BRUSSEL SPROUTS

[Gracie]

I have been growing sprouts for the last 12 years and so far have not had a failure till this year!! I planted really healthy plants out in mid April one row of Montgomery and one row of Darkmar. The plants have failed to thrive and are only half the size i would expect for the time of year. Some plants have a few sprouts on but there are several that have bare stems! They are planted next to a row of calabrese and two varieties of Kale both of which are really healthy.
Just wondered if anyone had an idea of what had gone wrong - can't imagine christmas dinner without my sprouts!
Gracie

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Gracie, as the other crops are doing well, i think it's going to be a job to pin point the problem.

Sounds as if the roots haven't done their job for some reason, maybe a little pot bound followed by a dry spell when in the ground. But it could be many reasons.

Sorry not to have a proper answer.

[Gracie]

Thanks for your thoughts Old Herbacious I think it could maybe to do with a dry spell and their roots not being happy, I know sprouts like to have a good deep root run and plenty of moisture. Sometimes you never really know what the problem is but better try again next year!!
Graciex

[Mike Vogel]

I don't have a problem with the siae of my Darkmar, Gracie, but a few of my 12 plnats have already produced sprouts, which have almost immediately blown. They still taste nice, though, but these plants won't produce tightly balled spriuts for the winter, will they?

[Gracie]

Hi Mike, interesting what you said about darkmar I hadn't grown these before, till this year . If the sprouts have blown already they wont make any tight button sprouts later which is a shame. i should just eat what you've got now and enjoy! Better luck next year.
Gracie

[Johnboy]

If your sprouts disappointingly blow before you get any it is best to leave these to mature a bit and cook as spring greens and they are scrumptious.
I never pick the bottom tiddlers I simply leave them to blow because you get more value than a sprout that is too small to do anything with.
You will find that these 'rosettes' are actually sweeter than the sprouts themselves.
JB.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Do you think you planted them a bit early? I don't sow mine until May in a seed bed outdoors. They also seem to make tighter sprouts if the ground is very firmly compacted could yours be in slightly looser soil than usual?

[Mike Vogel]

@Johnbay: yes, I do this and I agree with you about the taste.

@Plumpudding: whenever I sow early it is too early; whenever I sow later, it's too late. I use the end of May as my sowing time, but I think that's a bit too late. This year I sowed a month earlier, but I do have another 6 plants which I sowedat the usual time. They are still quite small, but I imagine they'll do the biz. I did take special measures to keep the plants firm, by planting them deep and mulching with newspapers, and then staking. I think it's just the dry weather that has caused the problem.

[Johnboy]

Hi Mike,
I put a joke on another thread about Bedford but it used to feed London with Brussels Sprouts. When do the commercial growers plant them out 'cos they always seem to do very well. I suspect that they plant out at a succession of times to prolong the picking season but somewhere in the middle of their planting time would be ideal for the usual gardener.
There will be a difference in time between yourself and Plum Pudding because of the distance you live apart.
JB.

[glallotments]

We have had trouble growing sprouts for the past couple of years - they start off well and then fail to thrive. They grow alongside cabbages which are growing really well. I was advise by this forum last year that it may be that they had run our of nourishment so this year we used chicken manure pellets on the soil. fish, blood and bone and also kept feeding with a seaweed extract. The soil was limed and firmed before planting. We also watered during the dry spell.

The plants were started off in pots but weren't pot bound and as I said growing well and then they seemed to start to go backwards. Only one other plot holder on our site seems to have a problem growing sprouts and until a couple of years ago we were successful.

Just for information the variety we grew was Wellington

[Mike Vogel]

I don't know the answer to your question, JB. I ought to find out. I'm going to arrange a delivery of straw and I'll ask the farmer when I next talk to him.

[Johnboy]

Hi Mike,
I do really think it would be wise because the full name Darkmar is Bedford Darkmar 21, I suspect the 21 is the number of times the seed has be reselected, so it was actually bred somewhere near to where you live originally. Commercial growers are really the people to follow because they have to make a living from the crops they grow. Get it wrong and it hits their pockets.
Mind you there are an awful lot of people who simply loathe Brussels Sprouts. It is the same with My Mate Marmite. These two you either love or loathe!
I love both with a passion.
JB.