Sprouts for xmas

[andy]

I read on the BBC website that if you sow them now, you can harvest sprouts in 100 days....ie xmas.

anyone done it ? are there any particular varieties that are better than others.

Many thanks

[Jasmine]

I'm intrigued.
I'll be lucky if my spring sown ones are ready in time for Christmas at the rate they're going.

[Tig]

I would be amazed too! 100 days from sowing to harvest .... my books say that they take 28 weeks for the earlier types and 36 weeks for the late varieties!

Not read anything about any new quick growing varieties either???

x Tig

[andy]

www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A848595

Brussels Sprouts

Love 'em or hate 'em, Christmas dinner wouldn't be complete without a handful of those little green balls of trouser-trumpers rattling around the plate between the parsnips and the chipolata sausages.

Brussel sprouts or Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera, take up to 100 days from seeding to harvesting, so to get your sprouts on Christmas Day you should be sowing seeds in early/mid-September. Alternatively, in early/mid-October, you should be able to get established seedlings from the local nursery.

Propagate these seedlings in rows a metre apart, with a foot or so between each plant. Water well (if Mother Nature doesn't do it for you) throughout the growing cycle, easing off a couple of weeks before you need to harvest. Shortly before harvesting, and as the lower leaves show signs of turning yellow, nip out the central stem of the plant. This will curtail vertical growth and will ensure that all the sprouts on the stem ripen at once. Ideally, old Jack Frost will be nipping at your nose during this fortnight, keeping the sprouts firm and tasty. Mild weather will give you mushy, loose, open sprouts.

To harvest, pare the sprouts off with a knife, or break them off by hand.

[Tig]

Hmmm, well I think you would be lucky to get sprouts the size of peas in 100 days from how mine grow.

You could sow some and amaze us Andy

x Tig

[Chuckles]

I just googled and found what you quoted Andy ;D

In for a penny as they say, I've just found some Sanda Brussel seeds in my box. This is what it says on the pack.........

The essential cold-weather vegetable. Sanda is extremely cold hardy for harvesting throughout the winter. We like it because it makes nice round tight sprouts quite early in the year, but then stands well for a long time overwinter. Cold-hardy sprout. Sow March/April for harvesting throughout the winter

I'll sow a few in the GH to get them started and we'll see what happens, they can be planted where the spuds were.

Just noticed they were packed in 2007, will they still be ok ? ?

[Ladygardener]

I'm amazed. Mine have been growing for months and they're about the size of a pea at the moment.

[Tig]

Anyone else got any seeds left to try? I shall sow four tomorrow - we can compare notes and then rubbish the BBC article if none of us succeed

x Tig

[Jasmine]

I haven't got any more seeds but I am still intrigued - how will they grow as everything cools down so much?

[Chuckles]

I've got about 50 of the Sanda seeds if anyone wants to try some, as I mentioned earlier they were packed in 2007

This is Sanda www.realseeds.co.uk/sprouts.html

[Tig]

I've sown four Brilliant f1 seeds in individual pots and put them in one of the growhouses.... don't think they will germinate outside while it is soooo bloomin cold!

x Tig

[carolann]

Just seen this thread, good luck everyone I hope you all get something. One of my plants has some nice sized sprouts on and I picked some of them last week they where very tasty.

[snowowl]

Stand back from Carolanne then ;D

[Chuckles]

12 seeds sown today

[Tig]

I have lift off - two out of the four germinated today!

x Tig

[Tig]

All four have germinated now - wonder if it is 'cheating' growing them in the plastic growhouse?

Tig

[Tig]

50% annialated overnight

Can't decide whether it was slugs or earwigs!!!

[Ladygardener]

What a shame. I did notice up at the allotment that there were a lot of earwigs Tig.

[Tig]

I reckon it was earwigs LG, cos both stems are intact just the baby leaves lying alongside them in the pots! If it were slugs they would have disappeared totally I think. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

[Chuckles]

Sorry Tig flippin critters

I've just checked mine, 2 up so far ;D

[Chuckles]

Well out of 12 I have 3 just showing true leaves but I can't see as I'm going to be eating anything this christmas ;D I'll pot them on and see what becomes of them

[Auricula]

Lucky escape I'd say ;D..........I hate sprouts ;D
they're not as bad as butter beans or ( worst of all) broad beans.....but pretty yukky and avoided at all costs in our household 8-)But...good luck to those who try ;D

[farmersboy]

Sprouts and Broad Beans,i luv em Auricula,in fact theres no veg i really dislike,,to pop sprouts in my mouth,whole,one after another,and id rather have a dish of BBs,than a dish of chocolates ;D

[Auricula]

[Chuckles]

3 youngsters potted on into 5" pots. I'll eat the compost they are growing in if I get brussels off them for xmas ;D

[Auricula]

;D ;D might be tastier Chuckles ;D ;D

[Chuckles]

Oct 31, 2010 17:17:23 GMT Auricula said:

;D ;D might be tastier Chuckles ;D ;D

You could be right Auricula ;D ;D

[Tig]

Well I'm going to say that the Beeb got it wrong on this one! There is no way that the seedlings will grow into anything worth harvesting by Christmas, mine are barely past the first two leaves

But we tried

x Tig

[Chuckles]

How could we have been sooooo gullable Tig ;D As you say ....... we tried.

I'm going to keep my 3 plants and see how long it does take or if they produce at all

Oh and Andy for starting this thread ;D ;D

[Ladygardener]

Perhaps you will all have sprouts for Easter instead.