Cut ‘top knot’ to prompt Brussels sprout growth
Dear Helen: My Brussels sprouts show no signs yet of swelling into plump rounds fit for harvesting. They remain tiny buttons, on otherwise healthy plants. I’m wondering what I did wrong.
D.C. Pinching out or cutting off the top tuft of leaves early in the fall prompts sprout development. That “top knot” is a delicious vegetable, steamed lightly and served with butter.
Other factors that contribute to satisfactory sprout development are the timing of the planting and variety choice. It is commonly recommended in our climate to start the seeds indoors mid-May to early June and transplant in August. Or, plant purchased transplants as soon as they are available in August.
Because individual home garden conditions can vary considerably, a little experimenting with the timing can be useful to find the best planting “window” for your garden. In my forestsurrounded vegetable plots, a seeding and transplanting made two to three weeks earlier than recommended works well.
It’s worthwhile growing more than one variety, if possible. Grow the better (or best) one(s) the following year and add a new one to try. That’s a sure path to finding varieties that grow and produce most satisfactorily in your garden’s conditions.
This year, the star of my Brussels sprouts show is Nautic (West Coast Seeds). The catalogue description is entirely accurate: “The best tasting sprouts we’ve tried in years. Succulent, tender, and useful as whole sprouts or as separated leaves.”
At my latest picking, I cleaned and halved the sprouts, and sautéd them briefly in butter. When they were nicely browned, my freshly picked sprouts were already tender. Larger, or whole, sprouts may need a little liquid (vegetable or chicken broth) added and a cover placed over them to complete the cooking.
I chose to sprinkle a little sweet balsamic vinegar flavoured with orange and star anise into the pan before stirring and serving the sprouts. Sometimes I toss sliced almonds into the pan to brown along with the sprouts.
Dear Helen: A Christmas cactus I’ve had for a few years in a corner of my house entryway has never flowered, and it seems rather limp. How much light and water do these plants need? What can I do to help it bloom?
A.C. Keep the plant cool, ideally at around 13 C, in bright winter light, and minimally watered for now. Water infrequently until April, when the plant’s soil can be kept modestly moist. If possible, set it outdoors in a shaded spot for the summer.
During the pre-blooming period from mid-September to mid-November, keep the soil on the dry side and the temperatures cool, in a site with no artificial light at night. Short days, cool temperatures and slightly dry conditions trigger bud formation. When buds appear, watering can be increased. As flowering begins, water normally and maintain cool temperatures.
After the flowering period, in January, the plant needs to go into a “resting” time with infrequent watering and cool conditions. This resting period, together with outdoor time in summer, helps to set the plant up for flowering again close to the end of the year.
Dear Helen: I am looking for a strawberry that will make good jam. I’ve had poor luck with jam made from purchased berries. My aim is to establish a plot of 100 plants. My preference is for an heirloom variety.
D.S. You may wish to experiment with several varieties, to find out which ones give the results you desire in your garden’s conditions.
First, decide whether you want “everbearing” varieties, which yield berries from June into September, June-bearing varieties, or a mixture of both. Strawberries are sold in packages of 10 or 25 plants. That gives you good scope for trying out a few varieties.
I grow Totem, an older Junebearing strawberry developed in the 1970s. Its flavour is exquisite. Totem is known for its excellent processing qualities, that is for retaining good colour and flavour when cooked. I freeze extra berries, sliced, in tubs, with just a light sprinkling of sugar, and make jam with the frozen berries. Cooked with a little fresh lemon juice and minimal sugar, the frozen berries make a superb jam, attractive in colour and full of flavour.