"Mikey" wrote in message
...
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Trevor" wrote ...

I have to agree with my wife. My home grown sprouts taste dreadful
compared with Tesco's. Sprouts are my favourite veg, but not these. Where
can I have gone wrong?

Sprouts are the only veg I ever grow non organically. I find I have to
give the caterpillars a blast in July otherwise when we get back from
hols there'll be none left.

Probably just a difference in variety, what varieties did you grow?
We usually grow Trafalgar and Icarus (both from T & M)
Were yours bitter to the taste? (old fashioned varieties were)

or is it just that they actually taste of something?
...also do you wait for a frost?


It's not bitterness, and I did start using them in early Nov when we were
getting daytime temps regularly above 15 C.

I thought they might be better after frost, but we have had many many frosts
and it hasn't changed things.

The taste hints to me of some kind of insect activity rather than a chemical
or taste in the plant itself.

As for variety, well I'm no saint at record keeping. I choose two varieties
each year from the Organic Gardening Catalogue. One for Nov-Dec and one
late.

I definitely grow Peer gynt, because I read this was the last year it would
be available.

Just looking at their website, it looks like it'll be the Peer Gynt were
using now.

I've noticed a slight area of what looks like rot in the point where each
leaf comes together at the base of the bud, and I suspect this is the
problem.