This is my first year growing Brussels sprouts and I have to admit, I'm a bit perplexed. My two plants (the only two that recovered from the groundhog assaults) are about 3 feet tall right now but the sprouts are still rather tiny. I thought I read somewhere that you can cut off the tops of the plants to encourage the sprouts to grow faster. It was worth a shot. Does anyone know if this actually works?
Generally, you can harvest Brussels sprouts well into December in our zone 6 climate. Hopefully there's still enough warmth left in the fall growing season to provide us with a harvest.
It usually worked for me. I always had a hard time getting the sprouts to size up. They're so hardy I remember having them for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
ReplyDeleteWe love Brussels sprouts around our place. But I've always had the same problem. I'll have to try cutting the tops the next time we try to grown them. We have huge problems with aphids in the fall in our area and we almost always lose our Brussels Sprouts to the aphid attack.
ReplyDeleteI just read in "The Backyard Homesteader" that you should break off the big leaf branches down low near where you see small sprouts. Then as more sprouts appear farther up the plant, you break them up higher and higher. It's the same idea about getting the plant to put energy into the sprouts instead of the leaves. The book also said that after cutting the leaves, the sprouts should be ready in about a week.
ReplyDeleteI planted mine as an experiment, knowing it was probably too late to get any. I think we have the very first hint of a sprout, so if the warm fall weather keeps up I may end up being able to try this method after all.
Makes sense to me. Cutting off the apical meristem will release apical dominance (caused by the hormone auxin) allowing for the lateral buds to break.
ReplyDeleteI hate to cut them off but mine are only as big as yours so it's worth a shot. I did read that once the first ones are ready, one can cut the stalk, remove the rest of the leaves and the Brussels sprouts will continue to grow inside, in a cool environment. Haven't tried that though.
ReplyDeleteThis is my second year trying to grow them. I have had the same problem. I tried cutting the leaves and top with no success. I have decided not to grow them next year since they are such heavy feeders and take up a lot of space. It just seem worth it at this point. Maybe I will try them again in a few years.
ReplyDeleteGood luck
Thanks for the tips everyone! I think I'll prune a few more leaves our and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteBrussel sprouts need a long time to mature before going into the fall and often are planted too late to get that required growing period in. I suspicion your set back with the ground hog shortened the growing time frame enough that you are pushing now as the day length and sun strength decreases to get the sprout heads formed. You are definitely doing the right thing to remove the top growing center and I would strip the lower leaves (no more than 1/3 of the plant leaves at the start). I always spray with insectidal soap in the fall because mealy bug aphids are horrible in the fall and they absolutely ADORE brussel sprout plants. I think you have a fighting chance to get these to harvestable size based on the picture but it depends on the fall weather you experience and how much sun makes it to the garden area these plants are growing in.
ReplyDeleteMine have been slow this year too. I think they are waiting for a frost. Hang in there ... nothing like going out near dark on a cold December afternoon and coming in with a pocketful of baby b sprouts.
ReplyDeleteGosh I love Brussels sprouts, but I've heard that down here in our neck of the woods, they are very difficult to grow. I may have to just buy them at the store and grow them vicariously through your blog, ha.
ReplyDeleteI just had a conversation with a friend who's having a little trouble with them too. I'm going to copy your post and the comments to them for help.
ReplyDeleteI've never had much luck with brussels sprouts. Pruned or no I usually only ended up with marbles. If you find out the secret please let me know!
ReplyDeleteI had no luck with sprouts until last year when I got a bumper crop as did others in the garden. By this time last year, the buds were good size and I had already been harvesting them from bottom up. This year, my sprouts are good sized but have all opened up and are useless. Apparently that is caused by the buds setting during hot weather. Maybe that was the results of my using row covers to keep the caterpillars away. A walk around our community garden shows everyone's sprouts are pea sized at best. I don't think anyone will get any this year.
ReplyDeleteHi Jon, I've only grown sprouts once as I've never had room otherwise. I planted the seeds early (with the cabbages) and set four plants out while it was still cool, let them grow all summer, no fertilizer but boosted them with a ground volcanic mineral supplement available locally - high in minerals and iron. I didn't remove any leaves, used a soap and garlic "insecticide" for aphids and picked inch-wide sprouts Christmas day - zone 6, Western Canada. They had been under heavy heavy frosts since Oct. but kept right on growing. They were in heavy shade too, under a big tree where they only got morning sun. I probably couldn't duplicate it! But were they ever good! :)
ReplyDeletei was getting no sprouts but had huge plants something was eating my garden and the tops of the brussel spouts were the favorite then i read that you should top the plants and they are coming good now so the varmit did me a favor by topping them for me. i am trying to find out about harvesting, bottom sprouts have been the same size for a month and the top sprouts are getting bigger. should i pick bottom sprouts, i like them small and tender
ReplyDelete