but only when the soil is dry enough i.e. Tamp this down with the back of your rake to make it firm.
BRUSSEL SPROUT PLANT HOW TO
If you only require a few plants then this need not be too big an area.Ĭover the bed with sifted mature compost - the bed may be small enough to purchase a bag or two from your garden centre, especially if you're only just getting to know how to grow brussel sprouts you might not have the organic matter to compost. In early spring rake over and level the area you have chosen as a seed bed - frosts will have done a lot of the work of breaking down the larger clods of earth for you by then. Again a very fertile soil is required to give the plants a good start.īut as you will read further down the page you will learn how to grow brussel sprouts by sowing into seed trays for transplanting into their permanent positions - this is my prefered way. Don't dig it in but rake gently over the surface as you will want to keep the bed firm.īrussels sprouts are quite often raised in an outdoor seed bed for transplanting into their permanent beds later. It's always a sensible move to get to know all the facts you can about your soil.Īpply a dressing of a general fertiliser like Growmore in the spring, two or three weeks before planting out. just about to have breakfast mmmMMM - lets hear it for living soil!Īcid soils encourage club root, a terrible disease of the brassica family which gardeners fear, so make sure you add lime to get a pH of about 6.5 to 7.0 - this is not rocket science.įor those who want to know how to grow brussel sprouts without the guesswork just get yourself a pH meter or soil testing kit and follow the instructions. remember - feed the soil not the plant - an essential first tip if you are just starting to learn how to grow brussel sprouts. This gives time for the essential firmness to establish, whilst having that all important fertility.
If that is not the case and your soil is poor, dig in plenty of well rotted compost or manure as early in the autumn as possible in order to give the the soil maximum time to settle. If that was the case, no more need be dug in. The stalks can be removed before the ground freezes over and stored indoors for further harvesting.Using the three year crop rotation is ideal as you can plant them where peas and beans grew the previous year as their soil would have had manure or compost dug in. Some people prefer to remove all of the leaves on the stalk to accelerate maturity and harvest in a manner similar to commercial sprout production. As sprouts are removed, it can be beneficial to remove the leaves which are beginning to yellow.
The oldest sprouts are located at the bottom of the stalk and mature upwards. Mulching around the plants helps to conserve soil moisture and reduces the soil temperature.īrussels sprouts are generally ready for harvest 90 to 180 days after planting when the heads are firm and green and have reached between 2.5 and 5.0 cm (1–2 in) in diameter. Brussels sprouts should be provided with adequate and even moisture (1.0 to 1.5 inches a week) to keep plants fertile and prevent them from bolting. The deficiency can be corrected by adding boron to the soil. Plant transplants slightly deeper in the ground than they currently are in their pot and keep soil moist to ensure good fertility.īrussels sprouts are sensitive to boron deficiency which can cause the plants to develop hollow stems and small buds. Seedling can be planted outdoors when they are 3–4 weeks old at the same time as seeds are planted using the spacing detailed above. If starting indoors, plant seed in peat pots to minimize disturbance to the roots when transplanting. Sow seed 1.3 cm (0.5 in) deep in small groups of 2–3 seeds and about a week after emergence, thin to a final spacing of 60 cm (24 in) within the row, allowing 76 cm (30 in) between rows. Spring plantings should be made 2–3 weeks before the last frost date in your area and Fall plantings should be made approximately 4 months before the first Fall frost.
BRUSSEL SPROUT PLANT FULL
Plant Brussels sprouts in an area that receives at least six hours of full sunlight for optimum growth and development.īrussels sprouts can be direct seeded or started indoors for transplants. Brussels sprouts have a high nitrogen requirement and due to the reduced activity of soil microbes in late fall and winter, organic matter should be added to the soil throughout the year to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients when sprouts are planted. Brussels sprouts grow best in moist, fertile, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH between between 6.0 and 6.5 and at temperatures between 7 and 24☌ (45–75☏), with optimum growth occurring at 15–18☌ (59–64☏). In areas with hot summers, they should be planted for a Fall harvest. The plants thrive in cool climates, maturing in cool or lightly frosty weather. Brussels sprouts are a cool season crop which can be grown both in Spring and in Fall.
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