Brussels sprouts

If you've never had homegrown Brussels sprouts, you're in for a treat. They're smaller than those found in the supermarket, with a sweeter, more nutty flavor that's utterly delicious.

Brussels sprout plants have thick, trunklike stalks that grow 2-3 feet long, studded up and down with the edible sprouts, which look like baby cabbages. Each stalk may produce 50-100 sprouts. It is a slow-growing vegetable that requires 90 days or more to reach maturity. In most regions, start plants in spring for a fall harvest. Wait until after a few frosts to harvest. They'll be much milder-flavored and sweeter.

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Plant Type:

Vegetable

Plant Height:

2-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-2 feet wide

Top Varieties

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'Jade Cross E Hybrid' Brussels sprouts

is an improvement over the old 'Jade Cross Hybrid,' incorporating tolerance of botrytis, a fungal disease, into its characteristics. It matures early and bears dark green sprouts.
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'Red Rubine' Brussels sprouts

is an heirloom variety with purplish-red sprouts that hold their color even after cooking. It is an attractive alternative to the more common green varieties.
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Harvest Tips

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Harvest sprouts when they reach 1- to 1-1/2-inches in diameter by cutting them off the stem with a sharp knife. First remove the leaf under the sprout, then the sprout. To hasten maturity, remove the growing tip of the plant when sprouts at the base of the plant reach 1/2-inch in diameter. Sprouts should be ready to harvest about two weeks later.

Propagation

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Seed