Kitchen Garden Forum

Pa they are certainly good enough for can canning, but will be eaten very soon. I think. I have just found a recipe from the Deliciously Ella's web site where she roasts sprouts and covers with cheese. I am going to look at that for the next ones. I think garlic, onions and roasted sprouts plus the melted cheese might work. Am working on a recipe.

Now you're really making me hungry... and I've just had supper

Catherine wrote:. I think garlic, onions and roasted sprouts plus the melted cheese might work. Am working on a recipe.

Hmmm I think Catherine may have a sadistic element showing through. Trying to wind our taste buds and hunger senses up like that

Now await the report on the result.

They look great - have added to my Christmas list.

When do you start them off?

Paula

I start mine off in March and treat them the same as I would ordinary Brussels sprouts, but do bear in mind they make quite extensive plants, both in height and width. I have just picked a lot for tomorrow's lunch but they will happily stand through the winter, including frost and snow.

Are they all the same? Prices are all over the place:
DT Brown £2.79/50
Moles £4.80/50
Simpsons £1.60/20
T&M £3.39/30
Dobies £1.99/30
Marshalls £2.95/30
Wallis £1.80/30

I bought mine from Gordon Riggs as small plants, I only put them in the ground in May so they aren't so big as Monika's plants, but still have plenty of sprouts on them. Next year I am going to sow my own, though undecided where to purchase the seed from as, like Geoff has shown, there is a hugh difference in price.

Tuckers were £2.30 for 40 seeds & then the lottie 15% off. Geoff that is indeed a good example of why we should shop around, however with postage added you have to buy a few things to make it worthwhile, so you are a bit trapped in buying off just one or two suppliers to make it worthwhile.

Need a Lidls / Aldi of the seed supply industry to get in on the act to control the ever increasing upward spiral of costs. Lidl's do have seeds actually but not a great variety unfortunately to make any impact.

Westi

DT Brown £2.79/50
Moles £4.80/50
Simpsons £1.60/20
T&M £3.39/30
Dobies £1.99/30
Marshalls £2.95/30
Wallis £1.80/30

Geoff. Simply Seeds Petit Poeu £1.23 for 20 seeds.

We have used Simply Seeds for a couple of years and find them very reasonable. Particularly sweet peas. I think last year there were 40 seeds in a packet and they were really cheap.

Thanks Catherine & Shallot Man I always forget them & they are indeed good value.

Funnily Simply Seeds never come up near the top when you do a search for something then I get distracted going through the other 'major' suppliers & get annoyed by the 'sameness' of their sites - & their prices!

Westi

Westi I have just been on their site and unfortunatley there are a lot of seeds not in stock. Rather disappointing. Maybe we have to wait until after Christmas before they get more stock in. Their sweet pea selection last year was very good.

I've sown these this year and, as with most things, I have raised too many plants. I have 8 that will soon be ready to plant out, I was thinking of planting 2, is that enough to get a meal off (usually for 2) or should I plant more?

Geoff, most of the individual 'flower sprouts' are larger than ordinary sprouts and I reckon about three to four per person per meal. I have never actually counted how many 'sprouts' each plant carries, but I would think it's about the same as ordinary sprouts. So, if your soil is good, each plant should carry about 20 - 24 'sprouts' and they certainly stand very well in all kinds of weathers, though, being tall and carrying a heavy crop, it's useful to stake them. Hope that helps and I hope you enjoy them!

When cooking them, I steam them, chop them with salt and pepper and a touch of butter, but you could of course eat them whole like mini-cabbages.

Thanks. I've been marking out the greens bed and knocking in the stakes (I stake all the Sprouts, Broccoli and Kale with slate battens) today. Bed is 10' wide and I use 2' spacing so rows of 5 but I have a patch of Sweet William in this bed so one row will be 3 so that seems to have made the decision for me. They are growing fast, I reckon they will need planting next week. Planted three sorts of Cabbage today and put the windbreak round but I'm hoping to leave the Butterfly lid off until more is planted.