The cross between Brussels sprouts and kale is conquering German gardens. We show what you should consider when planting, caring for and harvesting Flower Sprout.
Feel like trying something new in the vegetable garden? How about a mixture of Brussels sprouts and kale, for example? If you now say that it doesn't exist, then you don't know the Flower Sprout yet. The cabbage novelty from Great Britain is still something very special in this country, but definitely worth trying to grow.
The trendy vegetable with the mild, nutty-sweet taste has already spread to many European countries. In the following sections we will explain how the delicate roses thrive best and what to look out for when growing them.
Origin and Characteristics of Flower Sprout
Flower Sprouts are a species of flowering plant in the cabbage (Brassica) genus and belong to the cruciferous plant family (Brassicaceae ). The British vegetable breeder Tozer Seeds worked for 15 years until the new cabbage creation celebrated its premiere in 2010 at the British retailer Marks & Spencer. In terms of growth, Flower Sprouts are very similar to Brussels sprouts, which is not surprising since they are a hybrid of Brussels sprouts and kale. The edible "roses" grow in the leaf axils on the approximately 80 to 100 centimeters high stems. In contrast to Brussels sprouts, however, these are not tightly and densely packed, but rather form quite loose and curled cabbage florets. These are about 3 to 5 centimeters in size and show a greenish to violet colour, which varies depending on the variety. The Flower Sprout is robust and quite hardy, which is why it can easily spend the winter outdoors in most parts of Germany. The florets can only be damaged at extremely low temperatures.
Summary of Origin and Characteristics of Flower Sprout:
- Breeding from Great Britain
- Robust, plant
- 3-5 cm ruffled florets
Flower Sprout Strains
The variety of flower sprout varieties is still very clear, sinceit is a fairly new breed. You can find or order Flower Sprout seeds online or in well-stocked garden shops. We have selected two strains that we recommend for growing in the garden:
- Petit Posy: Attractive, new cabbage variety with a beautiful violet appearance; the delicate cabbage heads are red-green or just green.
- Autumn Star: Some similarities with the Petit Posy variety; however, the color of the tiny cabbages is a lot greener.
Buy Flower Sprout
Because Flower Sprouts are still quite a rarity, it is difficult to find young plants in classic garden centers, hardware stores or nurseries. However, you can purchase Flower Sprout seeds and then grow your own plants. You will learn how this works best in the next sections.
Grow Flower Sprout
Flower Sprout are heavy feeders that need to be adequately fed. The right location, sufficient fertilization and irrigation play an important role.
The right location for Flower Sprout
Flower Sprouts like sunny to partially shaded locations and prefer deep, humus-rich soil. Due to the long cultivation period with large growth, an adequate supply of nutrients is essential for a high-yield harvest. The pH value of the soil is also important, especially in order not to open the floodgates to clubroot, a soil-borne plant disease. Values between 7 and 7.5 are optimal.
Tip: If you want to grow cabbage rosettes in your garden in the long term, you need good crop rotation. Flower Sprout after other relatives of the cruciferous family, such as broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), cauliflower (Brassica oleraceavar. botrytis) or kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes), growing is not ideal . Neither do cruciferous plants as green manure crops, such as oilseed radish (Rhaphanus sativus var. oleiformis) or oilseed rape (Brassica napus ) if you want to avoid cabbage diseases and pests. Leek (Allium porrum var. porrum), Onions ( Allium cepa Cepa Group), Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) or Sweetcorn (Zea mays convar.saccharata).
What location does Flower Sprout need?
- Sun to partial shade
- Deep, humus rich soil ph between 7 and 7.5
- Crop rotation: four-year break in cultivation with cruciferous plants; Sweet corn, leeks and onions are well tolerated
Sowing and planting Flower Sprout
If you would like to start growing your own young plants, you can do this from the end of March in the greenhouse or under fleece in the outdoor bed. If you don't have a greenhouse or fleece, you can also prefer the plants to a sunny spot on the windowsill. At temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees, the seeds start to germinate without any problems. Seed boxes filled with mature, sieved compost are suitable for sowing in the greenhouse. At a distance of 5 x 5 centimeters you can use a hole punch to press in 1 centimeter deep wells for the seed. Place two seeds in each hollow and cover lightly with soil.
After the first cotyledons have formed, the plants can be separated. Seeds that have emerged twice can be transplanted into their own pots. This also applies to pre-cultivation on the windowsill. In the last week of May until the first week of June, the plants have already developed 3 to 4 true leaves and are ready to be transplanted to their final location.
Tip: Two weeks before planting out, you can feed the plants with a liquid fertilizer such as Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer. This makes your plants more resistant to diseases and pests and ensures a rich and aromatic harvest.
Flower Sprouts need space, so a distance of about 50 centimeters should be planned between the individual cabbage plants and a row spacing of about 70 centimeters for cultivation in beds. After planting, it is important to water vigorously, as the plants will already root about 30 centimeters deep in the first four weeks. To ensure that no cabbage pests, such as diamondback moths or cabbage moths, attack the plants, you can cover the plants from the start with insect protection nets with a mesh size of 1.35 millimeters.
How to plant Flower Sprout?
- End of March: pre-cultivation in the greenhouse or on the windowsill or direct sowing under fleece
- Seed depth: about 1 cm
- End of May: plant young plants
- Planting distance: About 50 cm
- Row spacing: About 70 cm
- When planting out: water vigorously
- Insect protection netsPest Repellent
Care for Flower Sprout: Everything for watering and fertilizing
Sufficient fertilizing and watering are the be-all and end-all so that the heavy feeder Flower Sprout can achieve a good yield. The plant has a high water requirement, which is why it is important to pay attention to sufficient water supply. If the garden soil is not particularly good, we recommend improving it with compost or organic fertilizer. If organic fertilizer is used, it should be worked into the soil two weeks before planting. After two months of standing time, it can be fertilized repeatedly. Our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer is perfect for this. Due to its ideal nutrient ratio with long-term effect, it can perfectly meet the demands of the flower sprout. At least 6 weeks before harvest, however, no more artificial nutrients should be added, otherwise the taste will be severely affected.
Can you multiply Flower Sprout?
Even if kale (Brassica oleraceae var. sabellica) and Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleraceae var. gemmifera) both belong to the cruciferous family, their crossing has resulted in a completely new variety. This makes Flower Sprout a so-called hybrid variety that you cannot reproduce yourself at home.
Harvesting and storing Flower Sprout
The harvest can start in October and be carried out in several stages until January, depending on requirements. In the event of severe after-frosts below -4 °C, however, the plant should be covered with a fleece. It is harvested by hand by breaking off the small florets from the stalk. Flower Sprout is best stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Here it stays fresh for about a week, but then it should be eaten. It is also important that the florets are not stored too close to fruit and vegetables that will ripen later, such as apples or tomatoes, because these form a ripening gas that causes the flower sprout to wilt faster.
Ingredients and uses of Flower Sprout
Flower Sprouts are real vitamin bombs that can be eaten raw or cooked. Whether fried, blanched, steamed or boiled, the miniature cabbages are ready in just a few minutes without losing their consistency or taste. The newcomer within the Brassica oleracea is used, for example, as a warm winter salad or as an accompaniment to hearty dishes.
The Flower Sprout is a successful hybrid of Brussels sprouts and kale. But the two types of cabbage also have a lot to offer individually. We provide you with the bestBrussels sprouts and kale varieties.