Brussels Sprouts - Never get big enough!

Oh, just a couple of points. When planting, make sure the ground is firm, don’t be afraid to tread the ground around them. Also, give them plenty of space between plants, at least 2’, preferably 3’.

 

Thank you. I have written this info down. And I won't try to start them inside first.

 

Oh, it’s ok to start them inside, that’s what I used to do. From memory, I planted them out around the middle of May.

 

Aha. Thank you. I can't wait for spring to garden so I really enjoy getting an early start. Probably why I was thrilled to find out about kelsaes. On this forum.

And soon the fun begins. Again.

 

Happy to help when I can

 

@CanadianLori I agree with all that Freddy has said in growing them

Not sure if you can get this variety in Canada but here I used to grow Bedford Filbasket and found them to have good sized sprouts on them,but you have to make sure the ground is well trodden down or else any sprouts on the plant could blow as in you will have a tiny sprout and the outer part of the sprout the layers will start to open out whereas with proper growing conditions the layers will stay closed and form a tight sprout.Plenty of water in hot weather will help as well.

Good Luck for next year

 

@CanadianLori , best one to answer this is @Sian in Belgium , they are up to their necks in Brussels sprouts over there

 

Hehehehe!
Guess what, they're not called "Brussel sprouts" here, but just "spruiten". (You don't have to be fluent in Vlams to translate that...)

They're not eaten at Christmas, but that's because they don't really go with lobster and shellfish, the main events of the Christmas celebratory meal.

Now to return to my hot honey and lemon. Six days of streaming head-cold is draining. Running out of clean hankies, and the near-constant sleet is not helping...

 

No sprouts and lobster for Christmas dinner

I'm on me way

 

Lori,

When you dig that sprout plant up, it's roots will help you.

I was told by a gardener on our allotment site that their roots can go down to 2 feet, this ties in with what Freddy said about spacing, so 2 feet down and 2 feet between plants. The old timers had it right with double digging, a method that is seldom mentioned these days, let alone used. Back to your present plant, if the roots are only shallow when you dig (dont pull) it up, then you will have a better idea what is going on.

Brassicas are green leaved plants so need plenty of Nitrogen to sustain that so in autumn you can dig out a trench a spit deep, then dig over the trench bottom another spit and mix in plenty of compost or rotted manure + old pea or bean haulms that hold nitrogen. Traditionally. in crop rotation brassicas would be grown in the same area that peas and beans (Legumes) had been in the year before, but with the haulms left in and dug over.

So a deep root run, space, plenty of feed, plenty of water in drier spells, lime in the hole at planting time and tread them in. Stake them if planted in a windy area.

Good luck!

Steve...

ps. I have never yet had roots 2 feet deep, best is about 18 inches, I'm constantly improving my soil and every year it all gets better.