Timing a key factor when growing Brussels sprouts
Q. I’m wondering why my Brussels sprouts have not yet shown any sign of swelling into harvestable size. They remain tiny buttons on otherwise healthy plants. It’s very disappointing. I garden at the coast. A.
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 coastal 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. The recommended timing works well in fully open gardens that are exposed to sun for all or most of the day. In my forest-surrounded vegetable plots, a seeding and transplanting made two to three weeks earlier than recommended is more satisfactory.
With Brussels sprouts and other vegetables that form heads, like cabbage, it is helpful to firm the soil down very well around the plants.
It’s worthwhile also to grow 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 has been Nautic (West Coast Seeds). The catalogue description is entirely accurate: “The best tasting sprouts we’ve tried in years.”
At my latest picking, I cleaned and halved the sprouts, and sautéed them briefly in butter. When they ware nicely browned, my freshly picked sprouts were already tender. Sometimes I toss sliced almonds into the pan to brown along with the sprouts.