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Vegetable Gardening

Brussels sprouts as trap crop for aphids?

marketgardenernorthernca

8 years ago

Hey folks,

I have some aphids hitting my brassicas, as they are wont to do. Not too bad though-I've managed with a good ladybug population and one application of pyrethrum. The only crop that was hit beyond saving is a bed of brussels sprouts. the aphids are real nasty on these guys because they get into the sprouts and i'm pretty much unable to wash them out, as you can with aphids on kale, even broccoli. One thing I've noticed, however, is that while the aphid infestation is going nuts on the brussels, the kale and cauliflower that are immediately neighboring the brussels are hardly affected. Like there are only a few aphids here and there. For one thing I think the kale and cauliflower are generally healthier/stronger plants... But I have a theory that the brussels are kind of acting like a trap crop for the aphids... Is that theory hogwash or is there something to it. I'm almost tempted to keep the brussels in to contain the aphid population. I worry that if I take them out the aphids will find a neighboring host. It's too bad that the trap crop is a marketable crop, but brussels don't even sell very well for me anyhow. what are y'all's thoughts?

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Yeah, that's very common. If the aphids are on the sprouts themselves, you'll have to wash them before eating. I find that soaking the sprouts for an hour or so helps. As the weather gets colder the aphids will die off but unfortunately they leave behind quite a mess. -Mark Ps. Hey tcstoehr, i'm next door to you in Oregon City. Small world!
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TracyDR: That makes sense. My available horse manure does break down quickly, and in MA we have chopped leaves! I JUST happen to have bed very much like your description. I was planning onions, but perhaps I will put a few Brussels at one end, to test my soil! Mark: I am rolling in cabbage immediately next to the Brussels, and they are just starting to head up nicely. Which is good, cause we just started eating second planting of Caraflex from another bed. I parked them there, on a lasagna compost system, sans carpet, from last year. I didn't expect much, soil was very young, but they are great. Our summer was cooler than usual, nights in low 60's, and hi 50's. Most days 70-80, with a week or so higher in August. Basically perfect broccoli weather. A local vegetable gardening friend told me to look at calcium in the soil. Does low calcium affect Brussels, but not cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower? My memory says it is a trace nutrient... Off to check. KateQ
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Frank, Last year I didn't get any brussel sprouts either. I think it was a combo of a very rainy summer, and I planted pole beans and had them growing ten feet tall, which cut off the morning sun. I had brussel sprouts two other years. I had a purple variety (not sure which) that was really flavorful. But the sprouts were small. And I had the traditional green ones too. I'm not home or I'd tell you what I put in this year. It is some kind of heirloom Christmas variety. We can definitely grow them here. In fact I have harvested them as late as early December. I bring them in before deep snow covers them. I always start them indoors early. This year I didn't get them out until late May / June 1. The ones that I planted are doing well this year. Today I started three more seedlings indoors as I was aware of the fact you might be able to start them later; not sure how that works, but I'll find out. Spring came so late.
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Wrong, wrong, wrong! They will never mature and from sprouts if you plant in August with the possible exception of very fast growing varieties. I have learned the hard way that Tilth is right. They need to be started between April and the end of June. They grow over the summer and form sprouts in the fall. Then they mature/harden up in the cooler fall/winter weather which lends them a great flavor. Start now, protect the young plants from cabbage root maggots (floating row cover works well) and then protect the sprouts from blue-colored aphids as soon as they begin to show signs of forming. Be religous about scouting the beginning sprouts (and the leafy crown which aphids also relish) or the whole effort will be for nothing. Many other brassicas do great planted mid-summer to early fall, but not Brussels Sprouts.
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