Sprouts, especially red ones

[PAULW]

Checked my sprouts today I reckon they might be big enough by July

[shirley]

I really must have a go next year to grow sprouts. These red ones sound interesting.

[rustylady]

Interesting yes, edible ????? I always thought of sprouts as winter veg, the rate mine are going I will be lucky if they're ready next summer

[Smuff]

Hi All
I seem to have similar problems; the plants are not that impressive with small sprouts which are opening up instead of swelling into the desired buttons

Any ideas as to cause or cure?

[Earthbabe]

Hi smuff and welcome to the vine. My red sprouts are too small even for that. I read somewhere that not "swelling" or "hearting" up is down to cultivation, ie ground not hard enough. But as this is the first time I have got to this stage with my brussel sprouts I am not best placed to advise.

[PAULW]

I have my very poorly weedy red sprouts next to my very heathly plump green ICARUS plants

[mazel-bee]

My Christmas dinner was planned, with home grown purple sprouts and yummy veg I had frozen from the garden in the summer. My OH surprised me by
a) cooking! and B) some beautiful veg I slaved over with a lovely dinner,
and my sprouts are barely the size of a radish.

[shirley]

Perhaps I shall try ordinary sprouts and leaave the red ones......

[Don Vincenzo]

Red sprouts.....what sprouts? I raised several plants of the above and gave some to another allotment holder, same results...no sprouts at all.. not even tiny weeny ones open or closed, however the snails have been very happy feasting on the plants and I know what it will be as a dinner starter, Rouge escargots a' la' Don Vincenzo:cool:
Don Vincenzo

[rustylady]

My Christmas dinner was planned, with home grown purple sprouts and yummy veg I had frozen from the garden in the summer. My OH surprised me by
a) cooking! and B) some beautiful veg I slaved over with a lovely dinner,
and my sprouts are barely the size of a radish.

Sprouts the size of a radish - good one! Mine are half the size of my little fingernail, and I have small hands

[Smuff]

Hi smuff and welcome to the vine. My red sprouts are too small even for that. I read somewhere that not "swelling" or "hearting" up is down to cultivation, ie ground not hard enough. But as this is the first time I have got to this stage with my brussel sprouts I am not best placed to advise.

Thanks
I've heard that you have to 'firm' them in when planting and this could be the cause.
I suppose the beauty of gardening is that there's always next year to have another go.

[rustylady]

WAYEHH!!!! Went to the lottie today, and I've got sprouts!! Very small, and loads of whitefly, but what the hecki! May even have a picking for Xmas

[Earthbabe]

Nice one RL. Shall examine mine again next week.

[suee]

Hello all, my free seeds have also caused a lot of heartache recently. One or two of them have nearly decent sprouts on, but the others have either blown or are miniscule. Worse, there are legions of yellow and black caterpillars crawling over them each day. (Nice contrast to the purple foliage but not quite the desired effect). As the chickens don't seem tempted by them they sadly get welly squashed.
The moral must be : choose your variety. Any recommendations for the next attempt?
Sue.

[Fiona]

Hi All
I seem to have similar problems; the plants are not that impressive with small sprouts which are opening up instead of swelling into the desired buttons

Any ideas as to cause or cure?

Hi Smuff
I'm growing the GYO free Brussels too, and so far mine are small and some have opened, or 'blown'
According to Joy Larkcom (veg guru) this is caused by not staking them with canes or posts, so I tried that it seemed to help
I'm also growing green brussels too (I love 'em) and these are doing better, (bigger and haven't blown) so maybe the red ones are late brussels or the weather hasn't been right for them

Good luck

Fiona