brussel sprouts and kale - feed now or not?

[vegelady]

Hi
I have never grown brussels or kale before but both are doing really well - should i feed them now before the winter, have tiny sprouts appearing and already eaten kale thinnings. If so what should I use, comfrey pellets, tomorite, chicken pellets? So far only fed them on compost when I made bed and blood, fish and bone.
thanks
Alison

[rustylady]

They shouldn't need feeding if the bed was prepared well. Too much feed at this time of the year will encourage soft growth which will be vulnerable in the winter.

[vegelady]

thank you I did wonder that but all my books say they are heavy feeders, but I will leave well alone and leave them to their own devices

[gojiberry]

Definitely no feed now. A feed could well put the sprouts into overdrive and the sprouts could well blow. Although blown sprouts are all the rage as there is now seed available that produces rosy coloured sprout florettes. If the kale is a late variety that blossoms into life in spring then you could feed when it starts to show life come spring.

Ian

[smallblueplanet]

How big should kale plants be by now?

[Alison]

How big should kale plants be by now?

Very much a piece of string thing ie what variety / when you planted them / when you want to harvest. I have some Red Russian type which is about 2.5 to 3' tall and harvesting a bit now - to be honest it's more advanced than I meant but I planted it out a bit early. Also have some Black Tuscan which is about half that size and will be left well alone for a few months yet.

Back to feeding, don't feed when growing at all but did add plenty of chicken manure early on this year before planting out.

[Two_Sheds]

My dwarf curly kales are no more than 12" high and nice & bushy.

My cavolo nero has decided not to play again this year: it's at the one inch seedling stage and going no further