Quote:
Originally Posted by agee12
I expect the brassicas (broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale) to be slow growers but mine are growing very, very slowly. I doubt if I have more than four sets of true leaves. I am not worried about the kale because I am growing for leaves and that will happen eventually, but I was hoping to get a harvest of broccoli and brussels sprouts in by December or January. Personally I don't mind them over-wintering but I've read that the flavor is better if the mature vegetable has been hit by a frost. Also I got harvestable broccoli this past spring, but I am 0 for 2 with brussels sprouts and it is looking like I will be 0 for 3 with the only hope being that I planted a different variety of brussels sprouts so maybe this variety of will head up before bolting.
ETA:
Sorry I did not respond to this earlier. I have not had success with brussels sprouts and this is my first year growing cauliflower. I got germination with the cauliflower but I have to look at my labels to see if it is still alive. I got good survival last year with my broccoli seedlings, I planted Calabrese, but this has not been a good year for broccoli in terms of germination and survival.
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I have been growing Brussels sprouts for years with usually good success. The biggest problem down here is getting them started early enough. BS grow very slowly until the cooler weather of fall. I start my seed in air conditioning in late July or early August. I do now set them out until the nights are nice and cool and the days are no longer hot which down here can be anywhere from mid October to mid to late November.
They are extremely heavy feeders so it is important to prepare the soil very well. I usually put in lots of cottonseed meal, some alfalfa pellets, some chicken manure, and compost. I space the plants about 3 feet apart and mulch them lightly to keep down winter weeds and prepare a hoop to cover them if temps are going into the very low 20s or below. I try to feed them every week or two with some Urban Farms Vegetable formula or some Miracle Grow. They need to grow right through the winter and the earliest I usually get sprouts is in late Janurary but usually in February they start making pretty good. Once the spring warmth gets here they will make like crazy until it starts getting too hot. As soon as it feels like it is getting a bit too warm I crop the top to encourage faster growth on the remaining sprouts.
You need to get a variety that makes as quick as possible down here or unless we have an exceptionally long and cool spring you will not make much. The variety that I have had the most success with the last few years is Hestia.
Bill