Planting and caring for Brussels sprouts outdoors

Popular with experienced gardeners, Brussels sprouts are quite simple to grow. Of all the known cabbage varieties, this one stands apart. However, in our gardens, it is considered a rarity due to its peculiar capriciousness and low yield. But this is far from the case.

You can grow a vegetable in a country house in the open field in the Moscow region, plant directly from seeds, or plant seedlings first.

What is Brussels sprouts

The plant is two years old, has a thick stem, reaching a height of one meter. On it there is a long-peaked foliage with a multi-colored bubbly surface. The top of the stem is crowned with a leaf rosette.

By the fall season begin to form small loose or dense heads of cabbage, outwardly resembling white cabbage forks. Their diameter is two to five centimeters, grows on one stem from 30 to 70 pieces.

The plant is unpretentious, frost-resistant, the vegetative period is 4-6 months, so it is recommended to grow the culture using the seedling method.

Each stem grows 30-70 heads of Brussels sprouts

Cabbage has a delicious taste and contains many useful vitamins and mineral components.

Origin story

Culture is considered a variety of white cabbage, in the wild in nature does not come across. Its predecessor is kale, which grows in the Mediterranean. The Belgian selection experts bred the Brussels vegetable, which was the reason for this name.

Over time, the vegetable began to be grown in the countries of Western Europe, and it got to the east in the middle of the nineteenth century, but did not take root due to the difficult climate. But Canadians, Americans and Westerners began to plant crops in industrial quantities.

Beneficial features

This variety of cabbage contains:

• cellulose;
• folic acid;
• proteins;
• vitamins of various groups;
• phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iodine, sodium salts;
• amino acids.

The vegetable is used in dietary nutrition

According to this composition, the product is classified as a valuable food and medicine.

Cabbage is recommended for diets prescribed for children and the elderly. Perfectly helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Cabbage juice has a diuretic, choleretic, hematopoietic, anticancer, antitoxic, anti-inflammatory effect, stabilizes the working capacity of the pancreas, is recommended for those suffering from diabetes mellitus. Cabbage helps with wound healing after surgery.

Vegetable count gourmet food... It is used in salads, first courses, side dishes, can be pickled and even frozen.

The most popular varieties for cultivation

The most famous are:

• Garnet bracelet... Excellent resistance to cold weather, gives good yields, ripens four months after transplanting seedlings. The stem grows up to seventy centimeters, forms about forty heads of cabbage of a delicate taste;
• Dolmik... A hybrid of Dutch breeders, grows up to fifty centimeters. Heads of cabbage are yellow-green, their weight is about twenty grams. After cooking, they become delicate in taste;
• Boxer... High-yielding hybrid plant, excellent resistance to diseases and harmful parasites. Heads of cabbage are round, green in color, quite tasty;
• Funny company... Medium-sized culture, heads of cabbage are dense and very tasty, purple hue;
• Curl... The best and most productive variety bred in the Czech Republic. The stem height reaches ninety centimeters, forms a large number of five centimeter heads.

How to grow from seeds

To obtain strong plants, it is recommended to take care of the planting material. For preventive purposes, seeds should soak for 30 minutes in hot water, then cool quickly.

Sowing dates

Sowing is best from mid-March to early April.

For seedlings, a temperature of no higher than six degrees Celsius at night is required, and about eighteen during the day. So it is better to place the containers for planting on the balcony or in the greenhouse.

Seedling care

After three to five days, the first shoots appear. At this time, you should remove the plastic wrap from the boxes, rearrange them to more illuminated places. To prevent the seedlings from stretching out, it is recommended to organize additional lighting.

Seedlings of Brussels sprouts

Cabbage seedlings need abundant watering, but do not get carried away so that the roots do not start to rot. The soil should be constantly loosento provide oxygen access to the root system.

Feed sprouts follow in the phase of the second - third leaves, using Kemiru-Lux. It is necessary to ensure that the composition does not fall on the leaves. The second feeding is done a couple of weeks before transplanting. Urea, copper sulfate, potassium sulfate, boric acid are used for this.

Picking

It is performed for seedlings that have formed one true leaf. Pick pattern - "Six by six" centimeters... Before transplanting, the seedlings are spilled with a weak manganese solution, then they are carefully seated in cups.

Make sure that the roots do not remain bent. Too long are allowed to pinch.

The seedling deepens to cotyledonous leaf... The containers are placed in a shaded place for several days, the air should be humid.

Planting Brussels sprouts outdoors

Transplant seedlings should be after the sprouts appear fourth - fifth leaves... As a rule, this moment falls on mid-May - mid-summer season.

The soil should be fertile, loamy. The preparation of the beds should be done in the fall - dig it up, add lime if necessary. In the spring, the place should be fertilized by adding a bucket of compost or humus to the square of the plot.

For planting seedlings, holes are prepared, in each of which a small spoonful of urea is laid, two tablespoons - superphosphate, a couple of glasses of wood ash.

The landing pattern is "Sixty by sixty" centimeters... The sprout is waddled along with a clod of earth, sprinkled, compacted and watered.

Care rules

Cabbage should be fertilized urea and potassium chloride... Top dressing with boric acid, molybdenum and manganese solution should be foliar. During the period of the beginning of the formation of the ovary, infused bird droppings are introduced with the addition of ash.

The vegetable should be fertilized with urea and potassium chloride.

To accelerate the ripening of fruits and increase their weight at the end of the growing season, it is recommended to pinch the apical parts of the shoots. Rosette leaves are cut one month before harvest.

The plant should be spooled carefully so that the lower heads of cabbage do not begin to rot. In this case, weeds should be removed. These are the basic rules for caring.

Diseases and pests

The main preventive measure is the destruction of harmful parasites that remain in the soil for the winter. To this end, in the fall, you should dig deep into the beds.

In the spring from the beds it is necessary remove weeds the cruciferous family so as not to attract pests. To scare away cabbage flies, you can sprinkle with tobacco mixed with ash or lime.

Harvesting and storage

In autumn, when the leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off, the heads of cabbage begin to shine characteristically... This suggests that you can start harvesting.

The stem is cut off at the surface of the ground, the remaining leaves are removed. If such a stem with heads of cabbage is wrapped in a bag, it can be stored in a cool place for about two months. In frozen form, cabbage lasts up to four months.

It turns out that there is nothing difficult in growing Brussels sprouts. It remains only to choose the most suitable for the climate variety for your region, and you can start sowing, plant this amazing and tasty plant, which will also look unusual.

Brussels sprouts are a crop that contains a large amount of mineral salts, proteins and vitamins. It tastes more tender than white, so it is used in dietary food for making soups and side dishes. This valuable and useful culture can be grown in a summer cottage.

Outdoor Brussels Sprouts

Earlier on the territory of the Soviet Union, one variety of Brussels sprouts was cultivated - Hercules 1342. Nowadays, new varieties and hybrids have appeared that can be grown throughout Russia.

Since cabbage has a long growing season, the market offers:

• early varieties. They became widespread throughout the country, since the harvest can be removed on the 85-100th day after seed germination. Most Popular:
  • Dolmik F1 (Holland),
  • Isabella (Poland),
  • Long Island Superior (USA);
• mid-late varieties. Plants of small height, on the stems of which from 30 to 80 heads of cabbage can form, for example, such as:
  • Hornet,
  • Vertus,
  • Rosella (Germany),
  • Machuga (Poland),
  • Perfection (Russia);
• late-ripening varieties. They are the most productive, since due to the long growing season, up to 70–120 heads of cabbage can form on the plant. The most famous:
  • Groninger (Germany),
  • Long island (Italy),
  • Meso nano (Italy),
  • Ketskill (USA).

Photo gallery: Brussels sprouts varieties

Planting Brussels sprouts for seedlings

The crop is a plant with a long growing season. Even the earliest hybrids can begin to form heads of 1.5 cm no earlier than 100–120 days from sowing. Therefore, it is recommended to grow Brussels sprouts through seedlings, especially in Siberia, the Moscow region, the middle lane or the northern regions of the country.

Landing dates

As a rule, planting seeds for seedlings begins in mid-April.You can grow it at home, greenhouses or special nurseries.

Seedlings of Brussels sprouts are grown at home, greenhouses or special nurseries

Soil preparation

For seedlings, a loose, moisture-capacious substrate with a neutral reaction is suitable. It is advisable to harvest it in the fall. The best option would be sod land (you can take soil from under deciduous trees). Sand, high moor peat, as well as perlite or vermiculite are added to the soil, with the help of which moisture in the soil will remain for a longer time.

Soil with the addition of vermiculite will retain moisture longer

The soil in the open field begins to be prepared in the autumn. To grow Brussels sprouts, it is better to set aside open, sunny places. If this is not possible, it can also grow on acidic soils, since it is rarely affected by a keel.

Since the culture is demanding on soil fertility, fertilizers should be applied during its processing (per 1 m2):

• 60–90 g of phosphate fertilizers;
• 90-120 g of nitrogen fertilizers;
• 60–90 g of potash fertilizers.

During autumn digging, it is necessary to add 2/3 of the recommended amount, and nitrogen fertilizing can be replaced with rotted manure. The rest is brought in in the spring when planting seedlings directly into the holes.

Seed preparation and sowing

To select the best planting material, prepare a saline solution by dissolving 50 g of salt in 1 liter of water. Seeds are poured into it and mixed well. After 5 minutes, those seeds that settle to the bottom can be used for sowing, after rinsing them under running cold water.

It is also desirable to carry out disinfection by heating the seeds in water at a temperature of 50 ° C for 20 minutes. To do this, you can use a thermos, in which the water will remain hot for a long time. This exercise helps to avoid keels and fungal diseases during the growing season of the crop. After that, the seeds are cooled in water and planted in the ground.

Since all types of cabbage do not tolerate transplanting well, seedlings should be grown in separate cups or special cassettes with a volume of 200 ml. When sowing in cassettes, 2-3 pieces should be placed in each compartment, to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. When growing seedlings with subsequent picking, 100 ml of soil is enough for the seedling.

Seedling trays are lightweight, compact and have drainage holes

The author of these lines grows plants in seedling boxes. To do this, it is necessary to make grooves along a ruler, pushing them to a depth of 10 mm, moisten with warm water, sow seeds, placing them at a distance of 0.5-1 cm from each other. Then sprinkle with earth and compact a little.

To get fast and even shoots, containers with seeds should be placed in a warm place, covered with glass or foil.

Growing seedlings

When seedlings appear, the film or glass is removed and the seedling pots are placed in a bright place. The temperature during the day should be about 20 ° C, and at night - 16-18 ° C. With this thermal regime, the seedlings will not stretch out and will be strong.

Seedling care:

1. The bushes should not be moistened very often and only if the soil dries out. To determine the need for watering, it is enough to check the soil moisture at a depth of 10–15 mm. Watering is best done with a strainer so as not to wash out the ground.
2. For prophylaxis, seedlings can be watered with a solution of phytosporin or pink potassium permanganate. This will avoid the appearance of a black leg. Also, seedlings can be powdered with wood ash, to which a small amount of colloidal sulfur is added.

   Watering seedlings with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate will protect it from diseases

3. If the seeds were sown in a common container, then after the seedlings have the first true leaves, pick the seedlings into separate peat or plastic glasses with a volume of at least 20 ml. The procedure is carried out using a special peg, taking out the plant with a lump of earth and pinching the root.When placing a seedling in a new pot, the bush should be deepened to the first true leaves. It is impossible to plant deeper, as this can cause rotting of the stem.

   The pick is carried out using a special spatula or peg, taking out the plant with a lump of earth and pinching the root

4. After picking, the seedlings are well shed and removed in the shade with an air temperature of about 20 ° C. After the seedlings start growing, they are placed in the brightest and coolest place, where the temperature is maintained at 16-18 ° C. Under these conditions, young cabbage forms a more powerful root system.
5. Plants can be hardened after the air temperature warms up to 10 ° C in the daytime. It should start with a few minutes, bringing the seedlings outside at noon. After the plants get used to the sun's rays, it can be left outside in the morning, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors until 4-5 pm.

   Before planting seedlings in the ground, they are hardened

6. 3-4 days before planting seedlings in the ground, if the weather permits, they can be left outside around the clock.

When sowing seeds in seedling cassettes, the emerging seedlings are thinned out, leaving one of the strongest plants in the cell. When thinning, you should not pull out the bushes, since in this case the root system of the young seedling is damaged, which can lead to a delay in the growth of seedlings.

Do not overdo the seedlings, as large plants with a large number of leaves do not take root well and give a small harvest.

Seedlings ready for planting should be healthy and have 3-4 true dark green leaves.

Planting seedlings in open ground

You can start planting seedlings after the soil has warmed up to 10 ° C.

The best precursors for Brussels sprouts are nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes), pumpkin seeds, legumes, and onions.

Fertilizers applied to the hole (see above) are well mixed with the ground. After that, the soil is well shed and seedlings are planted. It is necessary to maintain a distance between plants in a row of 40 cm, and between rows - 60 cm. The ground should be well pressed so that there is no air left near the roots of the bushes.

Brussels sprouts can be used as wings for peppers and eggplants, as supports for cucumbers, as a sealant, placing plants in garden crops or in flower beds.

Cabbage is planted in well-moistened soil.

Direct sowing of seeds into the ground

Sowing seeds directly into open ground can be carried out when the ground warms up to 10-15 ° C. In this case, you will need early and mid-late varieties with a growing season of no more than 120 days.

Seeds are usually sown in rows. But we plant in a nesting way. After sprouting, we thin out the plants. At the same time, we leave only the strong, characteristic of this type of plant. The distance between the remaining bushes should be 50 cm.

Outdoor care for Brussels sprouts

After the seedlings have been planted in open ground, it is necessary to maintain soil moisture at a level of at least 80%. For this:

• carry out regular watering in small doses, carefully moisturizing the plant so as not to flood the growing point;
• as soon as the seedlings take root and start growing, abundant watering is carried out at the rate of 25-30 liters per 1 m2. Small grooves are made between the rows of cabbage, along which water is poured, when moisture is absorbed, they are poured;
• during the growing season, it is necessary to carry out several abundant watering. They are especially important during the period when heads of cabbage begin to form. At this time, especially in hot weather, it is necessary to carry out abundant irrigation at least once every 10–12 days;
• after each watering, the soil must be loosened to avoid the formation of a surface crust, which interferes with normal air exchange and promotes rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil;
• an excellent agricultural technique is mulching the soil with grass or other materials, for example, black non-woven cloth. In this case, moisture remains in the soil longer, which makes it possible to reduce the amount of watering. In addition, a superficial crust does not form. Mulch also stabilizes soil temperature and inhibits weed growth.

Brussels sprouts do not need hilling, as the heads of cabbage begin to tie from the lowest leaves.

In the case of drip irrigation, regular irrigation is sufficient to maintain soil moisture.

Since a sufficient amount of fertilizer is applied before planting, there is no need for additional fertilizing during the growing season. However, if the plants are grown on poor or sandy soils, then two additional fertilizing can be done:

1. 2 weeks after planting in the ground. As soon as the plant starts to grow and a new leaf appears, they are fertilized with nitroammophos (1 tsp for two plants).
2. When the heads of cabbage begin to form, 25 g of potassium fertilizer (potassium sulfate), 25 g of superphosphate (after dissolving it in hot water) and 1 tbsp are dissolved in 10 liters of water. l. nitroammophos. Cabbage is spilled with this solution (1.5 liters per plant).

All dressings are carried out on wet soil to avoid burning the leaves and root system. After feeding, you also need to spill some water on the plants to rinse the fertilizer off the leaves.

When growing Brussels sprouts, it is necessary to carry out one important agrotechnical technique - punching (pinching the top of the plant). As a result, the outflow of nutrients to the forming heads of cabbage begins, accelerating their growth and maturation. The operation should be carried out on late-ripening varieties and hybrids no later than August, this is especially true for the northern regions, Siberia and the Moscow region. For early and mid-late varieties, the edging is not carried out.

Video: mistakes when growing Brussels sprouts

Collection times and storage methods for Brussels sprouts

The cabbage of early varieties is harvested all at once, when the diameter of the heads of cabbage is more than 1.8 cm. The heads of cabbage of the middle and late varieties are plucked from the plants and put into processing, repeating the process 3-4 times.

A head of cabbage is considered fully ripe if the leaf underneath turns yellow or has fallen off.

However, modern hybrids are characterized by simultaneous maturation of heads of cabbage, without the dominance of lower heads. Therefore, such plants can be uprooted and, if necessary, stored in a cellar by digging in the roots in wet sand or sawdust. This allows you to extend the ripening period of the crop and contributes to the accumulation of sugars in the heads of cabbage.

Brussels sprouts can be harvested in several stages

Video: growing Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are not yet widespread among Russian vegetable growers. However, thanks to breeders breeding new varieties and hybrids, the demand for it has increased significantly. In modern varieties, heads of cabbage ripen at the same time, which greatly facilitates their collection and processing.

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Brussels sprouts are an unusual biennial plant with a thick stem 30-100 centimeters or more in height, on which green or green-purple leaves are located. Small dense or loose heads of cabbage with a diameter of 2 to 5 centimeters are formed in the leaf axils by autumn. In the second year, the plant blooms and forms fruits - small brown seeds enclosed in pods.

Brussels sprouts are the most valuable food and medicine. It contains a significant amount of protein, fiber, folic acid, vitamins E, C, PP, provitamin A, B vitamins, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, amino acids.

Growing Brussels sprouts in the open field is an exciting activity that many vegetable growers and summer residents have liked. The resulting rich harvest of the most valuable vegetable crop allows you to diversify your diet and improve your health.

Varieties, which variety to choose?

Photos of Brussels sprouts

Among the varieties of Brussels sprouts, there are early ripening (ripening period of about 130 days), mid-ripening (130-150 days) and late ones, which will take 150-170 days or more for maturity.

Early varieties

1. Rosella - a variety of German selection, characterized by a high yield, heads of cabbage weighing an average of about 13 grams are formed and ripen almost simultaneously.
2. Casio - a variety of Czech selection, high-yielding, cold-resistant, stem height reaches 1 meter, heads (about 70 per plant) are green, dense, round, weighing up to 15 grams, with excellent taste.
3. Dolmik - Dutch hybrid up to 50 centimeters high, with yellow-green heads of cabbage weighing about 20 grams, which acquire a delicate taste after cooking.
4. Franklin - a productive hybrid, the heads of cabbage are green, round, with an excellent taste.
5. Garnet bracelet - a cold-resistant hybrid ripening 120 days after planting in the ground, withstanding frosts down to -7 ° С. On a stem with a height of 60-70 centimeters, 30-40 dense, rounded purple-red heads of medium size are formed, which acquire a delicate taste after heat treatment.

The early maturing varieties also include Isabella, Commander, Rudnef, Frigate, Oliver, Explorer hybrids.

Mid-season varieties

Among the mid-season varieties of Brussels sprouts, the most popular are:

1. Garnet - cold-resistant hybrid variety, stem height reaches 70 centimeters, heads of cabbage (30-40 pieces) are round, maroon.
2. Boxer - a high-yielding hybrid variety, cold-resistant, resistant to pests and diseases, round heads of cabbage, green, with excellent taste.
3. Diamond - a hybrid variety with high productivity and disease resistance, dark green heads of cabbage, with a pleasant taste, reaching 3 centimeters in diameter.
4. Perfection - the best for the Moscow region, the Urals and Siberia, a productive variety of Russian selection with green heads of excellent taste.
5. Funny company - medium-sized variety, heads of cabbage weighing 10-12 grams are dense, green-purple, with excellent taste.

The well-known mid-season varieties Dauer Riesen, Hercules, and the Maximus hybrid have also proven themselves well.

Late varieties

This category of Brussels sprouts is represented by the following varieties:

1. Curl - a variety of Czech selection, one of the most productive, the height of the stem is about 90 centimeters, the average weight of the heads of cabbage is about 15 grams, the diameter is up to 5 centimeters.
2. Gruniger - cold-resistant variety, green-orange heads of cabbage, weighing up to 18 grams and up to 4 centimeters in diameter. The fruit improves its taste after being exposed to a light frost.

Landing dates

For the cultivation of Brussels sprouts, the Russian climate is rather difficult. In the Urals, the cultivation of this vegetable crop is limited by serious temperature drops and seasonal limits.

Severe return frosts can lead to the death of Brussels sprouts planted too early in the ground. In Siberia, its cultivation is possible only through seedlings, which are planted in the ground in the first half of May at the age of two months.

In the conditions of the Moscow region, the cultivation of Brussels sprouts has its own characteristics. In order for the crop to have time to yield a harvest during the season, it is recommended to choose early and mid-early varieties.

Growing seedlings

From mid-March to early April, is the optimal time to plant Brussels sprouts for seedlings.

How to choose a container?

For growing seedlings, containers, boxes, trays or individual cups are suitable, which must be disinfected by treating with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Many growers practice growing crops in cassettes, peat tablets or pots.

Soil preparation

Seeds of Brussels sprouts are sown in large containers or separate pots with fertile, well-moistened soil, which is prepared from equal parts of peat, turf and sand with the addition of 10 tablespoons of wood ash for every 10 kilograms of soil. For disinfection, it is recommended to spill the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate before planting.

Seed preparation

The seed is heated in water at a temperature of 50 ° C for 15 minutes, and then immersed in cold water for 1 minute.After that, for 12 hours they are kept in a solution of trace elements, then washed with clean water and placed in a vegetable box of the refrigerator for a day. Then they are dried so that the seeds do not stick to the fingers.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Those who are used to growing seedlings in large containers should keep in mind that there should be a distance of at least 3-4 centimeters between the seeds of Brussels sprouts. Seed placement is carried out to a depth of 1-2 centimeters.

If the crops are kept under film or glass at a temperature of 18-20 ° C, shoots may appear after 4-5 days. After that, the cover must be removed and the crops must be moved to a loggia, a glazed balcony or to a heated greenhouse.

Seedlings require a night temperature not higher than 5-6 ° С, and a daytime temperature - 16-18 ° С. Before planting in open ground, seedlings of Brussels sprouts must be moistened and loosened. The substrate in the container should always be moistened, but in no case should it be overmoistened in order to prevent the seedlings from getting sick with the black leg.

Picking

If the seedlings of Brussels sprouts grow in a common container, they are picked in the phase of development of cotyledon leaves. The soil is preliminarily watered with a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate, the seedling together with the earth lump is removed from the substrate and transplanted into a separate pot. If necessary, shorten the central root.

Top dressing

After the pick, when 2-3 true leaves appear in the seedlings, they are fed by preparing a solution of 10 liters of water, 20 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of ammonium nitrate, 10 grams of potassium sulfate. After 2 weeks, the seedlings are re-fed.

For this, 60 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of ammonium nitrate and 20 grams of potassium sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters of water. After each top dressing, it is recommended to water the substrate with water at room temperature.

2 weeks before planting in open ground, the seedlings begin to harden, daily increasing the time spent on the balcony or open terrace.

Seedling care

To obtain a rich harvest of Brussels sprouts, it is necessary to ensure proper care of the seedlings.

Landing in open ground

To grow Brussels sprouts from seeds, they can be sown at the end of March, as soon as the soil is ripe. It is enough to bury the seeds in the ground by 1 centimeter, keep a distance of 10-12 centimeters between the rows. After watering, it is recommended to cover the area with foil.

Seedlings appear in about 7-10 days. Further care is quite simple: weekly watering and weeding. Slightly raised seedlings are broken through, leaving 1 plant per 5 centimeters. When the plants reach 10-15 centimeters in height, they are planted in holes. Before planting, the holes are spilled with water and a couple of handfuls of loose humus are poured into them.

Seat selection

For planting plants in open ground, they choose the southeastern or southern slopes, which are brightly illuminated by the sun. Potatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, green manures, grains and legumes are good precursors for Brussels sprouts.

After radishes, turnips, daikons, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, cabbage, beets, it will be possible to grow it only after 4 years. Brussels sprouts most of all love loamy fertile soils with an acidity level of 6.7-7.4.

Soil preparation

Preparation of a plot for Brussels sprouts should be started in the fall. The soil is dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet and, if required, lime is added (400 grams per 1 square meter). In the spring, the soil on the site is fertilized with humus or compost (a bucket per 1 square meter).

Planting seedlings

Seedlings of Brussels sprouts about 10 centimeters high, which have acquired 4-5 true leaves, can be planted in the ground. This can happen from mid-May to early June. Seedlings stop watering 5-7 days before planting in the garden, and just before planting, the soil is abundantly moistened.

Brussels sprouts are planted in the ground on a cloudy day or in the evening after sunset. The wells are arranged according to the scheme 60x60 centimeters. They are dug out slightly larger than the root system of the seedlings. A seedling with an earthen lump is transferred from a pot or container into a hole, placed in it, the holes are covered with earth, slightly compacted and watered.

Outdoor plant care

To protect the seedlings from the cruciferous flea - the main enemy of the family - the site is sprinkled with ash. Brussels sprouts do not need hilling, from this the lower heads of cabbage can rot. 3-4 weeks before harvesting, it is recommended to decapitate Brussels sprouts - pinching the top of each stem and cutting the rosette leaves. This is done in order to set larger heads of cabbage.

Otherwise, Brussels sprouts are looked after as usual: loosening and weeding on the site, sufficient watering, feeding, protection from diseases and pests, if necessary.

Watering

Brussels sprouts are moisture-loving crops. It is watered 8-10 times during the growing season, spending 35-40 liters of water per square meter before the formation of heads of cabbage and 40-50 liters from the moment of their formation. In rainy weather, the frequency of irrigation and the amount of water consumed per square meter are adjusted.

Top dressing

Brussels sprouts grown outdoors on infertile soil must be fertilized with mineral fertilizers. A week after planting in the garden, the seedlings are fertilized for the first time with a solution of nitrophoska (60 grams per 10 liters of water) at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 2 plants.

In the period of the beginning of the formation of heads of cabbage on the stems, a second top dressing is introduced. To do this, dissolve 25 grams of superphosphate and potassium sulfate in a bucket of water, add 1 teaspoon of nitroammophos. For each plant, 1.5 liters of this solution are consumed. Brussels sprouts growing in well-fertilized fertile soil may not need feeding.

Pest and disease control

For the representatives of cabbage, the cruciferous flea is the most dangerous, but there are other insects that can destroy the harvest of Brussels sprouts: cabbage moth, white beetle, moth, aphid, scoops, bear, babanukha, black and wavy flea beetles, root lurker, rapeseed and cabbage bugs, wireworm.

The most effective preventive measures for insect control are:

• compliance with crop rotation;
• compulsory pre-sowing seed treatment;
• proper preparation of the site for planting or sowing crops;
• compliance with agricultural practices;
• strict adherence to the rules of plant care;
• cleaning the site from plant residues after harvesting.

If pests do appear, it is better to try to cope with them with folk remedies. To destroy the breeding insects, you will have to use chemicals, giving preference to bacterial insecticides.

In the garden, Brussels sprouts are most often affected by black leg, dry and white rot, keela, downy mildew, ring and black spot, slimy and vascular bacteriosis, mosaic.

If, despite preventive measures, Brussels sprouts are nevertheless struck by a disease, it is recommended to treat the plants with fungicides, for example, Maxim (4 milliliters per 2 liters of water) or Fundazol (10 grams per 10 liters of water).

How to harvest and store crops?

3-4 months after the seedlings are planted in the ground, the maturation of the heads of Brussels sprouts begins. You should not rush to harvest the crop: exposure to low temperatures only improves the taste of the vegetable. The plant tolerates cooling down to -6-7 ° С without loss of quality.

First, the lower heads of cabbage are removed so that the upper ones gain the required volume and density. After the beginning of leaf fall, a massive harvest is carried out. It must be removed in time before the temperature drops to -10 ° C.At the root collar, the stem is chopped, the top is cut off. Leaves on the stem in this form can be stored for about 3 months.

To ensure longer storage, Brussels sprouts are uprooted or dug up, the leaves are cut off on it and dropped in the cellar. Heads of cabbage can be cut with stumps and stored in the cellar, laid in boxes. They can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in polyethylene for 1.5 months. For the longest period of time, Brussels sprouts are kept frozen.

Brussels sprouts are an unusual biennial plant (there is something exotic in it, reminiscent of a palm tree) with a growth period of about six months in the first summer it forms heads of cabbage used in cooking along a thick stem, and in the second it works for seeds. This vegetable crop is demanding on light, loves moisture, and tolerates a drop in temperature well. It continues its vegetation during cold snaps up to 5-8 C and even short-term frosts.

The article gives the characteristics of the plant, describes the cultivation of Brussels sprouts in the open field, gives the main agricultural techniques.

Brussels sprouts: cultivation and care depend on the climate

The climate of our country is difficult enough for the cultivation of certain crops. Unlike Europe with the Gulf Stream and mild winters, which prolong the growing season of many vegetables, growing Brussels sprouts in the Urals limited by seasonal limits and severe temperature extremes. Transferring to the ground too early is not justified, because under the influence of strong return frosts, the most seasoned Brussels sprouts die. Her growing in Siberia relevant only through seedlings planted at almost two months of age in the first 15 days of May.

Brussels sprouts growing and care photos

Growing Brussels sprouts in the Moscow region has its own characteristics: it is necessary to choose early or early-medium varieties that have time to yield the harvest in a season, and the phased collection of heads of cabbage should be timed to mid-October. For example, the well-known variety "Hercules 1342" is a Brussels sprouts regionalized for this region. Its cultivation and care in the Moscow region are carried out by true gardening enthusiasts, who strive to place most of the known garden plants on their summer cottage.

Brussels sprouts varieties

A little more than a dozen varieties of this vegetable are listed in the State Register of Russia. To understand which variety is better to plant, you should study the offered assortment.

Brussels sprouts Hercules cultivation

Brussels sprouts Hercules... The cultivation of a well-known domestic variety is due to its external and taste characteristics. A late-ripening variety with a cone-shaped stem, on which oval heads are strung, does not go beyond the boundaries of average growth. Small heads of cabbage are great for cooking, homemade preparations (pickling, freezing, canning with other vegetables). However, it is less popular than the Hercules 1342 variant, which gives a higher yield and is immune to cabbage diseases.

Brussels sprouts Rosella cultivation

Brussels sprouts Rosella... Growing a mid-early variety, bred by German breeders, capable of almost completely yielding at the same time, makes it indispensable for gardeners who do not "live" in the beds and are content with rare visits. Like any other Brussels sprouts, Rosella is useful when growing and caring for adult plants according to the rules of agricultural technology, contains a fair amount of vitamin C and folic acid. In case of violation of agricultural practices - excessive fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers - it is capable of accumulating harmful nitrates.

Brussels sprouts sapphire cultivation

Brussels sprouts Sapphire... Cultivation in a summer cottage of a late variety, which requires more than 200 days for the harvest to ripen, is possible only in areas with early spring and long autumn. However, its amazing taste compensates for the labor costs of gardeners to transfer plants to greenhouses for growing with the onset of a steady cold snap. And if there is a desire to try heads of cabbage with excellent taste, it can be planted in the middle lane.

Brussels sprouts Casio cultivation

Brussels sprouts Casio... Growing a medium-sized and ripening variety, decorated with a blue-green top, guarantees a large number of good-tasting heads of cabbage on each plant. A bountiful harvest is an excellent way to plant this particular variety of Czech selection, which is tasty both fresh and thermally processed. This variety has a light nutty flavor that adds interesting flavor to green salads.

You saw Brussels sprouts in the photo: we will consider the cultivation of different varieties below (in principle, the agricultural technology is the same for all varieties).

Growing Brussels sprouts from sowing to harvest

If you previously planted a white-headed beauty in your garden, then you can cope with the Brussels one. In order to reap a decent harvest in addition to a new experience when planting an interesting plant, and not waste time fighting cabbage diseases and pests, it is worth learning a few simple rules. One of them is the mandatory observance of the crop rotation process (planting shift). You can return any variety of cabbage to where it grew in 4-5 years. The annual use of one corner of the garden for cabbage crops will lead to depletion of the soil, the accumulation of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and as a result - an outbreak of diseases, poor plant growth, and small yields.

Basic Rules:

• You need to sow seeds at the end of March., can be in containers on the windowsill or in the greenhouse.
• The agrotechnology of growing seedlings is simple: rare abundant watering, protection from pests (it is necessary to process it in a timely manner, since the cruciferous flea is capable of destroying all seedlings in a day). It is best to overdo it by dressing the seeds before sowing with a special compound (for example, "Prestige" - 1 cube per half liter of water). Next, we just cut through the plants so that they do not stretch out. No picking is required!
• You can plant in the ground already at a seedling height of 10 cm... She will already have 4-5 true leaves, by this time the roots are sufficiently developed.

Popular and simple about Brussels sprouts, their cultivation and care on video:

How to impress your country house neighbors with a good harvest of Brussels sprouts? The cultivation technique of this species is similar to the white one:

• A well-drained, deeply cultivated land is required, the best option is types of loam.
• When planting, not rotted organic fertilizers should be excluded, and then watering with fermented herbal infusion, because with a direct hit of fresh organic matter, cabbage is capable of accumulating a large amount of nitrates.
• During the growing season, if the soil has been well prepared in advance, you can do without feeding at all, or arrange "nutritious days". A decade after planting the seedlings, it is worth adding nitrogen fertilizers, and when tying heads of cabbage, focus on the phosphorus and potassium necessary during this period. Experts recommend using only mineral fertilizers.

Brussels sprouts growing from seeds when to plant

Brussels sprouts outdoor cultivation and care

The longest ripening cabbage is Brussels sprouts. Growing seedlings from seeds is the only way to get results in our weather conditions.

• You can sow at the end of Marchas soon as the soil ripens, cabbage is not afraid of frosts and perfectly survives a cold snap, frosts down to -3 ° C.
• A depth of 1 cm is enough, the distance between the rows is 10-12 cm.
• Drizzle liberally and cover with plastic wrap. Seedlings appear in about 7-10 days.
• It is important to protect the seeds by dressing them against cruciferous flea beetles or spilling the preparation directly into the rows.
• Further care is quite simple: water once a week, and weed the weeds.
• As soon as the seedlings rise a little, break through the dense crops, leaving 1 plant per 5 cm.

Brussels sprouts are sown in rows for seedlings

With a plant height of 10-15 cm, they are planted in holes in a permanent place. Before planting the holes, it is advisable to spill water and sprinkle a couple of guests with loose humus.

Growing seedlings of Brussels sprouts at home

Since almost six months pass from planting, the appearance of the first shoots to ripening and the moment of harvesting, this type of cabbage is sown with seeds and grown through seedlings. To get strong, sturdy seedlings you need:

• choose the best variety that meets the preferences of the gardener in terms of parameters: ripening period, taste, size range, color palette of leaves (this criterion is important when creating an ornamental garden)
• mix a soil substrate from non-acidic peat, humus, earth, sand and wood ash (it must be sifted). Garden soil is less suitable for seedlings of Brussels sprouts. Its cultivation on garden soil without additional disinfection (calcination) can lead to rot of immature seedlings, the spread of diseases among seedlings, and then to loss of yield
• follow the general rules for planting all cabbage species, observe the required distances (5 cm per seedling in diameter) and the sowing depth (1 cm).
• provide the necessary watering and light regime: if the temperature in the apartment is quite enough for the development of cabbage, then the light must be provided to the maximum. Daylight hours should be at least 12 hours, and the illumination should be intense. Therefore, choose windowsills on the sunny side. We water rarely, but abundantly. Don't forget about drainage: there must be holes in the bottom of our container.
• maintain the required temperature: during the day we keep the seedlings warm on the windowsill, at night we send the beauty to the glazed loggia. In this way, the required regime will be observed, and the plants will be hardened.
• fertilize with a solution of fertilizers. It is better to use liquid fertilizers diluted with water in the proportion intended for seedlings. This information is usually indicated on the packages.

Brussels sprouts are very easy to grow at home

How do lunar phases affect the planting of Brussels sprouts when grown from seeds? When to plant seeds for seedlings? Any vegetables with an edible ground part are recommended to be planted on the "growing" moon. The optimal period is the end of March, the first ten days of April. A light, loose substrate is laid out in separate peat containers. The earth is slightly compacted, 3-4 seeds are planted in the hole at a short distance, sprinkled with a layer of earth up to 2 cm.When sprouts appear, you should watch their development, then cut off or pinch off less successful ones near the surface of the earth, leaving one for further growth. Do not pull the stems out of the soil - this will damage the root system of the selected specimen.

Brussels sprouts: cultivation and care. Photos of plants in different periods of the growing season

Plant Brussels sprouts in rows at a distance of 40-50 cm in a row, 60-70 cm between rows

Growing seedlings of Brussels sprouts at home involves maintaining a low temperature regime, which is problematic in a warm apartment. It is all the more difficult to ensure a significant drop in temperature at night. Experts recommend placing racks with seedling boxes on glazed balconies, where the air is optimally cool.If necessary, it is convenient to throw a non-woven material over rigid structures so as not to "freeze" delicate sprouts. The best temperature for Brussels sprouts, its seedlings when grown, is from 12-15 during the day to 8-10 at night.

But the planted seedlings of Brussels sprouts have grown a little

Plants prepared for planting at the age of 30-45 days (when they release 4-7 true leaves) are determined in the soil. When transferring seedlings, it is necessary to compact the soil at the stems of the plant to prevent it from rolling out of the ground.

Open field cultivation of Brussels sprouts is a garden experiment, when you want to try something different, and not be content with traditional white cabbage. It is suitable for summer residents who are not going to cultivate a vegetable on an industrial scale.

Growing Brussels sprouts from sowing to harvest is no different from growing white cabbage

In a small area, it is easy to maintain cleanliness, remove weeds, water, if necessary, feed, spray from pests with infusions of bitter pepper, garlic, tomato tops. To preserve the moisture and looseness of the earth, a layer of mulching materials should be laid out under the plants (cut dried grass, large leaves, you can lay the broken side leaves of the cabbage itself). At the initial stages of cabbage development, treatments with strong preparations are permissible, which will have time to go through a decay period before ripening.

Brussels sprouts: growing secrets are simple

Watch a lesson on growing Brussels sprouts in the open field on the video:

Brussels sprouts: growing secrets

This favorite of European chefs, a culture with an extended yield period, allows you to cook dishes from a freshly harvested vegetable for several months. To get a result that you can be proud of, growing Brussels sprouts at home should be done with knowledge of some of the subtleties:

• This variety has a strong, voluminous root system and therefore requires ample space around it. With compacted beds, shading gives a much lower yield, develops worse. Therefore, it will be better to withstand a step of 60-70 cm between copies if you have enough land. If a small plot is allocated for this type of cabbage, it is better to plant several plants selected according to varietal characteristics and get a decent result than trying to fit two dozen sprouts on one meter, which will only be suitable for composting.
• It develops successfully after root crops (carrots, potatoes), loves green manure, onion, legumes in its predecessors.
• Avoid planting Brussels sprouts where any of the cruciferous plants grew last summer.
• The soil must be dug deep in the fall with the obligatory addition of fertilizers, ash and lime, and then easily processed in the spring. Liming is worth it, since the "Brussels guest" adores calcium, and the process itself deacidifies the soil, increases the percentage of assimilation of potassium and phosphorus, and increases the effect of fertilizers.
• The vegetable does not need hilling. The maximum that may be required is a little loosening of the soil, because even at the base of the stem, small cabbage heads are poured.
• In late varieties, after calculating the 30-day period before harvest, they pinch the growth point, cut off the top leaves in order to accelerate ripening.

Features of the cultivation of Brussels sprouts, its collection and storage:

• advanced gardeners, especially in areas with constant winds, install supports to prevent the vegetable from falling
• if the leaves framing the place where the coots are attached begin to turn yellowish, and the fruits themselves are covered with a pronounced waxy bloom - you can celebrate the victory, it's time to harvest.
• the crop is harvested selectively, starting from the largest lower heads of cabbage, providing further growth and nutrition of the upper heads
• do not delay the harvest too much, wait for the heads of cabbage to become too large - the bitterness that appears will reduce the pleasure of taste
• at the end of the season, the apical leaves are removed, the stems of Brussels sprouts are cut down. They can be stored without picking the heads of cabbage, wrapped in plastic wrap at a temperature close to 1 C for another couple of months.
• Plants dug up along with the roots can be transplanted in the fall for growing in a greenhouse, because vegetate successfully at low temperatures. In this way, it is easy to extend the fruiting period and get healthy cabbage for a few more weeks.

We offer you to find out the tricks and secrets of growing Brussels sprouts from the video review: