Growing your Own Brussels Sprouts
Saturday, October 12, 2013 @ 3:45 AM
One reason for liking them is that we grow them in our garden at home and we eat them fresh. The best tasting Brussels Sprouts are the ones that have had a touch of frost on them, as it makes them sweeter and so we wait to harvest them until a good frost has hit the garden first.
Brussels Sprouts are a member of the Brassica family that includes Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli and Cauliflower. They are a cool weather crop and require the same growing conditions, as do all the Brassicas.
A cool weather crop vegetable, prefers cooler temperatures, rather than hot which makes Prince George a good location. The one disadvantage Prince George gardeners have is the short season.
Brussels Sprouts require a long growing season and so they are better planted as transplants rather than from seed directly in the garden. Start the seed indoors around the beginning of April so that the plants are ready to be planted out in late April.
Brussels sprouts do best in a moist, fertile, well drained soil. Space plants 50-60 cm apart in rows 90-100 cm apart. Follow crop rotation when planting Brussels sprouts in the garden so do not plant Brussels sprouts in an area of the garden where there were any member of the brassica family growing last season. They can be bothered by the same pests. Cutworms and cabbage maggots can be a problem. Placing collars around the plant stem will help prevent the cutworm from eating the stem, or planting the young plants out later in the season when the cutworm larvae are not so active, can also help.
Planting later in the season will also help control the damage from cabbage maggots that attack the roots of the young plants. At home we plant the young transplants into 6 inch pots and do not transplant them out into the garden until the middle of June. By this time the plants are large enough when they are planted in the garden, to withstand any remaining maggots or cutworms.
For the best results, water brussels sprouts plants during dry spells as they prefer moist soil.
The sprouts that we eat look like tiny cabbages and grow along the sides of a main stalk. They mature from the bottom of the stalk and work upwards so when harvesting sprouts, pick the firm, compact sprouts from the bottom of each plant, allowing the ones above it to mature.
Brussels sprouts are slow growing and long bearing so that you are able to harvest sprouts for a few weeks. They are one of the last crops in the garden along with the leeks, and parsnips. To get the sprouts to mature quickly and at one time, cut the top off the plant so that all the energy is going towards the sprouts. Brussels sprouts can be stored for a few weeks by hanging the stalk in a dark, cool, dry place.
Growing your own brussels sprouts is well worth it after you have tasted them fresh from the garden. They are high in vitamins, as well as iron, magnesium, and fibre, so next year plant a few brussels sprouts in your garden and you won’t be disappointed.
-Jos
Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:
· Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
· Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road.
Comments
Great article. Can’t wait for next year so I can grow some Brussels sprouts.
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