Brussels sprouts or sprouts are among the youngest varieties of cabbage, as the winter vegetable first appeared on the markets in 1785. If you want to grow this form, you have to be patient. The harvest season is in the cold season.
Brussels sprouts are harvested during the cold season
The varieties and their season
Brussels sprouts are in high season from October to February. There are now early varieties that produce yields from September. They are characterized by a high sugar content and therefore taste good even without the effects of frost. Winter Brussels sprouts, on the other hand, need frost, as this gives the vegetables a mild taste and a slightly sweet aroma. The harvest of these breeds extends over the winter months. Some late cultivated forms can be harvested until March. The variety of Brussels sprouts consists of autumn and winter varieties.
Varieties overview:
- 'Hild's ideal: delivers florets from late October to February
- gronninger: can be harvested as a winter variety until March
- Nelson: Autumn variety that produces yields from September
Cultivation in the garden
If you want to grow Brussels sprouts in your garden, you should pay attention to optimal site conditions. Start cultivating in time, because winter vegetables have a long development time from germination to harvest.
ground conditions
Brussels sprouts are heavy feeders and prefer a substrate that has been prepared with compost or green manure. This should be deeply loosened. Loamy soils with a neutral pH create ideal growing conditions. The cabbage vegetable tolerates small deviations.
sowing
You can sow the seeds directly in the bed from mid-April to early May at the latest. As soon as the young plants get too cramped, prick them out and plant the strongest seedlings 50 centimeters apart in the ground. Brussels sprouts need a lot of space to produce high yields. With intermediate crops, you make optimal use of the area. Pile up the soil at the base of the plant. If you prefer the seeds, the young plants can be planted outdoors in the second week of April.
This is how cabbage develops
In early summer you can watch the stems stretch upwards. Strong leaves are formed, the color of which varies between dark and blue-green or purple, depending on the variety. The full expansion is reached in midsummer. The first shoots then sprout in the leaf axils. This process takes about 70 to 90 days, so the harvest takes place in autumn at the earliest. Since the florets of winter varieties remain in the bud stage until next spring, they can be harvested continuously. They are ready to harvest from a diameter of two to four centimetres.
tips
Premature yellowing of the leaves indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Feed horn meal to the plants as a preventive measure. However, you should avoid oversupply, otherwise the florets will lose their firmness and winter hardiness will decrease.