Brussels Sprouts. Germination.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?WHMSM 15 March 2013 Brussels Sprouts. Germination.
Eight plants are required for planting outdoors about 20 April in my Zone 5. Eight Jade Cross Brussels Sprouts seeds were planted. The seeds were wetted on a paper towel for 48 hours so the seeds just sprouted, then planted in small containers and placed in a plastic bag until shoots start. The containers were placed on a heating pad in the greenhouse.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?PGJYL 20 May 2013 Brussels Sprouts (Jade Cross)
Eight Jade Cross Brussels Sprouts were purchased and placed in individual pots.The roots were pot bound, which were separated and placed outdoors to harden off and to establish strong roots. Only two started from seed survived, which were planted in the outdoor garden today.The potted ones today will be planted outdoors in about 10 days.

[b54red]

I would not put Brussel Sprouts on a heating mat. They like it cool. I have the trouble of finding a place cool enough to germinate and grow when I start them in August down here. I put a little air conditioner in my greenhouse and it keeps it relatively cool as the greenhouse is very small and shaded a bit during the summer months. This has helped me greatly in germinating and growing seedlings for plants to set out in October.

Bill

[Mischka]

Originally Posted by b54red

I would not put Brussels Sprouts on a heating mat. They like it cool. I have the trouble of finding a place cool enough to germinate and grow when I start them in August down here. I put a little air conditioner in my greenhouse and it keeps it relatively cool as the greenhouse is very small and shaded a bit during the summer months. This has helped me greatly in germinating and growing seedlings for plants to set out in October.

Bill

+1.

Brussels sprouts seedlings establish themselves better when their root zone is *not* heated.

Been there, tried that.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DVDAN 31 May 2013 Brussels sprouts planted outdoors.
Eight Jade Cross Brussels Sprouts planted outdoors.Supports were supplied and the area was mulched with wood chips to retain moisture. The plants will be sprayed with Neem oil and soap, since the white cabbage butterfly is sure to appear, which damages the small cabbages.

[Durgan]

When the temperature is just above 8C some heating is required. I grow perfect Brussels sprouts, however the main enemy is not heat but the white cabbage butterfly and probably flea beetles. The plants require a long growing season, and I find they thrive in full Sun in my Zone5.

Here is the result on one capital year. I had one year with no damage but cannot find the photos.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HYEEA 4 October 2009 Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are producing well. There is some insect damage on the outer layers of the sprouts, but no worms inside. Cutting the stem of the individual sprout easily removes the outer damaged layers. These plants will produce well into the frost period. some say the flavor is enhanced after a deep frost, but I see no difference. A few plants produce a great quantity of sprouts. The growing period is long, about six months plus. The sprouts can be picked as needed throughout the growing period. 4 October 2009 Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are producing well. There is some insect damage on the outer layers of the sprouts, but no worms inside. Cutting the stem of the individual sprout easily removes the outer damaged layers. These plants will produce well into the frost period. some say the flavor is enhanced after a deep frost, but I see no difference. A few plants produce a great quantity of sprouts. The growing period is long, about six months plus. The sprouts can be picked as needed throughout the growing period.

[linzelu100]

I am going to try and grow brussel sprouts again this year- they give me trouble. All the cabbage family does I was planning on starting them now indoors under lights. I am confused about when to put them in the garden though. My zone is Virginia 7a and my first killing frost is October 15. Do any of you bussel sprout experts have a recommendation?

Lindsey

[Durgan]

Your area may be too warm. Sometimes I put my sprouts out in April (Zone 5), just after the snow disappears. They seem to like it cool at the beginning of growth. Hot weather doesn't seem to hurt them after they plants get large. Watering seems to help. A good wetting then allowed to dry, then repeat. Bugs can be a real misery. A few plants sure produce a lot of sprouts.

[linzelu100]

Originally Posted by Durgan

Your area may be too warm. Sometimes I put my sprouts out in Apriln (Zone 5), just after the snow disappears. They seem to like it cool at the beginning of growth. Hot weather doesn't seem to hurt them after they plants get large. Watering seems to help. A good wetting then allowed to dry, then repeat. Bugs can be a real misery. A few plants sure produce a lot of sprouts.

Do you think it is too warm to grow in general, or too warm to set out early? It has been screaming hot here. Just putrid hot. The kind of heat that sucks all the air out of you. B SProuts are my favorite...I sure would love home grown.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by linzelu100

Do you think it is too warm to grow in general, or too warm to set out early? It has been screaming hot here. Just putrid hot. The kind of heat that sucks all the air out of you. B SProuts are my favorite...I sure would love home grown.

I usually set my plants out in the fall and allow them to grow through the winter outdoors and they start making in late February and March. The sprouts that you can pick before the heat gets here are much tastier.

I get some 10 ft gray plastic conduit from Lowes and bend it over the sprouts to form a hoop house when it gets really cold. I use a roll of plastic which I can pull over the conduit and remove when it is warm. On cold but not freezing days I will pull the plastic over and keep the ends open. I do the same with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce during the winter also. I usually start my seed for sprouts in early August and keep them in an air conditioned room til it cools down in late September.

Bill

[Durgan]

Originally Posted by b54red

I usually set my plants out in the fall and allow them to grow through the winter outdoors and they start making in late February and March. The sprouts that you can pick before the heat gets here are much tastier.

I get some 10 ft gray plastic conduit from Lowes and bend it over the sprouts to form a hoop house when it gets really cold. I use a roll of plastic which I can pull over the conduit and remove when it is warm. On cold but not freezing days I will pull the plastic over and keep the ends open. I do the same with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce during the winter also. I usually start my seed for sprouts in early August and keep them in an air conditioned room til it cools down in late September.

Bill

Beautiful system. Warm climate growers have different issues from the Northern cold climate people. My issues are short season and always try to get as much Sun as possible. I can grow nothing during the Winter months outdoors.

[linzelu100]

Bill, Beautiful Sprouts!

Hard for me to translate into Virginia time though. This weather is so screwy lately. It is so hot already! I feel like I am back in Fort Rucker, down by you, again. My worst gardens were in Alabama. I found the constant heat/humidity brutal. Now I am in Virginia and I am trying to adapt to these conditions --and the bugs are my problems now. Also trying to figure out planting dates. Military family so we have lived in a lot of places. Gardened everywhere from North Dakota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama and now Virginia. I am not sure when to plant my sprouts, but I am thinking I better get my seed going.

Lindsey

[clkeiper]

Durgan, Try "Bt powder" aka: Dipel dust here. It is organic and will keep the caterpillars from feasting on your cabbage family. You just need to apply it on a regular basis. Our Farm Market up the road grows an enormous amount of cabbage family crops and that is all he uses to control the cabbage loopers.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by linzelu100

Bill, Beautiful Sprouts!

Hard for me to translate into Virginia time though. This weather is so screwy lately. It is so hot already! I feel like I am back in Fort Rucker, down by you, again. My worst gardens were in Alabama. I found the constant heat/humidity brutal. Now I am in Virginia and I am trying to adapt to these conditions --and the bugs are my problems now. Also trying to figure out planting dates. Military family so we have lived in a lot of places. Gardened everywhere from North Dakota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama and now Virginia. I am not sure when to plant my sprouts, but I am thinking I better get my seed going.

Lindsey

Lindsey, your best bet on finding out how to grow sprouts would be to see if you can find any local gardeners who successfully grow them in your area. I don't know if you could overwinter them like I do or if it would get cold enough to kill them even under plastic. I tried for years to plant them early enough in the spring but it just never worked. By the time they were a foot tall the heat would be getting up around 90 and rising. I tried putting them out in the fall but they never got big by the time winter set in. One year we had a very mild winter and I just left them and they kept getting bigger and bigger and when it started warming up in late February they started putting on sprouts. Since then I have been setting them out in the fall and if we don't have the hot weather move in too early in the spring I have a huge crop most years. Until I started seeding them in air conditioning I had a terrible time getting them large enough to set out as soon as the weather cooled in the fall. If you set them out in the heat too early they will try to reproduce too soon. I have learned that the larger you can get the plant before it starts forming sprouts the more productive it will be so fertilize heavy and often.

Good luck. Bill

[clkeiper]

Too bad you aren't closer to me I have 2 flats (36 each) that I haven't had any takers on. Maybe I will plant them again this year and see if I can get anything. The last batch was a failure, but I had never grown them before and didn't know to pinch out the center at the end of the summer.