Both can handle hard freeze, and certainly frost, though I might be inclined to try and protect the broccoli against a hard frost, especially if the plants are very young.

brussel sprouts are a champion brassica for cold weather. They overwinter here with ease.

Both of those will live through the winter with ease in your climate. I let some Brassicas overwinter last year and all of them lived through several nights in the teens and highs below freezing. I even had an 'Early Snowball' cauliflower grow through the winter and produce the head in March.

When there is a hard frost or freeze, the leaves do look quite different and are weighed to the ground. They return to looking normal when they thaw out.

Back when the TV show Victory Garden was good, a sure sign of good things to come was Roger B Swain wading out into the drifts and digging out Brussels sprouts for Marian to do her magic with.

Dan

Thanks guys! You're all always so helpful!

I just got done building a greenhouse... 12 foot by 30 foot....

This is my first year trying to grow a winter garden in the greenhouse or out of the greenhouse...

My broccoli and brussel sprouts all look great. I put miracle grow on them the other day and wow, they doubled in size since then.

Looks like I'm gonna be eating some of both soon enough.

Another question...normally how long does it take for the brussel sprouts and broccoli to 'make'? Both have already been planted a month or more with transplants bought from home depot.

Broccoli about two months, but there are varieties that take longer. BS about four months. You do not need a greenhouse to grow a winter garden in Houston. Grow everything winter outside, use the GH for tomatoes and other summer crops. Besides what you have, lettuce, spinach, chard, favas, virtually any winter vegetable will take freezes.

Agree with glib. Winter crops in a greenhouse there will suffer in quality due to heat stress often throughout the winter, no matter how well it's ventilated.

Sorry.... my greenhouse is for tomatoes...

I was wondering if I needed to put the other plants inside it or not...but I guess not LOL!!!

If it makes you feel better...we got down to 9*F on Thursday after a snowstorm with howling winds, etc. Brussel sprouts and collards looked fine when it got up to 52*F today. They were frozen solid for 3 straight days, plus 2-3 freeze/thaw cycles following. Bok choy without snow cover got some damaged petioles and water-soaked spots. Kale sheltered from the wind was OK but those that flapped around a bit were damaged slightly. Don't have broccoli growing right now.

Back when the TV show Victory Garden was good,

LOL, I do miss those old shows.

Ah yes, Brussels Sprouts harvested in the snow after a freeze. Is there any thing that taste better?

Curt

Posted by dan_staley 5b/S 2b AHS 6-7 (My Page) on Sun, Oct 31, 10 at 11:25

Back when the TV show Victory Garden was good, a sure sign of good things to come was Roger B Swain wading out into the drifts and digging out Brussels sprouts for Marian to do her magic with.
Dan
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Isnt that the truth!! Its a shame that the show went so far down hill. IMO. Used to love watching it, as I always picked up a few good tips. Now, I never watch it.

Whatever happened to Roger and why did the show go downhill, anyone know? I used to love watching it myself.

Greg
Southern Nevada

"Ah yes, Brussels Sprouts harvested in the snow after a freeze. Is there any thing that taste better?"

Absolutley. Sprouts taste far better after they've had a frost on them.
Another one you might like to try is purple sprouting broccoli. It grows all through the winter and produces delicious spears very early in the Spring. It's always my first new crop of the year.

Another one you might like to try is purple sprouting broccoli.

If I had the room, I'd definitely grow some of that. Here, we'd have to use row covers, but still.

I don't know why Roger left the show and it went downhill. I watched one recently and couldn't stand it. He's not at Horticulture any more and I can't read that either. Coincidence perhaps, but its been a while since that was readable.

Dan

You guys don't like that hunk that is always showing his guns on the "Victory Garden" PBS show? Or the chef guy that is always mingling with other dudes in the kitchen? Yeah..the show does suck. They always seem to be in California or the east coast. Just no love for us in the middle of the country. I am a big fan of PBS cooking shows and of course the cartoons.

alamo5000, I wanted to respond earlier with a photo but kept forgetting to take it. We are in the same climate zone. Broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts do wonderful as a fall/winter vegetalbe in our neck of the woods. I usually set out about 150 to 160 plants each year. They tend to do fine as long as the temperatures stay mid 20's or above. They do get a bit stressed in the lower 20's. And, when the temperature stays below 20 for long periods, there will be plants losses.

Anyway, here is a photo. Plants on the back row were planted early September. They are just beginning to show heads. Plants under the date were planted the mid to late October. These late plantings are past our recommended planting window.

{{gwi:118017}}

You guys don't like that hunk that is always showing his guns on the "Victory Garden" PBS show? Or the chef guy that is always mingling with other dudes in the kitchen? I am a big fan of PBS cooking shows and of course the cartoons.

Guns? Are you talking about that gardener guy with the Al Gore accent?

What cartoons, cooking show cartoons? PBS cartoons? Don't think I get any PBS cartoons at all. :( They have been showing lots of travel shows lately, though. I like those.

How fat North can you grow Broccoli? I live in Wisconsin. Is that to far for them?

Here is a link that might be useful: Natural Fat Loss

Mlb2010 posts a link to a money making website totally unrelated to his post on the very first day he joins Garden Web.

Dare I ask if he is a spammer?