sprouts blowing

[baggyman]

I'm getting a bit fed up with trying to grow sprouts!
I've tried planting them deep, heeling them in and staking them but they always seem to blow open.
Is it something like stress causing it ie lack of nutrients, poor soil etc.
Does anyone know of a variety that shows some resistance to blowing?
I would be really grateful for any advice

[rustylady]

Where are you growing them Baggyman? Open ground or (as some Grapes are trying) in containers? Sprouts need quite firm soil - mine is very light so I've given up growing them too - no matter how I try they suffer from wind rock.

[baggyman]

open ground and in fairly heavy clay soil.

[sarraceniac]

Have you fed them? They need watering with a high nitrogen feed or dig in broadcast some sulphate of ammonia or dried blood (BFB would do). Probably a bit late for this year though. Try again next year and feed them early. Good old horse muck, or home made fertiliser where human urine has been used as an accelerator, is very helpful too in clay soil.

[Two_Sheds]

I have light sandy soil (not ideal for sprouts) and I never use horse muck, just a little BFB at planting time. I firm the soil around the sprouts (all brassicas in fact) by treading on it, and I earth the stalks up too.

Still, some will blow (Evesham were awful) and some are great (Trafalgar, Maximus).

[Snadger]

.......................Still, some will blow (Evesham were awful) and some are great (Trafalgar, Maximus).

Yep I totally agree..............however much I like using open pollenated varieties wherever possible....................... I always find in the case of sprouts that F1's perform a lot better!

Glad to hear that the NEW clubroot resistant variety Crispus F1 is a Maximus type!

'Blowing' is supposed to be associated with not healing in and consolidating ground at planting time, but some varieties just don't perform for me WHATEVER I do for them.
As TS says Trafalgar and Maximus have done well for me this year!

[baggyman]

Thanks for the advice.
By the way somene at he lottie has reccommended a variety called sheriff but I can't find any mention of them anywhere. Are they still available?

[allaboutliverpool]

The secret with sprouts is to compress the soil after digging by walking on it until you think that nothing could grow.
When you are satisfied that the ground is compressed enough, then do it again!
Make holes with a dibber which should now be quite hard work and fill each hole with water.
Allow to drain and insert the sprout plants, filling any space with soil.
Now compress the soil around each plant by standing on it, and using the ball of the feet, go round in a circle.
You should now have a slight depression around each plant which will retain water when you now water again.
Allaboutallotments

[snuffer]

I have always been told (by gardeners much more experieced than me) that here are three main reasons why sprouts blow. As has already been mentioned not firming them in well enough, poor seed quality (not much you can do about that one) and overwatering.

This months GYO has an article about growing sprouts. One tip is to transplant young plants into a trench. That allows you to fill in the trench as they grow in order to give the plants more support. It also promotes additional root growth (again offering more support to the plant).

Having said all that I have two rows of Brussels Sprouts, all planted at the same time and in the same way. Most are doing very well but a few have got some blown sprouts on them.

[kajl]

I copied the next alloment to mine he has been there for 24 years, dig a hole a spade width squared about 6 to 8 inches deep then plant out in the base of hole when brussels get tall enough fill the hole back in. then you get extra 6 to 8 inches of the stem of the plant in ground,this done when you walked on soil before digging holes

[Aberdeenplotter]

I grow a variety named cascade which matures in time for xmas lunch. Sprouts don't need anything special. keep the ground fertile by digging in farmyard manure in a good rotation system. Brassicas all benefit from having the surrounding soil well tramped in.

[Two_Sheds]

So, my sprouts are rubbish again this year. I managed to pick 9 sprouts off 5 plants, the rest have blown.

What a waste of space: I'll plant more black kale & cabbages next year instead

[SarzWix]

I forgot to grow any this year The OH is not amused that he won't have lovely red sprouts for Christmas dinner, but shop-bought green ones instead!

[sarraceniac]

I forgot to grow any this year The OH is not amused that he won't have lovely red sprouts for Christmas dinner, but shop-bought green ones instead!

How do you get on with red ones Sarz? I fancy growing some next year in the hope that when the grandkids come at Christmas they may actually eat some. It worked with multi-coloured carrots and yellow toms., so if red sprouts don't have any complications, I thought I might give them a try.

[maytreefrannie]

Mine are just a few little leaves clinging on where the rest of the sprout has blown away.

Shop sprouts this year.