Sprouts -what do I do with the leaves?

[amandaandherveg]

My sprouts are about the size of maltesers - not grown them before.

I have leaves coming out from the stem with little sprouts at each leaf joint. When I've looked at pics of sprout plants non of them appear to have leaves apart from the top. Are you supposed to remove them as the sprouts form and the plant gets taller?

[marigold007]

My sprouts are the size of coriander seeds... I'd like to know the same about the leaves.

[amandaandherveg]

Oh good Marigold, I thought it might have been a really stupid question.

[HeyWayne]

I snapped mine off when the sprouts got to a certain size (bit bigger than Maltesers) and lobbed them on the compost heap - those that didn't yellow and fall off of their own accord of course.

[marigold007]

It is only the unasked question that is stupid. :-)

[Hilary B]

It's a bit early in the season for sprouts isn't it? Give them time. I haven't grown the things for AGES, but I seem to remember the leaves get tatty as the sprouts grow, and that is the time to remove a few (hoping and expecting a more recent grower will provide a better answer).

[amandaandherveg]

My OH is mortified that I'm growing sprouts, he has banned me from feeding them to his Mum.

[burnie]

One of the main reasons for removing the leaves is to reduce wind rock,by making the plant a bit smaller.I found the sprouts easier to pick on a frosty day with cold fingers too.If the leaves are fit and not going yellow you can eat them,also the tops after you've had the sprouts,make walking sticks from the stems,only the roots I never found a use for!

[rustylady]

Leave the leaves on till they go yellow. The plants need them to produce food to make the sprouts grow bigger.

[Demeter]

I too have sprouts about the size of maltesers
I'd never heard about removing leaves (although, what do I know lol), and as far as mine are concerned once the caterpillars have had their fill the poor old plant needs all the leaves it can get!
We're going to do purple ones next year. I wonder if its just the sprouts that are purple, or whether they are purple all over?

[amandaandherveg]

I've ordered young purple sprout plants, they should arrive tomorrow - woohoo. Will report back with my findings Demeter!

[Stacey Steve]

I asked the same question today off one of the old timers, as I had seen pictures of stands of sprouts.

He said that's because they are ready for harvesting, you leave the leaves on untill you are ready to pick.

I don't think though I'm going to get a good harvest though, as they say that unless you really firm the soil round the young plants, then you won't get tight sprouts but they go sort of fluffy and are no good for eating.

Ah more composting material or food for the worm farm then

[Snadger]

I too have sprouts about the size of maltesers
I'd never heard about removing leaves (although, what do I know lol), and as far as mine are concerned once the caterpillars have had their fill the poor old plant needs all the leaves it can get!
We're going to do purple ones next year. I wonder if its just the sprouts that are purple, or whether they are purple all over?

The leaves and the sprouts are purple!

[Demeter]

Yay!! Purple plants
We'll enjoy those

[SarzWix]

These are my sprout plants from last year, the colour of them really intensifies after a frost. They taste a bit different from green sprouts too, a bit less bitter.