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Vegetable Gardening

Brussel sprout tilting, do I prune?

12 years ago

I have 1 brussel sprout growing, I planted it in mid-June. I'm not sure the variety, I bought it at a nursery. I have a lot of nice little sprouts growing, but it's getting very big and leaning towards one side. I picked off a few sprouts on the bottom that looked a little beat up. I've noticed in posts others talk about pinching the tops or cutting off leaves? I've never grown them before, and I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to be doing right now. It seems like I'm lucky that this plant has done so well with very little care and now that sprouts are forming, I don't want to mess it up. What should I do? I'm nervous it will tip over. I did stake it, but it's outgrown the stake!

I do know if I grow them again next year, I will plant them further back in the garden, so they don't shade my fall broccoli and cauliflower that has made a comeback after being eaten down my a groundhog :)

{{gwi:117871}}

Thanks,

Michele

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Comments (8)

feijoas
12 years ago
Brussels sprouts plants get huge. I'd replace the stake with a larger one, just try to poke it in the same hole to reduce root damage and tie the plant to it.
I use old cotton sheets, torn into strips, to tie up all sorts of things: sprouts, tomatoes, favas...at the end of the season it all just goes on the compost pile.
stuffradio
12 years ago
That's an awesome looking plant you have! I agree with staking it with a longer and thickish stick.
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Never heard that one macky. I think they all prefer pretty fertile soil. I think it's all about a timing thing. I've had differently timed successions of broccoli and cauli in the same plot turn out different sized heads. I can plant them from Aug-Feb, but I notice the closer I get to the winter solstice to planting, the smaller the head. Which makes sense because the amount of sunlight. I also notice that my winter harvests(when planted in late/summer/early fall) are a bit better than my early summer summer harvests. With my Brussels, I get big plants and I get sprouts. They're just always loose leaf sprouts. I read last year that July is supposed to be optimum for them here, so I'll give it one more shot I don't know how that's supposed to work out though -- our summers don't really get going until late july. Kevin
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Rick (and others), Here's a tip seldom seen or discussed here on GW. Ralph Snodsmith, the host of the weekly radio program "Garden Hotline", states emphatically the following: "Religiously, every 1st week of September, I recommend the center growing tip of the Brussel Sprout plant be cut out. By doing so, all energy now goes to producing and growing the sprouts instead wasting it by continuing top growth. Results are very significant". (paraphrased, but his gist) He also recommends the removal of the bottom leaves as you've already discussed here. Ralph is in NY State, so keep that in mind for timing. If anyone wants to check out his credentials, it's easy to do by simply Googling his name or the Garden Hotline. I offer this because I don't grow Brussel Sprouts myself, but I will tell you that Ralph's life is gardening and helping others with problems or enhancing their harvests. Cordially offered, Hal, in scorched PA
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I think it would be a good idea to try this question over on the Vegetable Forum where there are people who will know your conditions. I am very dubious about cutting down the Brussels sprouts because in my climate they have a very long growing season. Sow in March, plant out May/June and harvest Oct - February depending on variety. So I really doubt you can start from scratch now and get Brussels sprouts before the winter. I have never heard of cutting them down and can see no reason for it. You say the cabbage and sprouts look pretty good so why would you want to get rid of them? You'd be putting them back by months. They are biennials and if they survive the winter they will bolt next spring. You can tell they've bolted because they will have large bunches of yellow flowers.
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No. Brussels Sprouts are not fruit, they are leaves. They do not result from flowers so no pollination is required. In fact you do not want them to flower. If yours have flowered they are too old and of no further use as vegetables. Assuming they are not flowering look in the leaf axils of your plants. There should be a small round bud developing in each axil. If they are not there possibly you planted out the sprouts too late for them to develop before the winter.
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michelelc
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you! I put a very large wooden stake in this weekend, and it's not leaning as much. It still seems to grow crooked.
azmab
12 years ago
Just curious. From noon until 5pm, where is the sun in conjunction to that monster plant? Is it pointing to the sun by any chance?
michelelc
Original Author
12 years ago
No, actually it's pointing (or tilting) away from it. It's shading my poor broccoli seedling that is to the right of it. I don't hold out much hope for any fall broccoli!
flora_uk
12 years ago
The lovely friable soil in your raised bed might be contributing to the list on that plant. Traditional advice over here is to tread down the soil when you plant them so they are firmly anchored through the winter. You can earth them up as well as staking. They will grow new roots from the stalk. Regarding your broccoli plant, the two are a bit too close together. A full grown sprout needs a couple of feet all around. You could also reduce the wind resistance by cutting out that healthy looking top and eating it as greens. They are delicious.
michelelc
Original Author
12 years ago
actually, there are several deceptive things about this picture. The brussel is "in" the raised bed, but I built the raised bed around it, after I planted it. My friend came up with the idea to put the board between it and the rest of the bed so I could fill the rest of the bed with soil and plant fall brassicas (on the right). I decided to put raised beds in mid-summer, and didn't want to disturb the brussel. There is at least 2 ft between plants, but since the brussel is leaning to the right it seems like there is less. But, this is my first year trying to grow a brussel sprout and I think I have beginners luck because I didn't do much except add manure and fertilize twice. I had no idea they grew so big!
beeman_gardener
12 years ago
As well as the other good advice, if you want larger sprouts I would suggest you pull off most of the lower leaves. This will concentrate all of that growth into the sprouts, that's in addition to removing the growing tip, tasty eating.

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