Brussels sprouts experiment

[Newton]

Nutters.....you are all nutters! Let's see the photos!

[veggiechicken]

That's what they said about Newton after an apple dropped on his head
Be patient - go to sleep dreaming of sprouts................

[Newton]

If I dream of sprouts.....then you will be white witch.......I hope I dream of something different......but as I never remember my dreams I won't be able to tell you......goodnight!

[veggiechicken]

Last night I dreamt that my bath was suspended beneath a railway line, and I couldn't work out how to get in it without train passsengers seeing me. Dreaming of sprouts would be a blessing after that!
Sleep well, Newton!!

[veggiechicken]

Photos as requested!!
Of 12 mouldy sprouts, 6 were saved from the compost, the worst of their outer leaves removed and stuck in trays of MPC. Now in the GH as I do not want to smell them indoors again

[alldigging]

wow! fancy that. If we ever had spare sprouts I might give it a try, but as is might try with the bases I cut off.

[veggiechicken]

O ye of little faith!! The bases would probably be better as there is less green stuff to rot.
The leeks I grew from bases are romping away in the GH too.

[alldigging]

O ye of little faith!! The bases would probably be better as there is less green stuff to rot.
The leeks I grew from bases are romping away in the GH too.

Def going to give it a try. Which means more sprouts! Yes! Not had any for ages. mmm

[sammy_roser]

HMMM They look ... tasty?

[alldigging]

Well mine appear to be doing something on the top - little nodules.
I think there's a tiny root on one of them. I'll have another look in another couple of days!

[veggiechicken]

Looks like little baby sproutlets forming You're going to be a Sprout MoM - Congratulations AD

[BertieFox]

Having been really impressed with Chou d'Aubenton, the perennial kale you just root from shoot cuttings, I tried to do the same with shoots from my Brussels plants. At first I was really encouraged as they grew away quite well, but of course, although they made quite good roots, they just flowered as soon as they got into late spring, and even pulling the flowers off didn't lead to another sprout (or a cabbage). I've just been reading a brilliant book called 'Breed Your Own Vegetable varieties' by Carol Deppe (Chelsea Green publishing, United States... available via Abe Books), which has lots of good ideas for making your own crosses... even a cabbage with a brussels! What I'm hoping to do is to take the pollen from my perennial kale and pollinate some flowers on the sprouts, or on a broccoli, to see if any of the offspring might have increased rooting ability and perennial tendencies.

[veggiechicken]

Have you seen this kale & sprouts cross Bertie? Brassica 'Petit Posy Mix'™ - Brassica & Leafy Green Seeds - Thompson & Morgan
I'm going to give it a try this year

[BertieFox]

Have you seen this kale & sprouts cross Bertie? Brassica 'Petit Posy Mix'™ - Brassica & Leafy Green Seeds - Thompson & Morgan
I'm going to give it a try this year

I'd seen it in their catalogue but was wondering what was the difference between this and a sprout plant that has just 'blown'....I'd be interested to hear how it grows when you have tried it. I find the sprout shoots in the spring really tasty at a time when there's little else, and you can go on harvesting them for ages.

[alldigging]

I've also got a savoy cabbage base in a dish too, and some leek bottoms in pots in the greenhouse... and guess who bought a pineapple from aldi last night?