How to grow Brussels Sprout

Brassica oleracea (Gemmifera Group)

Prefers full sun,4 will tolerate light shade in warmer regions.

Growing Brussels sprout from seed

Seeds will sprout in about 5-10 days.5

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 8.97 inches (23.0 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.47 inches (1.2 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 4°C / 39°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Brussels sprout about 21 days before your last frost date .

Harvesting Brussels sprout

The “small heads”, “buds” or “sprouts” are found at the base of each leaf. These buds are harvested when they attain 1 to 2 inches in diameter, are firm, but before they turn yellow. Harvesting starts about 90 to 100 days after field seeding. The sprouts begin maturing from the bottom upwards. The sprouts can be picked several times or harvest can be delayed and the whole stalk taken at once. In picking, the leaf below the sprout is broken away from the main stem. Harvesting should start before the lower leaves begin turning yellow. Often the central growing point is removed to hasten harvest. This is done when the sprouts are well formed.As the lower leaves and sprouts are removed, the plant continues to grow upwards producing more leaves and sprouts. The plant will withstand frost and can be harvested until freezes occur. The best quality sprouts are produced during periods of sunny days and light frosts at night. Hot weather results in soft, loose or open sprouts of poor quality.

One plant is capable of producing about 2.5 to 3.0. The frequency of harvest and the number of harvests depends entirely on the weather. During the earlier, warm periods harvests may be every 7 to 14 days with about 2 to 6 sprouts being removed per harvest. As the weather becomes cooler harvests may be delayed to once every 3 to 4 weeks, with as many as 10 to 15 sprouts being removed from each plant at each harvest.

Sprouts should be cleaned, trimmed of loose leaves, and sorted to remove those that are soft, damaged, or too large size. Unless refrigerated, the sprouts’ color and quality deteriorate rapidly. They can be stored for periods as long as 30 days if kept at 32 0F and 90 to 95% humidity.1

Seed Saving Brussels sprout

Brussels sprouts will cross-pollinate with all other Brassica oleracea, so isolate when planning to save seed.5 Dig the plants in fall and pot them in sand.5 Replant in early spring. Harvest seed pods when dry. 5

Black rot, black leg and black leaf spot are seedborne diseases. Hot water treatment can reduce transmission.

Seed viability is four years.

How long does Brussels sprout take to grow?

These estimates for how long Brussels sprout takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Brussels sprout to germinate?
6 days

Average 6 days | Min 1 days | Max 20 days (201)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Brussels sprout?
+ 49 days

Average 49 days | Min 6 days | Max 92 days (53)

Days to Maturity How long until Brussels sprout is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 178 days

Average 178 days | Min 52 days | Max 295 days (118)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Brussels sprout?
= 233 days

When should I plant Brussels sprout?

Our when to plant Brussels sprout estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Brussels sprout before or after your last frost date.
21 days before Last Frost Date

Brussels sprout Etymology

The modern Brussels sprout that we are familiar with was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium (hence the name “Brussels” sprouts) as early as 1587.3

Other names for Brussels sprout

Brussels sprouts

Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera, Brassica oleracea

Misspellings: Brussel Sprout, Brussel sprouts, Brussels sprouts

Footnotes

1 North Carolina University Cooperative Extension

2 “Cranshaw, Whitney. Garden Insects of North America, pp 304-305, Princeton University Press, 2004”

3 BrusselsSprouts.com

4 High Mowing Seeds – Organic Brussels Sprouts – Growing Information

5 Seed Savers Exchanged-saving


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