Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
Brussels sprout
Common names: Sprout cabbage, Cabbage sprouts
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 50 cm, rows 60 cm
- Lifespan
- Biennial
- Sowing
- Mar–May
- Harvest
- Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −12 °C
- Water need
- High
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Brussels sprout bears its small, firm buds like buttons along a tall stem. It is a classic winter vegetable that requires a long growing season, harvested from the bottom up, best after the first frosts, which sweeten and mellow the buds.
Care instructions
Plant seedlings in spring (April to May) with a spacing of about an arm’s length in a firm, nutrient-rich bed, as Brussels sprouts need the entire season to mature. Tuck or support the tall stems in windy locations and begin harvesting from October by picking the lower buds first, the plant remains in the bed throughout winter.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
HarvestJan–Feb, Oct–Dec
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 5 to 10 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 1 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, moist, lime-loving
Brussels sprouts want a deep, heavy, loamy, humus-rich soil with good water-holding capacity. Even moisture is important over the long growing time, but they do not tolerate waterlogging. A high pH in the neutral to slightly alkaline range is favourable: it guards against clubroot, so you can lime acidic soil before planting.
Brassicas are heavy feeders and susceptible to clubroot. Keep a 4-year break and do not follow directly on other crucifers such as radishes or mustard.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar–Jul
In autumn or early spring, work mature compost shallowly into the soil; this improves structure and basic supply. At planting in May/June, rake horn shavings in at the surface so that the nitrogen is released slowly. Because of the long growing season, you can top up organically in summer. From the end of August, no longer feed with a nitrogen emphasis, so that the plants stay frost-hardy.
Overwintering
Brussels sprouts stay in the bed over winter and are harvested continuously from the bottom up, as long as the sprouts are firm. Frost even makes them sweeter. In prolonged severe frost or frequent alternation between frost and thaw, you can lay horticultural fleece over them so that the sprouts do not rot; harvest only once the plant has thawed again.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate Brussels sprouts exclusively from seed. To start them under cover, sow the seeds from mid-March to the end of March in seed trays with fine seed compost, about 1 cm deep, and keep them warm at 15 to 18 °C. The seedlings appear after 7 to 14 days. As soon as the second pair of leaves is visible, prick out the strongest little plants into individual small pots. About two weeks before planting out, harden off the young plants by putting them outside during the day and bringing them back in the evening. When the plants have reached 10 to 12 cm in height, usually from mid-April to mid-June, plant them in the bed at a spacing of at least 50 cm. Direct sowing outdoors is also possible from early to mid-April, but starting under cover gives you a head start of a few weeks and protects the delicate seedlings from cold snaps and pests. Note: with F1 hybrid varieties, the offspring from your own saved seed turn out uneven. For true-to-type results, use bought seed or open-pollinated varieties.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example Bush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled peaRunner bean and 35 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example CarrotCeleriacDillParsleyFlorence fennelCoriander and 21 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
mint family (Lamiaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example LavenderThymeBasilRosemarySageHyssop and 43 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Nasturtium serves as a trap plant for you. Aphids and cabbage whiteflies prefer it over the brassicaceae next to it.
For example NasturtiumMashua
Source: Trap plant practice in organic horticulture
Rather not
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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Varieties
4 varieties‘Falstaff’
You will see a red eye‑catcher in your vegetable bed: This F1 variety ‚Falstaff’ forms reddish‑violet buds that brighten any winter dish.
‘Groninger’
A proven, heirloom winter variety for late harvesting.
‘Hilds Ideal’
An old German, open pollinated variety for an early harvest from autumn onwards.
‘Roodnerf’
An open pollinated classic with particularly firm, tightly packed sprouts that hardly ever burst open, even in wet weather.
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From the magazine
Brussels sprouts: the patience crop with the topping trick
Brussels sprouts stand in the bed for almost half a year before the first sprouts are ripe. Two things decide firm versus loose sprouts: a firm soil and topping the growing tip in autumn. Here is how the patience crop succeeds into winter.
Harvesting Winter Vegetables: Fresh from the Frost
Kale, Brussels sprouts, corn salad and parsnip stand in the bed all winter and taste even sweeter after frost. Here is how to harvest fresh from the snow without the leaves turning to mush.