skip to main content

Vegetable Gardening

Brussels sprouts

13 years ago

My Brussels sprouts from last year were an utter failure, bugs and pests got to them... but one hung on over the winter. It has flowered and gone to seed (which I've removed). I've looked and looked, but I can't figure out if it will produce sprouts or if I should use the valuable space for something else/replant a new BS.

Any information is appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

twc015
13 years ago
Once they begin the flowering process, they will not produce any more sprouts. You can go ahead and pull them.

My Brussels sprouts overwintered (I wanted them to produce seed) and each sprout becomes a seed stalk.

They also quit growing after the seed sets and begin to decline.
iconoclasthero
Original Author
13 years ago
Ok... I'll yank them tomorrow... If it were to happen again and I was to clip the flowers as soon as I saw them would they act as perennials? Any way to force that?

When you get them to produce seeds, how long did you have to wait until you harvested the seeds to save them? Do they need to dry out or anything?
Related Discussions
brussel sprouts question
Q
Comments (20)
I have just sown my Brussel sprout seeds in peatless compost. They will be planted on into 3" pots when they are big enough to handle and then I will grow them on in the pots until they are about 6" tall. They will then be set out into the soil about 2' apart each way. I do not add any compost or fertiliser to the soil because this makes the buds "blow" or open out. Also during the year I tread around the base of the plants and then hoe them up so that they do not blow over during windy weather. Although they can be harvested from October to November where I live, I find they taste much better if you pick them after they have had a frost on them. They taste their best if you can prepare and cook them within an hour of picking. Here is a link that might be useful: Tony's allotment garden blog
...See More
brussel sprouts sprouts
Q
Comments (12)
These were not just a few aphids! They were covering the plants and down into the leaves of the buds! Yuk! I sprayed before pulling because there were so many and I didn't want to shake them (live) all over the rest of the garden! I think they've already hit my new broccoli. I've never HAD aphids in the 6-7 years I've been vege gardening. What I have now is chard, some snow peas, some late green beans, I'm just pulling up the tomatoes, some broccoli and I have lettuce and beets ready to plant. Do aphids bother any of these, or should I shut down the garden for the winter?
...See More
brussel sprout blooms but no sprouts...
Q
Comments (3)
I'm not sure about the timing of your planting. Cold temperatures strongly induce flowering in these plants. I'm not even sure that removal of the flower stalk could have prevented this process. Once this plant flowers heavily and goes to seed, it will no longer devote energy to bud (sprout) development. Seems like these plants should be planted in the late summer for fall harvest or in the early spring for summer harvest. Here is a link that might be useful:
...See More
Is this normal for sprouted brussel sprout seeds?
Q
Comments (6)
if you are talking about that fuzz at about 6:30 .. id probably pic it out ... im sure you have more than enough ... are you growing these for micro greens??.. if not.. put them in media.. immediately ... or just dump the whole lot.. and start on top of media ... curious where you are .. big city name ... do you have enough season left.. to get them from seed to product ... im surprised you started them this late.. but i dont know where you are ... where i am.. you buy sprouts as well started plants ... so that you can get them to harvest in october ... i would not be able to start seed in the ground and get that far by fall ... if i wanted to start them indoors... i would have started at least a month ago ... and most likely.. i wouldnt have wasted the space indoors on this type of late season plant ... ken
...See More
twc015
13 years ago
I don't think they can behave as perennials because when they reach the flowering stage, even if you cut off the flowers, the plant is still in the reproductive mode and will keep trying to flower.

The seeds seem to take forever to mature - mine started flowering in March and just now are all the seeds mature. The seeds pod (though not a true pod) will begin to turn yellow and then brown. I've read that they will not mature after removing from the plant. Once the seed pods turn
brown, they will crack open very easily if touched and the seeds will burst out. The seeds all begin to mature at about the same time, it takes about 3 weeks for all seeds to be dry, with the earliest flowering ones coming first.

I haven't tested the germination of any of the seeds I saved yet. I will try a couple of the plants in the fall. I will have mystery plants though as I had Jade Cross E hybrids and Long Island Improved (open pollinated) flower at the same time and a few broccoli plants flower.

The plants produce a very large amount of seed; I haven't counted but I can see thousands of seed from the small amount I harvested so far and I have about 10 plants total.
iconoclasthero
Original Author
13 years ago
Yeah, the one plant I had was pretty prolific as far as seed pods. I tasted one and it wasn't bad but not great either. My rabbits seem to love the sprout leaves so I'll feed a little to them over the next few days and then pull it out. (I had two does kit over the last month so they're a hungry bunch.)

Thanks for the info. Good luck with the mystery plants! :)

Related Stories

COOL-SEASON CROPS Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Brussels Sprouts

By Marianne Lipanovich

If you love 'em (you know who you are), fall and spring are the right times for planting these veggies in your edible garden

0

GARDENING GUIDES 11 Favorite Edibles for Your Cool-Season Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant crunchy carrots, crisp radishes, tender peas and other vegetables for fall and spring harvests

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Create Your Own Farm-to-Table Experience

Create an edible garden with these tools, seeds and planters — then enjoy the bounty at your table

0

FARM YOUR YARD Houzz Call: Home Farmers, Show Us Your Edible Gardens

By Stacy Briscoe

We want to see where your tomatoes, summer squashes and beautiful berries are growing this summer

DECORATING GUIDES An Expat’s Guide to Making a Home Away From Home

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

How do you stay balanced when each foot is in a different culture? You take a stand where you hang your hat

FARM YOUR YARD 14 Crazy Places to Grow Edibles

By Annie Thornton

Some Houzzers may lack ground for gardening, but they’re never short on imagination

GARDENING GUIDES Organic Matters: Thwart Insect Pests With Trap Crops

By Therese Ciesinski

Add a few sacrificial plants to your garden to lure insects away from the harvest

FALL GARDENING 7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax

GARDENING GUIDES Mid-Atlantic Gardener's January Checklist

Scatter berries while ye may, be kind to your fair-feathered friends and try a time-saving compost trick that will keep you out of the cold

KITCHEN DESIGN Not a Big Cook? These Fun Kitchen Ideas Are for You

By Laura Gaskill

Would you rather sip wine and read than cook every night? Consider these kitchen amenities

Sponsored

More Discussions

gave my garlic a haircut today

14

How often to add soil sulfur?

5

Al's Potting Mix-pine bark fines

6

Does sevin work on bare dirt?

14

Confused about overwintered potato plants

3