packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
My brussel sprout plants are about four feet tall, and not nary a sprout on any of my plants. Lots of leaves. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to remove the bottom leaves or not.
Veg Brussel Sprouts
- Thread starter packyderms_wife
- Start date
Martinhouse
Deceased
If you don't want those plants to be a total waste, dehydrate the leaves and crush them up. They will taste good in potatoes or rice. I do this with kale and broccoli leaves as I loathe the taste and smell of cooked green vegetables and I can't wear dentures so I haven't been able to eat them fresh for years.
I read once that the leaves of the broccoli plant are as nutritious as the head. Maybe that's true with Brussels sprouts as well.
I read once that the leaves of the broccoli plant are as nutritious as the head. Maybe that's true with Brussels sprouts as well.
DON'T HURT THEM- at least, not yet!!
Are you SURE you don't have "baby" sprouts just starting at the axils of the leaves? I've never seen that happen, but there's always a first time!
Brussels Sprouts take a LONG season (hybrids @110 days *from transplant*, OP up to 150 days *from transplant*... one main reason why I have to stick with hybrid varieties around here)
Now... to get mature sprouts of fairly uniform size, but when YOU want them (preferably, a week or so after your first solid frost)... figure out the approximate date for that first hard frost (not first nip). Count back 3 weeks. On that date, prune your Brussels sprouts plants back, taking the growing point (top of plant). To make sure you get it, make sure you take out the first 3-4 leaf nodes. (they're close together that far up)
At this point, the plant will stop putting energy into growing up, and will immediately start putting it into sizing up all the baby sprouts on the plant. Naturally, the taller the plant got before this point, the more sprouts you'll get... but even rather poorly grown plants will produce some sprouts. And you want to time this if possible to let those sprouts get good and frost nipped a time or two... it sweetens and tenderizes them beyond belief.
Summerthyme
Are you SURE you don't have "baby" sprouts just starting at the axils of the leaves? I've never seen that happen, but there's always a first time!
Brussels Sprouts take a LONG season (hybrids @110 days *from transplant*, OP up to 150 days *from transplant*... one main reason why I have to stick with hybrid varieties around here)
Now... to get mature sprouts of fairly uniform size, but when YOU want them (preferably, a week or so after your first solid frost)... figure out the approximate date for that first hard frost (not first nip). Count back 3 weeks. On that date, prune your Brussels sprouts plants back, taking the growing point (top of plant). To make sure you get it, make sure you take out the first 3-4 leaf nodes. (they're close together that far up)
At this point, the plant will stop putting energy into growing up, and will immediately start putting it into sizing up all the baby sprouts on the plant. Naturally, the taller the plant got before this point, the more sprouts you'll get... but even rather poorly grown plants will produce some sprouts. And you want to time this if possible to let those sprouts get good and frost nipped a time or two... it sweetens and tenderizes them beyond belief.
Summerthyme
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
September 15th is our first frost date. I'll inspect them more closely tomorrow.
Just so you can learn from my mistakes, if you get cabbage aphids, hit them hard and early. It was impossible for me to wash them out when preparing them to eat because of all the nooks and crannies. So I ended up discarding several otherwise decent Brussels sprout plants
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
So I left my brussel sprout plants alone as suggested. The sprouts are getting larger but something weird is going on. At the very top of the plants there appears to be either a very large sprout growing OR it's a baby cabbage. Whatever it is it's very hard and multiple layers thick just like a sprout or a cabbage.
Ideas???
Ideas???
Did you nip the growing point off earlier? If so, it's just the "regrowth"... I had one that put out MULTIPLE attempts at regrowing the growing point. Looked crazy... but I've got tons of nice, large sprouts all along the stem of the plant.
Yarnball... no, "collards" are... well, "collards"!! They are an annual in the same family as the cabbage plants, though
Summerthyme
Yarnball... no, "collards" are... well, "collards"!! They are an annual in the same family as the cabbage plants, though
Summerthyme
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
No, I didn't nip the growing point off, which is why I'm finding this to be an odd occurrence and it's ALL of them, not just one. Our growing seasons has been really weird here this past summer.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Showed hubby the huge tight sprouts atop our brussel sprout plants. The only thing he wanted to know was if it was edible or not! 
My kohlrabi is coming along nicely as well. The broccolini has gone to seed and the kale looks like it's going to go to seed here soon as well.
My kohlrabi is coming along nicely as well. The broccolini has gone to seed and the kale looks like it's going to go to seed here soon as well.Let it grow until the lower bottom sprouts look the size you normally see and buy in the supper market and pick only the big ones.
The sprouts higher up on the stalk will grow a little faster after the first picking.
Don't worry these plants don't mind cooler weather and hit with a light frost will keep going and improve the taste. A frost may or will turn the outer leaves on each sprout black and just peel them off no big deal
The sprouts higher up on the stalk will grow a little faster after the first picking.
Don't worry these plants don't mind cooler weather and hit with a light frost will keep going and improve the taste. A frost may or will turn the outer leaves on each sprout black and just peel them off no big deal
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
It's supposed to freeze hard here this weekend. Should I leave my plants as they currently are or...???
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Next year, if it begins to regrow that giant "sprout " (I've never seen that before! I have seen it put out several growing points, or small sprouts), snip it off as son as you notice it. You would gave gotten much larger, and more uniformly suzed, sprouts.
They will taste wonderful anyway, but youre going to wish youd had a lot more!
I assume you know to blanch the sprouts after trimming and cleaning them, then cool and drain. Then, spread them onto cookie sheets in a single layer (putting one of those flexible cutting boards underneath makes it much easier to remove them). Once frozen, scoop them into heavy freezer bags or other freezer containers. You can scoop out as many as you want this way, rather than having to cook an entire quart bag (or whatever) and then have leftovers to contend with.
We only had 4 decent plants this year (rabbits or something nibbled them badly when they were small) I ended up with a little over 6 quarts of cleaned sprouts in the freezer. Next year, I'll plant a dozen plants so I hopefully get enough to last us most of the winter.
BTW, Brussels sprouts are one vegetable variety where hybrids outperform OP varieties by SO much, that ill never plant OP types unless i have no choice.
Summerthyme
They will taste wonderful anyway, but youre going to wish youd had a lot more!
I assume you know to blanch the sprouts after trimming and cleaning them, then cool and drain. Then, spread them onto cookie sheets in a single layer (putting one of those flexible cutting boards underneath makes it much easier to remove them). Once frozen, scoop them into heavy freezer bags or other freezer containers. You can scoop out as many as you want this way, rather than having to cook an entire quart bag (or whatever) and then have leftovers to contend with.
We only had 4 decent plants this year (rabbits or something nibbled them badly when they were small) I ended up with a little over 6 quarts of cleaned sprouts in the freezer. Next year, I'll plant a dozen plants so I hopefully get enough to last us most of the winter.
BTW, Brussels sprouts are one vegetable variety where hybrids outperform OP varieties by SO much, that ill never plant OP types unless i have no choice.
Summerthyme
Chicken Mama
Veteran Member
Yes, looks like you should have let them go longer. We had four plants this year for DH and I, and we harvested 12 quart freezer bags full. I put 20-25 in each bag after blanching them 4-5 minutes (depending upon size), which is just enough for a meal.
My mother only boiled brussels sprouts when I was a kid and I hated them. But once I found out about cutting them in half and frying them in a skillet until browned and softened, I was hooked. Sometimes I add red onion, garlic and/or bacon. Yum!
My mother only boiled brussels sprouts when I was a kid and I hated them. But once I found out about cutting them in half and frying them in a skillet until browned and softened, I was hooked. Sometimes I add red onion, garlic and/or bacon. Yum!
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
Thank you, they are in the fridge right now, I had dinner and this weeks food prep to deal with first. I'll remove them tomorrow and give them a quick blanch and then freeze them on a tray. Good to know about that giant sprout, I think I may have asked about this earlier in the thread. Next year it's going to go bye bye if they show up on the new plants.
We bought the plants from a local greenhouse, she has beautiful plants and they always perform well for me, so I'll have to ask next spring if they're OP or hybrid.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
No rain we're in drought conditions right now, and below zero temps, with potential ice storm, later this week, so I harvested them while OC was home to help me deal with the garden stuff. Everything is cleared off, mulched and ready for winter now.
I do this and add red pepper flakes, tamari soy sauce and juice of a half of an orange, the flavors are out of this world!