Kitchen Garden Forum

On the veg stall in our local market this week they were selling Brussels sprouts staks but the sprouts were purple and all curly and open like curly kale. - not a single stalk had any tight little balls of sprouts on them.

I couldn't help wondering whether this was a new variety or somebody making the best of a bad job and selling off their their sprout stalks which had completely blown.

I believe it is meant to be that way - saw a description of these in one of the seed catalogues. Thought about it but didn't buy them this time - decided to go the traditional sprout & kale route instead.

What was the price like in comparison? I think these seed were fairly expensive as well.

Westi

Primrose, they are 'flower sprouts'. I wrote about them in October last year:

"I have started to pick the first 'Flower Posy' vegetables, apparently a cross between sprouts and kale. They taste ok but are not easy to harvest, they are quite strongly attached to the main stem. As we grow both Brussels sprouts and lots of different kales, I think in future years we'll stick to those."

I have been picking them ever since (the seeds came from the Organic Gardening catalogue) and my above comments still stand. One really has to wrench them off the main stem. Some of ours are deep green, others slightly reddish, but they all turn green on cooking.

I grew these once too and had the same trouble picking them off the stalk. Wouldn't bother to grow them again.

Ditto to Diane.