Blown Sprouts

[Chef_uk]

As you may remember, i left mine for all of mother nature to use and abuse and i now unsurprisingly have every sprout blown apart from the very top 10" growth which is new. Will they have time to grow and stay closed or am i really flogging a dead horse with them?

[Florence Fennel]

Take the tops off and use like cabbage, which will hopefully make the sprouts at the top - well - sprout!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Sprouts have a tendency to blow if the soil below them has not been very well firmed at planting time. Keep flogging the horse, it's not dead yet and you may well manage to get an acceptable plateful for xmas.

[Thelma Sanders]

I trod my beds down as hard as I could, and they've still blown.
I'm blaming the mild weather, and hoping the later varieties will be ok *fingers crossed*

[Florence Fennel]

I find it's the stem of the sprout at planting time that has to be really, really firm. I have even been known to wrap the stem in wet newspaper before firming it in. I'm really proud of my sprouts this year, they'll be in a tureen on The Day. Wish I hadn't forgotten about the Red Falstaff plants now, they're a deffo for next year.

[morverngirl]

I staked all my sprouts a couple of months ago, some blown some not!! but as I planted so many I'm OK, had a good few meals already and some lates that will be ready for Xmas. Also found some in Polytunnel, they were unlabelled plants and are doing well.

[Aberdeenplotter]

My own sprouts this year look like being button sized and no more than that. Same variety as usual and same growing techniques also. No point in me moaning though. There's always next year

[Fruit&2veg]

Mine are very uneven this year, some are tiny buttons, others are the best ever-same variety as always, same culture- weird

[SarrissUK]

I have a few brussels plants on the plot, but not a single sprout that I can see. Never grown them before and wasn't really all that bothered if they'd work or not.
My question is though - if they're blown, are they no good for eating, even if shredded and used in stir fries or something?

[Chef_uk]

Cheers all, done that today and removed some more yellow leaves. Will see how they go

[gojiberry]

No reason why you can't use blown sprouts, several seed companies sell a variety that is supposed to blow.

Ian

[morverngirl]

Oh dear, just lifted and chucked blown sprout plants x 2 in compost bin, perhaps if there are more I'll try them in a stir fry.

[Chef_uk]

Take the tops off and use like cabbage, which will hopefully make the sprouts at the top - well - sprout!

There seems to be a couple resembling Brussels Sprouts now so thank you

[vegnut]

Just out of interest, what varieties has everyone been growing ??

[cptncrackoff]

I have had one feed from mine, ive got four plants in raised beds, three next to a fence in the flower bed, the raised bed plants are holding up well, the others have all blown over, quite a few tight buttons apart from the very bottoms where they are more 'loose leaf' lol
I'm growing Bronte, quite tall stalks - nearly 1m!