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Harvesting Brussels Sprouts
A hard frost improves the eating quality of sprouts. Remove them
from the main stem using a knife - simply breaking them off will
injure the main stem. Take the lowest sprouts first and work up
the stem as required. Do not remove all the sprouts from one
plant and then harvest from the next plant - the lower sprouts
mature earlier than the higher ones. |
As the season progresses, remove any leaves towards the base of the
plant which turn yellow - they can be a source of infection if
left in place. When harvesting is complete, the stem can be cut
into pieces and put on the compost heap.
It is possible possible to encourage the early formation of larger
sprouts by cutting off the top of the growing tip (2cm or 1in)
in
September. However, this may mean that the sprouts are less
likely to be subject to frost and it will certainly decrease the
number of sprouts for harvest.
Pests
and Diseases of Brussels Sprouts
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Aphids and flies occasionally affect the plants. Where this is a
bad infestation, the only real cure is spraying with chemicals
available from the local garden centre.
Club Root can infect Brussels sprouts, it being a fungus in the soil.
The cause is almost always bad drainage, and there is no cure.
Brassicas should not be grown in this soil for five years in
order to eradicate the fungus completely.
Click the picture to enlarge and see the
whole plant.
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Which Variety?
 Choose
an early variety to provide sprouts in
October
to
December
and a
maincrop variety to provide sprouts from
January
to
March.
A great early variety is Nelson. This is an F1 hybrid,
which produces lots of small button sprouts with a great taste.
From the maincrop varieties, choose between 'Citadel' and 'Braveheart'.
Both will start to produce sprouts in
December, lasting up until
March. Mr Fothergills seems to have one of the best selections of Brussels
Sprouts,
click here to go there.
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