Brussels or sprouted cabbage is one of the youngest varieties of vegetable cabbage, as the winter vegetable only appeared on the markets in 1785. If you want to grow this form, you have to have some patience. The harvest season is in the cold season.
When are Brussels sprouts season?
Brussels sprouts are in season from October to February, with early varieties available from September. Winter Brussels sprouts require frost for a mild, slightly sweet flavor and are harvested in the winter months.
The varieties and their seasons
Brussels sprouts are in season from October to February. There are now early varieties that produce yields from September onwards. They are characterized by a high sugar content and therefore taste good even without exposure to frost. Winter Brussels sprouts, on the other hand, require frost because this gives the vegetable a mild taste and a slightly sweet aroma. The harvest of these varieties extends over the winter months. Some late cultivars can be harvested until March. The variety of Brussels sprouts consists of autumn and winter varieties.
Variety overview:
- ‚Hilds Ideal: delivers florets from the end of October to February
- Gronninger: can be harvested as a winter variety until March
- Nelson: Autumn variety that produces yields from September
Growing in the garden
If you want to grow Brussels sprouts in your garden, you should pay attention to optimal location conditions. Start cultivation in good time, because winter vegetables have a long development time from germination to harvest.
Soil conditions
Brussels sprouts are heavy feeders and prefer a substrate prepared with compost or green manure. This should be deeply loosened. Loamy soils with a pH value in the neutral range create ideal growing conditions. The cabbage vegetable tolerates minor deviations.
Sowing
You can sow the seeds directly in the bed from mid-April to the beginning of May at the latest. As soon as the young plants become too crowded, prick them out and place the strongest plants in the soil at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other. Brussels sprouts require a lot of space to produce high yields. With intermediate crops you can make optimal use of the area. Hill 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 the cabbage vegetables develop
In early summer you can see the stem stretching upwards. Strong leaves are formed, the color of which varies between dark and blue-green or violet depending on the variety. The full extent is reached in midsummer. The first shoots then sprout from the leaf axils. This process takes around 70 to 90 days, so the harvest will not take place until autumn at the earliest. Since the florets of winter varieties remain in the bud stage until the next spring, they can be harvested continuously. They are ready to harvest from a diameter of two to four centimeters.
Tip
Premature yellowing of the leaves indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Give the plants horn meal (€6.00 on Amazon) as a preventative measure. However, you should avoid oversupply, otherwise the florets will lose their strength and their winter hardiness will decrease.
