Sowing Kale & Brussel sprouts

[Jonny.D]

I'm confused as for when I should, or should have, sown these to overwinter.

I thought sprouts should be sown in Autumn and the Kale now

Any advice, please?

TIA


JD

[bario1]

I don't grow sprouts, but I sow my kales in March to make sure I had nice strong plants for winter.

[Alison]

I sowed my sprouts in March and planted out in late May. They need to be big before winter. Kale is more flexible as depends when you want to eat it and at what size. Mine was sown in late April bug I think you could sneak it in now if you're quick.

[Jonny.D]

I found the document I'd saved saying that Sprouts can be sown later in the year

Sow in spring to harvest in winter or in autumn for harvest in late spring to autumn

Originally from this site

Brussels Sprouts 'Evesham Special' Seeds

. . . though Info is gone as they are out of stock


Still confused as I've been unable to find any other info to corroborate the info I had saved from the seedaholic site

PS Sowed some Kale

[Jungle Jane]

To over winter them you can sow Brussels sprouts in the autumn,makes nice big plants for planting out in March but mind the wind a shelter helps. I started some Evesham special seeds one autumn (October I think) & it was nice having the plants growing when not much else grows,I potted them on twice before planting out. They were good plants

[Jonny.D]

I sowed the kale Mid July and it's doing OK

[Jonny.D]

The kale did well, the Brussel sprouts not so much.

[Jungle Jane]

Brussels sprouts look alright,are they growing upright or at an angle? You could dig them out & straighten them up now before they get too big,but take a good width of soil,if they’re straight just ignore all that,they’ve got a good head start for the year.

[Snoop Puss]

They’ve got a good head start for the year.

People here buy Brussels sprouts plants sown in July by nurseries. I tried it once but was a bit disappointed with the results and pulled them up in the spring. It had never occurred to me they might carry on and produce later on.

What do you do, Jungle Jane? Just leave them right through the following spring and summer and then start picking in the autumn? The plants must be whoppers by then! Do you get a good harvest? Any tips?

[Jungle Jane]

Just leave them right through the following spring and summer and then start picking in the autumn? The plants must be whoppers by then! Do you get a good harvest? Any tips?

Yes that’s what you do & notice nothing really attacks the leaves over winter,so they get a nice healthy head start. I had a good harvest,my tip would be plant them deep & firm them in well,put all your weight on it firming them in,make some collars with a bit of compost bag to put at the bottom of the stem. Mind the wind they’re shallow rooted,I don’t stake mine but some people might have to if they’re on an exposed site?

[Snoop Puss]

^Brilliant. Thanks, Jungle Jane. So, Jonny.D, you're not late for this season, you've got a head start on the next.

[Bluenowhere]

Last year I sowed my Brussels sprout seeds at end March (only got the allotment in Feb and seeds sowed when I was confident that I would have somewhere to plant the resulting plants. Grew in blowaway growhouse until June, then planted out in plot, were ready to harvest just before Christmas and still going so definitely not too late for this year. As it has been so cold I’ve not started my seeds yet. Probably a job for this weekend.

[Jonny.D]

I was hoping that I would be picking the sprouts in late spring through autumn this year going on the info from the Seedaholic site

"Sow in spring to harvest in winter or in autumn for harvest in late spring to autumn"

[Jungle Jane]

Maybe late summer/autumn,although they’ve put late spring to autumn so they’ve covered a wide timescale including autumn. They’ll be ready to harvest a bit earlier than if sowed in March,like autumn sowed peas are ready to harvest a bit earlier than March sowed peas,they don’t grow much through the winter but they’re a lot better plants than if sowed in March,you could sow a couple of seeds now & compare how great your plants look for months

[Zelenina]

Seedaholic is an excellent seed supplier with an interesting rage of varieties. But I'm inclined to take their information with a pinch of salt. Although that's probably true to to some extent with most suppliers. I think it's best not to rely on any one source of info but check to see if others agree.

Also remember that they are located on the west coast of Ireland where the climate is somewhat different from Essex.