Brassica oleraceae - Gemmifera group

Brussel Sprouts

Edible herb. An erect stem to 1m (3 feet) with small, compact, edible buds. Thick lower leaves, rounded or obovate. Inflourescence of white-yellow flowers in terminal racemes.

Uses

Can take up to seven months from planting to maturity. Harvest while hearts are still small and tight. Plants will often last for two seasons. Hearts can be steamed or boiled. Vegetable.

Culture

Prefers full sun, but requires cold weather for the formation of tightly formed hearts. Plant in late summer after the hot weather has passed. Requires ample moisture and well drained soil. Prefers a fertile soil high in nitrogen and phosphorous during the early stages of growth. Iron and boron are also important. Prefers a soil pH of 7.0 Can suffer from damping off in wet soils. Can also suffer from downey mildew and alternaria. Protect from cabbage white butterfly, snails, slugs, aphis, maggots and cutworms. http://osu.orst.edu/Dept/NWREC/brussprt.html

Propagation

Seed sown in early autumn once summer heat has subsided.