Brussels sprouts
 

Hi was wondering if anyone has had success in growing this vegetable in pots? I have bought seed for the variety F1 Hybrid Brigitte, has anyone grown this, and is it tasty?

I was browsing a website yesterday, and it contradicts with the sowing time. On the packet it says to sow indoors in March (I use a propagator) but on the website it said to sow after the last frost indoors.

I live up in the North West of the UK (Lancaster), so that would mean in about April, is this when I should be sowing, or March as I was originally going to do?

Also, this is my first time ever growing Brussels sprouts, what should I watch out for, and how should I harvest them? I am growing them to prove to my Dad that I like Brussels sprouts. I am 18, and always hated them as a child! I’m trying to prove that I WILL eat home grown ones as my Dad grew them when I was 8 and I hated them!

Thanks

Dave

Brussels sprouts
 

davidmaynard1 wrote:

Also, this is my first time ever growing Brussels sprouts, what should
I watch out for, and how should I harvest them? I am growing them to
prove to my Dad that I like Brussels sprouts. I am 18, and always hated
them as a child! I’m trying to prove that I WILL eat home grown ones as
my Dad grew them when I was 8 and I hated them!

As with all brassicas, you'll need to protect the plants from pigeons in
the spring while they're young, caterpillars in the summer when they're
leafy, and slugs always. You harvest them by cutting the sprouts off
the stem, starting from the bottom as they become ready and leaving the
ones nearer the top for a little longer to swell a little more. They
like a nice firm soil (walk around them lots and tread heavily when
you're picking off the caterpillars and eggs) and depending on the
variety (I have no experience with Brigitte) and how much wind you get
you may need to stake them.

That's based on growing them in the ground. I've never tried pots, but
I should imagine the following would apply: They're quite tall so make
sure the pots are large and firmly fixed down to avoid overbalancing. I
suspect that (because of the firm soil requirement) you'd be better off
putting garden soil in the pots than normal compost. As with anything
in pots, you'll need to feed them; leafy crops like lots of nitrogen (I
normally add pelleted chicken manure when I'm growing them in the ground).

Rhiannon, finally got USENET access working again.