Why is it that the sprouts on my plants are so small, this is the second
year it has happened, or am I growing the wrong variety?

Which are Brassica gemmifera, at least that's what it says on the packet!

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.

Alan

"Alan Holmes" wrote
Why is it that the sprouts on my plants are so small, this is the second
year it has happened, or am I growing the wrong variety?

Which are Brassica gemmifera, at least that's what it says on the packet!

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.


Check your soil pH, it needs to be 7+, never below 7.
With manure and compost being incorporated it's easy for the pH to creep
down over time.
Are you planting them early enough in the year?
Do you ensure they are well, I mean well, firmed in?

We grow Trafalgar and Icarus both from T & M.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Alan Holmes" wrote
Why is it that the sprouts on my plants are so small, this is the second
year it has happened, or am I growing the wrong variety?

Which are Brassica gemmifera, at least that's what it says on the packet!

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.


Check your soil pH, it needs to be 7+, never below 7.

I have no idea how to do that, or even understand the results!(:-(

With manure and compost being incorporated it's easy for the pH to creep
down over time.

In the spot where they are, I would doubt that it has been manured, or had
much in the way of compost added.

Are you planting them early enough in the year?

Can't be sure, I'm principly a lazy devil, so I just get up and do
something, when I'm too bored to remain sitting down!

Do you ensure they are well, I mean well, firmed in?

I think so, but before I tried this variety, I don't recall ever having
trouble before.

We grow Trafalgar and Icarus both from T & M.

I'll have to look for some other variety and see if that makes a difference.

Alan

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:


"Alan Holmes" wrote
Why is it that the sprouts on my plants are so small, this is the second
year it has happened, or am I growing the wrong variety?

Which are Brassica gemmifera, at least that's what it says on the packet!

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.


Check your soil pH, it needs to be 7+, never below 7.
With manure and compost being incorporated it's easy for the pH to creep
down over time.
Are you planting them early enough in the year?
Do you ensure they are well, I mean well, firmed in?

We grow Trafalgar and Icarus both from T & M.


I have had good results with Trafalgar but only small plants with Icarus.

Interestingly, the last two years I have had quite a lot of variation in
the size of brussel sprout plants along the 4' strip I grow them in.
Last year I assumed it was variety, i.e. Icarus, but I'm now wondering
whether it's the amount of compost/manure which particular bits of the
bed have had. (My system of manuring/composting is a bit haphazard)

So in answer to Alan, I would consider enriching the soil; it might well
have got impoverished gradually.

And I'd be interested to know from Bob what size of plant you get from Icarus.

Janet G
--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

The message
from "Alan Holmes" contains these words:
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
"Alan Holmes" wrote

Why is it that the sprouts on my plants are so small, this is the second
year it has happened, or am I growing the wrong variety?

Which are Brassica gemmifera, at least that's what it says on the packet!

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.


Check your soil pH, it needs to be 7+, never below 7.

I have no idea how to do that, or even understand the results!(:-(

Buy a soil test kit, or if you don't want the (rather small) expense, a
reel of pH indicator paper, which you would get from an industrial
chemist, or a proper high stree *CHEMIST* (not pharmacy).

Take a trowel full of soil and put it in a plastic bowl/cut-down
container and add about twice or three times the volume of de-ionised
water (obtainable from motorists' shop) and mix thoroughly. Allow to
settle.

Dip a length of test paper into the water, and read off against the
scale on the box.

With manure and compost being incorporated it's easy for the pH to creep
down over time.

In the spot where they are, I would doubt that it has been manured, or had
much in the way of compost added.

It might be naturally acid. Damp ground often is, for instance.

Are you planting them early enough in the year?

Can't be sure, I'm principly a lazy devil, so I just get up and do
something, when I'm too bored to remain sitting down!

Do you ensure they are well, I mean well, firmed in?

I think so, but before I tried this variety, I don't recall ever having
trouble before.

We grow Trafalgar and Icarus both from T & M.

I'll have to look for some other variety and see if that makes a difference.

Try adding powdered chalk to the soil. This reduces the pH, and
incidentally, helps to protect against club root.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

In article ,
(Alan Holmes) wrote:

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.

I got my "Wellington" there and have very small plants and
sprouts despite treating them well.

Anyone else got experience of this variety?

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

"Janet Galpin" wrote ((snip))

And I'd be interested to know from Bob what size of plant you get from
Icarus.

Shorter than Trafalgar by about 6 to 9 inches but they crop earlier and are
better flavoured by a touch.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

Why is it that the sprouts on my plants are so small, this is the second
year it has happened, or am I growing the wrong variety?

Which are Brassica gemmifera, at least that's what it says on the packet!

I think I got them from Wilkinsons.

Alan

I was interested in the answers to this as I have the same problem - very
small sprouts this year compared to previous years. However having read the
answers I am more confused than ever.

Bob says the pH needs to be 7+, never below 7. Then Rusty says try adding
powdered chalk to the soil to reduce the pH.

Please can someone explain a bit more about pH - for example (again from
what Bob says) it seems that adding manure and compost can actually be a bad
thing!!!

Jeanne

The message
from " Jeanne Stockdale" contains these words:

Bob says the pH needs to be 7+, never below 7. Then Rusty says try adding
powdered chalk to the soil to reduce the pH.

Please can someone explain a bit more about pH - for example (again from
what Bob says) it seems that adding manure and compost can actually be
a bad
thing!!!


pH 0 is very acid - Sulphuric, Nitric, Hydrofluoric, etc.

It used to be calculated on the log base 10 of the reciprocal of the
concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. I hope that's clear...

Now it's plotted by its relationship to a standard solution® of
potassium hydrogen pthalate (potassium biphalate of days of yore) at 15°
C

Caustic soda or caustic potash is very alkaline, and has a pH value of
(IIRC) around 15

So, 7 is more-or-less neutral, thoughneutrality is a movable feast
depending on what other compounds are present. Add chalk, which is
mildly alkaline (calcium ions (very alkaline) + carbon dioxide ions
(mildly acidic) = mildly alkaline.

Unfortunately, the nomenclature belies the mathematics a little. You
reduce the acidity by adding something more alkaline, but by doing so
you raise the numeric value of the pH.

Conversely, you reduce the alkalinity by adding something more acidic,
and in this case, youreduce the numeric value of the pH as well.

Try to think of pH as a scale of acidity/alkalinity, and not as a
numerical one, as 'high' and 'low' are relative to the middle of the
scale, not a zero datum point.

HTH...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Rusty Hinge 2 wrote:
The message
from " Jeanne Stockdale" contains
these words:
[...]

Please can someone explain a bit more about pH - for example
(again
from what Bob says) it seems that adding manure and compost can
actually be
a bad
thing!!!

Well, not a bad thing, as it "conditions" the soil (i.e. makes it
more hospitable to plants by improving texture and water-retention).
But you do have to be conscious of the range of effects.

[...sound boffinery snipped...]

Try to think of pH as a scale of acidity/alkalinity, and not as a
numerical one, as 'high' and 'low' are relative to the middle of
the
scale, not a zero datum point.

Right.

Now, OT. For the first time we had sprouts at Christmas din, as one
of my kids has suddenly started suffering from the perversion of
liking them. (I generally eat them merely because they're very good
for you: a good grating of nutmeg helps them down.) Anyhow, I
heartily recommend a variant of the Gordon, middle name F****ing,
Ramsay method. As follows.

Don't cut a cross in the base. Chuck into lots of boiling water, and
cook for exactly three minutes. Drain -- he refreshes under icy
water, but we didn't. When it's nearly time to serve, put them into a
wide pan with a good chunk of butter, and reheat while tossing them
around to coat with the butter. I added a good grating of nutmeg
during this stage. They were crunchy and pretty good.

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

Now, OT. For the first time we had sprouts at Christmas din, as one
of my kids has suddenly started suffering from the perversion of
liking them.

I wonder where he/she gets the good taste from?

(D&RFC)

(I generally eat them merely because they're very good
for you: a good grating of nutmeg helps them down.) Anyhow, I
heartily recommend a variant of the Gordon, middle name F****ing,
Ramsay method. As follows.

I have always loved Brussels sprouts. Mine dew, I was brought up in
times when you ate everything unless you were actually allergic to it,
or starved.

Don't cut a cross in the base. Chuck into lots of boiling water, and
cook for exactly three minutes. Drain -- he refreshes under icy
water, but we didn't. When it's nearly time to serve, put them into a
wide pan with a good chunk of butter, and reheat while tossing them
around to coat with the butter. I added a good grating of nutmeg
during this stage. They were crunchy and pretty good.


Agreed. But add an equal quantity of boiled and peeled chestnuts before
tossing in butter...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Rusty Hinge 2 wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these
words:

Now, OT. For the first time we had sprouts at Christmas din, as
one
of my kids has suddenly started suffering from the perversion of
liking them.

I wonder where he/she gets the good taste from?

(D&RFC)
[...]

NNTDorRFC: she got _both_ of her weaknesses from the distaff side,
after all.

--
Mike.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:
Rusty Hinge 2 wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these words:

Now, OT. For the first time we had sprouts at Christmas din, as
one
of my kids has suddenly started suffering from the perversion of
liking them.

I wonder where he/she gets the good taste from?

(D&RFC)
[...]

NNTDorRFC: she got _both_ of her weaknesses from the distaff side,
after all.


Ah, your better half?

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these
words:
Rusty Hinge 2 wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these words:

Now, OT. For the first time we had sprouts at Christmas din, as
one
of my kids has suddenly started suffering from the perversion of
liking them.

I wonder where he/she gets the good taste from?

(D&RFC)
[...]

NNTDorRFC: she got _both_ of her weaknesses from the distaff side,
after all.


Ah, your better half?

Does he have a better half?

Both my halves are pretty awful!

Alan


--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Alan Holmes wrote:
"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these
words:
Rusty Hinge 2 wrote:
The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains
these words:

Now, OT. For the first time we had sprouts at Christmas din, as
one
of my kids has suddenly started suffering from the perversion
of
liking them.

I wonder where he/she gets the good taste from?

(D&RFC)
[...]

NNTDorRFC: she got _both_ of her weaknesses from the distaff
side,
after all.


Ah, your better half?

Does he have a better half?

Both my halves are pretty awful!

Well, I hope the half I don't see is better than my other one.
Please...

--
Mike.