Growing Brussels Sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with garlic or sautéd with lemon and butter are a hearty garden treat. A personal favorite is pan roasting the miniature cabbages in olive oil, bacon, onions and garlic, spooned over a creamy Parmesan polenta.

Growing Brussels Sprouts is all about timing. It is a long season crop that achieves the best flavor if matured after the first frost. Count back the days to maturity from the first frost date in your area. Plant Brussels Sprout seeds directly in the garden in a warmer climate. Start transplants inside in a cooler climate. Get them in the ground when you set out your warm season crops. Plant seeds 1/2″ inch deep and thin to 2′ apart when the seedlings are 5″ to 6″ tall. Rows should be 3′ to 4′ apart. Mulch to retain even soil moisture and keep weeds down. As the little sprouts mature, harvest from the bottom of the stalk, removing the leaves as you go. Moderate feeders, like Brussels Sprouts, enjoy a dose of manure tea or other fertilizers about once a month.

Our generous packets plant 15 feet of row.

Good companions are basil, mint, garlic, marigolds, nasturtiums. Bad companions are strawberries, kohlrabi or pole beans.