Brussels sprouts: The traditional vegetable is a vitamin C bomb and therefore ideal for the cold season! With our tips, cultivation will also work in your garden.
Particularly in Belgium, England and Holland, Brussels sprouts are a popular part of the menu. It is not surprising that the classic winter vegetable is popular in Belgium, as this is also where it is believed to have originated. Brussels sprouts were first mentioned in the 18th century by a Belgian plant, which gave Brussels sprouts the name “brussels sprouts” in English. Researchers are still not completely clear about the origin of Brussels sprouts: either it is a mutation of sprouts (hence sprouts) or a natural and accidental cross with a wild type of cabbage.
Synonyms: Brussels Sprouts (English), Choux de Bruxelles (French)
Growing instructions: This is how Brussels sprouts thrive in your own garden
In terms of cultivation, Brussels sprouts are very similar to cauliflowers, but the Belgian contemporary is a little less demanding. In general, Brussels sprouts are biennials, but they are mostly cultivated as annuals. As is usual with cabbage species, flowering only occurs in the second year.
Brussels sprouts can either be bought as seeds or as young plants from a garden center in the spring. You sow from the end of February to March (sowing depth: ~0.5 cm), prick out the seedlings with a height of approx. 10 cm (two to three weeks after germination) and place the young plants in their final place from the end of May to the beginning of June . This is best in a bed with heavy, nutritious soil and sunny to partially shaded conditions. If you don't have humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil in your own garden, you can also improve the soil with a nutrient-rich vegetable soil such as our peat-free Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil. This not only increases the nutrient content, but also improves the soil's ability to retain moisture. Brussels sprouts generally need a lot of water. In the summer months, the plants should not experience any stress from drought. To ensure a good rose formation,should also be watered from time to time in autumn.
The distance between plants should be 50 cm and between rows 70 cm. If you have used a nutrient-rich soil for planting, such as our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil, the first care fertilization should take place after 3 months at the latest. A primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is ideal for this. Fertilization may be stopped six weeks before the earliest possible harvest. Brussels sprouts are one of the so-called hoe plants: With a hoe, the soil can be loosened and piled up around the plants two to three times during the summer. As already mentioned: When it is dry, you have to water it, because if you stress Brussels sprouts with a regular lack of water, they will quickly acknowledge their thirst with a poor harvest.
From the end of August, the tops of the plants can be snapped off. This encourages the development of the roses. Round, firm roses form in the leaf axils on the 80-100 cm high stalks.
You can find out more here: Growing Brussels sprouts: Sowing, care and harvest time.
Brussels Sprouts Varieties
You can find a comprehensive overview of varieties here: Brussels sprouts: choosing the right varieties to grow.
- Brigitte (F1): High-yielding new breed with high yield and good resistance to mildew and rot.
- Faksstaff: variety with purple leaves and roses.
- Feast & Lots: further development of Rosella; Fest & Viel grows a little larger and matures a little later; Breeder: Wolfgang Kreimer
- Hilds Ideal: Traditional variety that is very productive and tolerates frost very well. Hilds Ideal takes a long time to ripen the medium-sized roses and should therefore be sown early.
- Red Ball: new breed with red colored roses; high yield and quality taste; can already be harvested from October, if in our opinion some frost should come before harvest. The lower the temperatures fall, the more intense the reddish color becomes; when cooking, Red Ball hardly gives off the typical smell of Brussels sprouts.
- Roodnerf: Late, quite vigorous, high-yielding and hardy variety; should be sown early; Stems are partly colored slightly violet; intense taste and therefore the ideal accompaniment to hearty food.
- Rosella: Early-ripening variety of Brussels sprouts with medium-sized, round to slightly oval roses.
Harvest: Who are waitingcan be rewarded with a fine aroma
It is best to wait for the first frosts, as temperatures below freezing point have a positive effect on the aroma. If the temperatures fall below zero, the starch in the Brussels sprouts is converted into glucose.
Older varieties ripen from the bottom up - the plant must therefore be harvested several times. More modern F1 varieties are specially bred for yield and simultaneous maturation. Thus, all roses can be harvested in one fell swoop.
Since Brussels sprouts are hardy, only as many roses should be harvested as can be processed directly in the kitchen. Brussels sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. But it is better to freeze the fine roses directly. First, wash the Brussels sprouts thoroughly. Yellowing and unsightly leaves are then removed. Home cooks argue about whether to cut roses in half for faster freezing and thawing, or whether to blanch roses before freezing. From our experience it has been shown that there are no discernible differences in shelf life and taste. So we tend to the motto: everyone as they like and as they see fit. Similar to white cabbage, Brussels sprouts can also be hung upside down in a dark and cool cellar, complete with the stalk and root system. In good conditions it lasts for a good month.
Ingredients and uses in the kitchen
Brussels sprouts have a fairly high protein content, which is significantly higher than other types of cabbage. The contained sulfur compounds and mustard oil glucoside have an antibacterial effect. These substances are currently also being examined by the pharmaceutical industry for their anti-cancer effects. The fact that Brussels sprouts contain a lot of vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals is a little better known. You can hardly have enough vitamin C, especially in the cold season, and magnesium is particularly recommended for muscle cramps.
The roses should be blanched briefly first. Then you can fry Brussels sprouts in butter for a few minutes and season with a little s alt and spices.
Diseases and pests in sprouts
All cabbage species need some attention when it comes to diseases and pests. Young Brussels sprouts are often attacked by slugs immediately after planting. This problem can easily be solved with slug pellets or a slug fence. In the fall and winter, the roses on the plant should be checked for rot every few days. The best way to dispose of rotting tubers is with household waste.
The common cabbage diseases such as cabbage white, cabbage fly and clubroot cause major problems. Therefore, the stalks and roots should not rot in the bed during harvest, but should be disposed of in the residual waste. It is better to avoid growing Brussels sprouts and other types of cabbage at the chosen location for the next three to four years.