

Quote from: Trevor_D on September 29, 2008, 20:36:17
Best if you plant F1 hybrids. I use Maximus, which seems to hold for ever, but I'm sure there are others. (I rather fancy a reliable red one - advice, please....

I only know of one but never grown it Red Bull.

Another thing about sprouts i have found is certain variates don,t do so well in different parts of the country. For example Bedfordshire Fill a Basket does not do well in my soil so i tend to stick with what i have had success with.

Last year I watched a programme on cooking Christmas dinner, it had a sprout grower who stated that it was a myth that sprouts taste better after a frost.

Quote from: Stevens706 on September 30, 2008, 12:47:18
Last year I watched a programme on cooking Christmas dinner, it had a sprout grower who stated that it was a myth that sprouts taste better after a frost.

I appear to have mythical tastebuds then  ;D

Okay so my next question is if your sprouts have blown can you still eat them?

Duke

Quote from: Duke Ellington on September 30, 2008, 14:29:13
Okay so my next question is if your sprouts have blown can you still eat them?

Duke

Of course i also use the tops as cabbage or mixed in with white cabbage

QuoteBest if you plant F1 hybrids. I use Maximus,

Snap!!

'Blowing' is quite a common problem and always has been.

I think this is one of the main attributes the hybridisers have bred into the F1 varieties  (or out as the case may be) so I always use F1's.

I too find 'Maximus' a good variety plus I have been trying 'Revenge' the last couple of years and I am finding it quite good as well, although the sprouts seem to be a little smaller.

If you make sure they're firmly trampled in around the base and stake them as well, you 'should' get tight sprouts from all varieties.

Thats a good idea mixed in with Cabbage, might get my son to eat sprouts without him knowing.

Oh yes I eat the sprouts in every shape and form! Just wash them better if the have blown and take off the biggest leaves.
I have grown Sanda from seed and so far they are looking good, just getting the buds for the sprouts forming. They are protected in a patch with other brassica this year so might get less wind. (the sprouts not me, guess we will still all be trumpeting from them  ;D ;D ;D ;D

I am pleased with my brassica efforts this year, I did practically all from seed and it has been very successful! I have in red cabbage (red jewel), sprouts, green cabbage (cow cabbage), some smooth leaf round head cabbage and PSB. Just a few of each so we don't get stuck with 3 million cabbages that everyone is sick to death of.  And the leeks were from seed too and they also have grown very well. Yippee! starting to become a real gardener!!