Planting Brussels sprouts for seedlings. Brussels sprouts - hassle-free cultivation with great yield! Sowing Brussels sprouts for seedlings

Brussels sprouts (lat. Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) is a variety of white cabbage from the genus Cabbage of the Cruciferous (Cabbage) family. Brussels sprouts are not found in the wild. The ancestor of this variety is considered to be leafy cabbage, which grows naturally in the Mediterranean and was introduced into cultivation in ancient times. Brussels sprouts were developed in Belgium, and it was in honor of the Brussels gardeners that Carl Linnaeus named this variety of cabbage. Then it gradually gained popularity throughout Western Europe - France, Germany, Holland... In Eastern Europe, the culture appeared in the middle of the 19th century, but due to climatic conditions difficult for its cultivation, it did not spread. But in Canada, the USA and many Western European countries, Brussels sprouts are now grown on an industrial scale.

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Planting and caring for Brussels sprouts (in brief)

• Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings - in the second half of March. Planting seedlings in the ground - from mid-May to early June.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: fertile, loamy with a pH of 6.7-7.4.
• Watering: 8-10 times during the growing season. Before the heads of cabbage begin to form, the water consumption is 35-40 liters per m², and then 40-50 liters.
• Feeding: 1st - a week after planting the seedlings in the ground with a Nitrophoska solution, 2nd - during the period of head formation, with a solution of complete mineral fertilizer at the rate of 1.5 liters for each plant. When grown in fertile soil, fertilizing is not needed.
• Reproduction: seed.
• Pests: babanukha, spring cabbage and sprout flies, wavy and black flea beetles, cabbage whiteflies, moths, aphids and moths, cabbage and rapeseed bugs, root stalker, mole cricket, cutworms - winter, cabbage and garden cutworms, wireworms, rapeseed flower beetle.
• Diseases: clubroot, white and dry rot, white rot, black leg, black and ring spots, downy mildew, mosaic, vascular and mucous bacteriosis.

Read more about growing Brussels sprouts below.

Brussels sprouts - description

Brussels sprouts are a biennial plant. How do Brussels sprouts grow? Brussels sprouts grow in a truly unusual way: on a thick stem from 30 to 100 cm or more in height there are long-petioled leaves of Brussels sprouts with a bubbly surface of different shades of green and even green with a purple tint. At the top of the stem the leaves form a rosette. By autumn, small loose or dense heads of cabbage form in the axils of the leaves, very similar to the forks of white cabbage, only with a diameter of only 2 to 5 cm, and they can be located rarely, or they can literally cling to the stem - on one lash there can be from 30 to 70 pieces. In the second year, the plant develops stems, flowers and produces fruits in the form of small brown seeds enclosed in pods. Brussels sprouts seeds remain viable for 5 years.

Brussels sprouts are one of the most unpretentious and frost-resistant subspecies of white cabbage, able to withstand frosts down to -10 ºC. It is also one of the longest ripening varieties - its growing season, depending on the variety, lasts from 120 to 180 or more days, so Brussels sprouts are grown mainly through seedlings. In this article we will tell you what Brussels sprouts are and how they differ from other varieties of cabbage, how to sow Brussels sprouts for seedlings, how to grow and care for Brussels sprouts in open ground, which varieties of Brussels sprouts are most popular for open ground, and also what are the benefits of Brussels sprouts and to whom they can be harmful.

Growing Brussels sprouts from seeds

When to sow Brussels sprouts for seedlings

The optimal time for sowing Brussels sprouts seeds for seedlings is from mid-March to early April. The problem is that the seedlings need to be provided with a temperature no higher than 5-6 ºC at night, and 16-18 during the day. Therefore, it is better to place crops on a glazed balcony, loggia or in a heated greenhouse. Air humidity in the room should be within 70%. Before sowing, Brussels sprouts seeds are heated for 15 minutes in water at a temperature of 50 º C, then dipped in cold water for 1 minute, after which they are kept for 12 hours in a solution of microelements, washed in clean water and placed in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for a day. Then the seeds are dried so that they do not stick to the fingers.

Growing Brussels sprouts seedlings

Sow Brussels sprouts seeds to a depth of 1-1.5 cm in separate pots with well-moistened fertile soil, consisting in equal parts of turf soil, sand and peat with the addition of mineral fertilizers and wood ash. Before planting, water the soil for disinfection with a solution of potassium permanganate. If you are used to growing seedlings in large containers, keep in mind that Brussels sprouts seeds should be planted at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. If you keep crops under glass or film at a temperature of 18-20 ºC, seedlings may appear within 4-5 days, but immediately after their appearance it is necessary to remove the covering and set the temperature regime, which was described in the previous section. Before planting in open ground, Brussels sprouts seedlings need to be loosened and moistened - the substrate in the container should be slightly damp at all times, but in no case should it be over-moistened, so as not to risk the seedlings becoming infected with blackleg. There is no need to water the crops for the first two weeks, and subsequently the substrate is moistened as needed.

Brussels sprouts pick

Picking Brussels sprouts seedlings, if they grow in a common container, is carried out in the development phase of cotyledon leaves. Before picking, the soil is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate, after which the seedling is carefully removed from the substrate along with a lump of earth and transplanted into a separate pot, shortening the central root if necessary. After picking, at the stage of development the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, they are fed with a solution of 40 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium sulfate and 20 g of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of water. After two weeks, a second feeding is carried out, consisting of 60 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate and 30 g of ammonium nitrate, dissolved in 10 liters of water. After each feeding, water the substrate with water at room temperature.

Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, they begin to harden them, taking containers with seedlings daily to an open terrace or balcony and each time increasing the duration of their stay in the fresh air. When the seedlings can stay outside for 24 hours, they can be planted in open ground.

Planting Brussels sprouts in open ground

When to plant Brussels sprouts in the ground

When to plant Brussels sprouts in the garden? When the seedlings acquire 4-5 true leaves. This can happen from mid-May to early June. For Brussels sprouts, choose southern or southeastern slopes, brightly illuminated by the sun. It’s good if green manure, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, legumes, grains or onions grew in this area before Brussels sprouts, but after vegetables such as all varieties of cabbage, turnips, turnips, radishes, radishes, daikon, tomatoes and beets, Brussels sprouts cabbage can be grown in this place only after 4 years.

A week before planting Brussels sprouts in the garden, they stop watering them, and just before planting, the soil in the pots is moistened abundantly.

Soil for Brussels sprouts

Most of all, Brussels sprouts love fertile loamy soils with a pH of 6.7-7.4. You need to prepare the area for Brussels sprouts in the fall: dig up the soil to the depth of a spade and add lime, if necessary. In the spring, the soil is fertilized - for each m² there should be a bucket of compost or humus, and a teaspoon of urea, 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and 2 cups of wood ash are placed in each hole.

How to plant Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are planted on a cloudy day or in the evening after sunset. How to plant Brussels sprouts in open ground? The layout of the holes is 60x60 cm. Dig holes slightly larger than the root system of the seedlings, place fertilizers mixed with soil in them, transfer a seedling with a lump of earth into the hole from a pot or container, place it in the hole, fill the holes with earth, lightly compact it and water it.

How to Grow Brussels Sprouts

Caring for Brussels sprouts

Growing Brussels sprouts outdoors is not much different from growing white cabbage. To protect the seedlings from the main pest of the family - the cruciferous flea beetle - the area is sprinkled with wood ash. Brussels sprouts do not need hilling, especially since this can cause the lower heads to rot. 3-3.5 weeks before harvesting, Brussels sprouts are decapitated - the top of each stem is pinched and the rosette leaves are cut off. This is done so that the heads of cabbage gain more volume.

Otherwise, caring for Brussels sprouts is carried out as usual: regular and sufficient watering, weeding and loosening the area, fertilizing and protection from pests and diseases, if the need arises.

Watering Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are moisture-loving. During the growing season, it is watered 8-10 times, spending approximately 35-40 liters of water per m² before the formation of heads of cabbage and 40-50 liters from the moment they form. Of course, if the weather is rainy, the frequency of watering and the amount of water spent per m² should be adjusted.

Feeding Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts in open ground, if you grow them on infertile soil, need to be fertilized with mineral fertilizers. The first time Brussels sprouts are fertilized a week after planting the seedlings in the garden, using a solution of 1 teaspoon of Nitrophoska per 2 plants. The second feeding is applied during the period when heads begin to form on the stems - 25 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are dissolved in a bucket of water, 1 teaspoon of Nitroammofoska is added and 1.5 liters of this solution are consumed for each specimen. If your Brussels sprouts grow in fertile and well-fertilized soil, then they may not need feeding.

Pests and diseases of Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts pests

All cruciferous plants have common pests and diseases, which is why we so often remind you that you should not grow one plant of the family after another in the same area. Of the pests, the cruciferous flea beetle is the most dangerous for representatives of cabbage plants, but there are other insects that can negatively affect the quantity and quality of the Brussels sprouts harvest. For example: cabbage fly, spring cabbage and sprout flies, wavy and black flea beetles, cabbage whiteflies, moths, aphids and moths, cabbage and rapeseed bugs, root beetle, mole cricket, cutworms - winter, cabbage and garden cutworms, wireworms, rapeseed flower beetle and others.

The fight against insects should begin with preventive measures, because it is easier to prevent pests from appearing than to then waste time and energy fighting them. What methods of protection will help you prevent the appearance of harmful insects on your site or at least reduce the risk of their occupation of Brussels sprouts to a minimum?

Firstly, compliance with crop rotation, secondly, implementation of agricultural technology for the crop, thirdly, pre-sowing treatment of seeds and preparation of the site for sowing or planting a crop, fourthly, strict adherence to the rules for caring for plants and lastly, cleaning the area from plant residues crops and deep digging of the soil after harvesting.

If, despite all your efforts, pests still appear, try to cope with them with non-toxic drugs - best of all, folk remedies. If time is lost and the insects multiply, you will have to resort to chemicals, among which it is better to give preference to bacterial insecticides that are harmless to plants.

Brussels sprout diseases

Brussels sprouts in the garden most often suffer from diseases such as clubroot, white and dry rot, white rot, black leg, black and ring spots, downy mildew, vascular and mucous bacteriosis and mosaic.

The best way to protect Brussels sprouts from any infections is to follow the prevention measures described in the section on crop pests. If the disease does affect the Brussels sprouts, and folk remedies for combating fungi have not yielded results, treat the plants with fungicides, for example, Fundazol or Maxim, whose toxicity to the human body is greatly exaggerated. As for bacterial or viral diseases, they are unlikely to be cured, so the affected specimens must be removed from the area and burned.

Harvesting and storing Brussels sprouts

The ripening of Brussels sprouts begins 3-3.5 months after the seedlings are planted in the ground, but do not rush to harvest, since exposure to low temperatures only improves the taste of Brussels sprouts, and this variety can withstand cold temperatures down to -6-7 ºC without loss of quality. Harvesting begins with the lower heads of cabbage, allowing the upper ones to gain the required volume and gain density. Mass harvesting is carried out when the leaves begin to fall, in the axils of which heads of cabbage have formed. You need to have time to remove them before the thermometer shows a temperature of -10 ºC. The stem is cut at the root collar, the apical bud and leaf rosette are cut off, and the heads of cabbage left on the stem can be stored in this form for about three months.

For longer-term storage, Brussels sprouts are dug up or uprooted and, after cutting off the leaves, they are buried in the cellar, placed close to each other - up to 30 plants can fit on 1 m².

You can trim the heads of cabbage with stalks, put them 3-4 pieces in boxes and store them in the cellar. Or you can wrap them in plastic and put them in the refrigerator for 1.5 months. The longest storage is provided by freezing.

Types and varieties of Brussels sprouts

Varieties of Brussels sprouts delight with their diversity. Despite the fact that Brussels sprouts are a crop with a long growing season, that is, late-ripening, among its varieties there are early-ripening ones with a ripening period of about 130 days, mid-ripening ones, ripening in 130-150 days, and late ones, which need 150-170 days for maturity. more days.

Early Brussels sprouts

The most famous early varieties of Brussels sprouts are:

• Garnet bracelet– this productive, cold-resistant hybrid, which can withstand frosts down to -7 ºC, matures in 120 days after planting the seedlings in the ground. The height of the stem is 60-70 cm, the number of heads on one plant is from 30 to 40. The heads are round in shape, medium in size, purple-red, dense, after heat treatment they acquire an excellent delicate taste;
• Casio– a cold-resistant, high-yielding variety of Czech selection with a stem height of up to 1 m with large, weighing up to 15 g, round and dense heads of green color and excellent taste, of which there can be up to 70 pieces on one plant;
• Dolmik– a Dutch hybrid with a stem height of up to 50 cm. Yellow-green heads weighing up to 20 g acquire a delicate taste after cooking;
• Rosella– a high-yielding variety of German selection, the average weight of the heads is 13 g, the main value of the variety is the almost simultaneous formation and ripening of the heads;
• Franklin– a productive hybrid with round green heads of excellent taste.

In addition to those described, early ripening varieties include Rudnef, Isabella, Commander and hybrids Explorer, Fregata, Oliver.

Mid-season Brussels sprouts

The most popular varieties of mid-season Brussels sprouts are:

• Diamond– a highly productive and disease-resistant hybrid variety with heads up to 3 cm in diameter, dark green in color and pleasant taste;
• Pomegranate– a hybrid cold-resistant variety with a stem up to 70 cm high, on which 30 to 40 round, dark-burgundy heads of cabbage ripen;
• Funny company– medium-sized, tasty Brussels sprouts with dense green heads with a purple tint. The weight of each fruit is 10-12 g;
• Boxer– a high-yielding, cold-resistant hybrid variety, resistant to diseases and pests, with rounded heads of green color and excellent taste;
• Perfection– a productive variety of Russian selection, the best Brussels sprouts for the Urals, Siberia and the Moscow region. The green heads of cabbage have excellent taste.

The mid-season varieties Hercules, Dauer Risen and the hybrid Maximus are also well known in cultivation.

Late Brussels sprouts

• Gruniger– a cold-resistant variety with greenish-orange heads weighing up to 18 g and a diameter of up to 4 cm. Exposure to light frost improves the taste of the fruit;
• Curl– one of the best and most productive varieties of Brussels sprouts of Czech selection with a stem height of up to 90 cm with many heads with an average weight of 15 g and a diameter of up to 5 cm.

Properties of Brussels sprouts - harm and benefit

Useful properties of Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts contain significant amounts of folic acid, fiber, protein, provitamin A, vitamins PP, C, E, B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B9), salts of phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, iodine and sodium, amino acids and enzymes. Thanks to its composition, it is a valuable food product and medicine, because Brussels sprouts contain several times more vitamin C than other varieties of cabbage, and almost as much as black currants. The content of other vitamins in it is 2-3 times, and crude protein is 4-5 times higher than in any other cabbage.

Brussels sprouts are a dietary product that is prescribed to children and the elderly. It is recommended for patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system. Brussels sprouts juice has choleretic, diuretic, immunostimulating, hematopoietic, antiscorbutic, anticancer, antitoxic, anti-inflammatory, and expectorant effects. It normalizes the functioning of the pancreas, so it is recommended for use by patients with diabetes. Due to the high content of mineral salts, it normalizes the condition of hypertensive patients and people suffering from arrhythmia.

Brussels sprouts promote wound healing during the recovery period after surgery. Use of Brussels sprouts:

• reduces the risk of birth defects - spina bifida and cleft palate;
• helps fight excess weight;
• lowers cholesterol levels;
• improves vision;
• reduces the risk of respiratory diseases;
• prevents the development of tumors;
• promotes the activation of mental activity;
• prevents breast cancer;
• enhances intestinal motility;
• relieves heartburn.

Brussels sprouts are gourmet food. It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. In cooking, it is used for preparing salads, soups, vegetable side dishes for meat and fish, and festive decoration of dishes. It is pickled and frozen. Brussels sprouts go well with rice and potatoes. We offer you a couple of very simple recipes so that you can see how tasty Brussels sprouts are:

• Boil the heads of cabbage until half cooked in salted water, then fry them in butter, pour in the egg beaten with milk and bake in the oven until golden brown;
• Bread the heads of cabbage boiled in salted water in breadcrumbs and fry in butter. Serve with sour cream or cream.

Brussels sprouts - contraindications

Brussels sprouts are contraindicated for people with weakened pancreatic function, as they may develop hypothyroidism. The goitrogens contained in Brussels sprouts suppress the production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland, and indoles prevent the gland from absorbing iodine.

In people suffering from Crohn's syndrome, gastrointestinal diseases, Brussels sprouts can cause bloating due to increased gas formation caused by fructose residues - fructans.

Brussels sprouts are harmful to gout sufferers due to their high purine content.

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Brussels sprouts are a special variety of cruciferous vegetables that were artificially bred by Belgian breeders. In our country, this vegetable has been known for a long time, but it began to gain particular popularity only in recent years, increasingly appearing not only on tables, but also in the gardens of summer residents.

Brussels sprouts have won recognition from gardeners due to their ease of care, productivity and frost resistance. In addition, it is very tasty and can add new flavors even to familiar dishes.

Most often, this crop is grown from seedlings, since in this way the earliest and richest harvest can be obtained. In cultivation Brussels sprouts seedlings There are some nuances, but for those who are familiar with the peculiarities of breeding other representatives of the Cabbage family, they will not cause much difficulty.

Features of growing Brussels sprouts seedlings

Brussels sprouts have the longest growing season among all cruciferous vegetables: early varieties reach maturity in 130-150 days, mid-season varieties - 150-180 days, and late varieties - 180-200 days. Growing it through seedlings allows you to somewhat speed up the ripening process: by creating the most favorable conditions for seed germination, you can quickly obtain strong seedlings that will take root well in open ground.

To grow seedlings, you should use a light fertile soil mixture (substrate), which includes sand, peat and turf soil in equal quantities. It is better not to use soil from the garden, since it is often infected with diseases and pests, which reduces the germination of seeds and the likelihood of getting good sprouts.

Brussels sprouts seeds should be purchased only in specialized stores that offer certified products from trusted manufacturers. Buying from street stores will, of course, cost less, but in this case there is a high chance of purchasing fake, expired or damp seeds.

Planting seedlings

You can sow Brussels sprouts seeds from the end of March, but some gardeners begin planting at the beginning of the month. Before planting, it is recommended to disinfect the seed material by soaking it in a solution of potassium permanganate or by heat treatment. The second option is more effective and is best suited for home-grown seeds.

For temperature treatment, place the seeds for 20 minutes in water heated to 50 degrees, and then for another 1 minute in cold water. Then they need to be filled with a solution of microelements for 12 hours, then rinsed and left in the refrigerator for a day.

Like regular white cabbage, Brussels sprouts can be grown for seedlings using two methods:

1. With a pick– seeds are planted in seedling boxes, buried 1-1.5 cm into the substrate with a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. The interval between the rows should be at least 6-8 cm. After the seedlings have sprouted and the first true leaves have appeared on them, they are transplanted into separate containers with fresh soil (dive). Picking should be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system of the plants.
2. Without picking– seeds are sown immediately in individual containers (pots, peat tablets, disposable cups, etc.) 2-3 pieces each. After the sprouts appear, they are thinned out, leaving only one, the most viable seedling, in each container.

In the room where the seedlings are located, the temperature should not be lower than +15 degrees. Seedlings can germinate at +5 degrees, but they need warmth for good plant development. In favorable conditions, the first shoots will appear already 4-6 days after sowing the seeds.

Care and feeding

It consists of regular watering, ventilation of the room and fertilizing. Like other varieties of cabbage, this vegetable loves moisture, but it is better not to overdo it so as not to cause the plants to rot. You need to water the seedlings in the morning with warm water (20 degrees), as soon as the top layer of soil dries. After watering, it is recommended to ventilate the room, which helps prevent seedlings from being damaged by blackleg.

Brussels sprouts should be fed twice: when the first true leaves appear on them and again after 10 days. For the first feeding, 10 g of potassium fertilizers, 10 g of superphosphate and 20 g of urea are diluted in 10 liters of water. Each plant should have 70-80 ml of this solution. For the second feeding, the same mixture is used, but the concentration of the components is increased by 1.5 times.

They begin when the seedlings have 4-6 true leaves. 2-3 weeks before transferring the sprouts to the beds, you should begin hardening them off: containers with plants should be taken out into the open air for several hours a day. This procedure makes the plants more cold-resistant, allowing them to gradually get used to sunlight, wind and other environmental factors.

Brussels sprouts first became known in Belgium, from where they later spread to Germany, Holland and France, after which they spread throughout Western Europe. Today, Brussels sprouts are grown in almost all corners of the world, and this trend is largely explained not only by the unpretentiousness of this crop, but also by the delicious taste of its fruits, and the amazing range of vitamins and minerals they contain. So, how to grow Brussels sprouts and what recommendations should you use to get an excellent harvest?

Varieties

The following varieties have become particularly widespread and popular among modern summer residents:

Rosella is a mid-season and fairly productive variety (up to 50 heads on one stem);

Dallik is a mid-late hybrid with good yield and high resistance to clubroot;

Cassio is another mid-season and high-yielding variety (up to 60 heads per specimen);

Hercules 1342 is a late-ripening variety that is resistant to diseases.

It is quite simple to distinguish this plant from other crops: unlike other representatives of the Cabbage family, it grows not in breadth, but upward, reaching a height of 1-1.2 meters or more. On its long stem in the axils there are small, walnut-sized heads of cabbage with a diameter of 2.5-7 cm. Because of their resemblance to rose buds, this crop in Holland and Germany is often called “rosenkol” - pink cabbage.

One specimen can contain from 30 to 90 of these spherical fruits weighing from 8 to 20 g. The top of the plant is usually crowned with a lush rosette of green or gray-green leaves with slightly jagged or smooth edges. In the first year of cultivation, Brussels sprouts form the already mentioned heads, in the second year they are covered with flowering shoots, after which they bloom and produce seeds.

Brussels sprouts: growing and caring for them

The described culture is quite demanding on the soil and area of ​​its growth. The best place for it is considered to be fertile cultivated loams with low acidity or neutral pH. Just like for white cabbage and other representatives of this family, this plant is given a well-lit place on the site (due to lack of light, cabbages often do not have time to fully develop before frost).

The best predecessors are legumes, root vegetables, pumpkin crops, and early tomatoes. The worst are all cruciferous vegetables (due to the increased risk of transmitting common diseases and pests). Taking into account the fact that the duration of the growing season for Brussels sprouts is 160-180 days (about six months), they are grown exclusively by seedlings.

How to grow Brussels sprouts from seeds: obtaining seedlings

Seeds are planted at a depth of 1-2 cm. Shoots appear 3-4 (less often 8-10) days after sowing. The optimal temperature for seed germination is +18...+20°C, for the growth and formation of young plants - +15...+18°C.

During development, seedlings are watered as needed, making sure that the soil in the boxes does not dry out, but is not overly flooded with water.

Transplantation to a permanent place

When the bushes get stronger and have 4-7 true leaves, the young plants are planted in the soil - usually this is done from May 15 to June 5.

In advance, in the fall, taking into account the layout of the garden plot, a separate, spacious and well-lit place is allocated for them (do not forget that for the full development of each bush, at least 1 sq.m of feeding area is required).

Next, instructions on how to how to grow brussels sprouts, provides a standard list of recommendations for the autumn preparation of a site for planting seedlings, namely the fulfillment of such conditions as:

Deep digging of the site;

Application of mineral fertilizers to the soil: 5-6 kg of peat compost are applied per 1 sq.m of land, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of ammonium nitrate and superphosphate, 1 tbsp. l. potassium chloride. Additionally, it is necessary to add ash or lime in the fall, based on the calculation: 200 g of any of the specified components per 1 sq.m.

In the spring, the site is dug up again, but no organic fertilizers are applied, so as not to provoke a delay in the formation of heads of cabbage or their painful deformation. Young plants with a lump of earth on their roots are planted in rows, maintaining a distance between them of 60-70 cm in each direction. When planting, the soil around the stems is carefully compacted so that the growing shoots are securely fixed in the ground. It is important to note here that cassette and potted seedlings, whose root system does not suffer during transplantation, take root best in a new location.

Caring for Brussels sprouts is almost no different from the rules for growing white cabbage - with the only exception that “Belgian” is slightly less demanding on watering due to its strong and well-developed root system.

During cultivation in open ground, watering is carried out approximately 8-10 times, based on the norm of 350-400 liters of water per 10 square meters. meters per watering before the formation of heads of cabbage, and 400-450 liters after their appearance.

Twice a season, young plants are fed with mineral (not organic!) fertilizers, to which this crop is very responsive. The first fertilizing is done a week after planting the seedlings in the ground. In this case, use nitroammophoska at the rate of 1 tsp. for 2 holes. The second time the elongated bushes are fed during the period of setting the first heads of cabbage. Here the following composition is prepared: 25 g of double superphosphate and potassium sulfate + nitroammophosphate are dissolved in a bucket of water. About 1.5 liters of this solution is poured under each plant.

With the onset of September days, i.e. approximately 3-3.5 weeks before harvest, the top of each plant will need to be pinched and the rosette leaves trimmed. Thanks to this method (the so-called “decapitation”), the fruits formed on the stem will be larger. The signal for harvesting is the yellowish color of the leaves at the base of the heads (the leaves first turn yellow and then fall off), as well as the appearance of a waxy sheen on the fruits themselves.

The harvest can be harvested at once by simply cutting off the stems, or the harvesting process can be divided into 2-3 stages. In the latter case, the collection of heads of cabbage begins from the bottom of the plants, breaking out the formed fruits with your fingers. You can also resort to growing by simply transplanting the cabbage into a greenhouse or moving it to the basement, planting it in boxes or ditches with well-moistened soil. Growing is carried out at a temperature of +3…+6°С. For long-term storage, the fruits are not removed from the stems.

It is recommended to store separated fruits in a cool place without peeling or washing off the protective coating from them. Before eating or cooking, it is advisable to immerse Brussels sprouts in boiling water for a few minutes.

Brussels sprouts are a tasty, healthy and slightly exotic crop. But despite this, growing Brussels sprouts does not involve any particular difficulties. The growing process is practically the same as for the more familiar white cabbage.

However, this type of cabbage is more resistant to pests, as it contains mustard oils. This property repels flies and ticks, but makes the taste pleasant for humans.

Brussels sprouts: characteristics of the variety

This is not only a useful type of cabbage, but also a rather beautiful, original look that can become a real decoration for a plot of land. The long, thick stem reaches a height of up to one meter and is covered with small copies of white cabbage.

This culture has more than a hundred varieties of various shades, from the usual light green to purple. From one stem you can collect about 70 pieces of small cabbages.

Important! Brussels sprouts are often prescribed to people suffering from diabetes, cancer patients, and anemia.

The plant is biennial, so after harvesting the stems are not removed, but left for collecting seeds next year. But our summer residents and gardeners do not practice this. Breeders claim that among all cruciferous vegetables, which include cabbage, Brussels sprouts are the most unpretentious and hardy.

After all, it can withstand even when the temperature drops below 10 degrees. But the harvest also takes much longer to ripen than other varieties. The vegetative period can last from four months to six months. Therefore, anyone interested in cultivating such a beauty on their own plot should know some tricks on how to grow Brussels sprouts.

Types of Brussels sprouts

There are simply no early varieties of Brussels sprouts. From the moment Brussels sprouts seeds are planted until harvest, at least 120 days pass. Therefore, it is profitable to grow it only from seedlings, starting sowing seeds for seedlings from mid-March to the first days of April. There are two types of Brussels sprouts:

• mid-season;
• late ripening.

This type of cabbage is biennial. Moreover, in the first year the plant bears fruit and produces a rich harvest in the form of small cabbages. In the second year it shoots out a peduncle, flowers and produces seeds. This is another fact in which Brussels sprouts differ from their crusader counterparts.

Moreover, the seeds can be stored for five years. If this variety is interesting, you need to know how to grow Brussels sprouts in open ground, although there is nothing complicated about it. And in some moments it happens much easier.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Brussels sprouts are planted as seedlings. Therefore, given the long ripening period, seeds must be planted in early autumn, starting in mid-March.

Important! Brussels sprouts do not like high temperatures; this must be taken into account when growing seedlings.

Brussels sprouts grow best when maintained at a certain temperature. It is 6-7 degrees at night and not higher than 18 degrees during the day. But the daylight hours must be extended, additionally highlighting the places where the seedlings grow.

Both the soil and the seeds themselves require some preparation before planting. The most popular variety grown in our regions is Brussels Rosella.

Soil preparation

The crop requires a large amount of microelements in the soil. It is desirable that the soil be loamy. It is prepared in the fall after the harvest. It is necessary to saturate the soil with useful substances and neutralize it. To do this, you need to water the soil with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. This is enough if no diseases of the former cabbage crops were noticed in this area.

If cabbage has been infected with clubroot on a site, it is better not to plant cabbage next year. It is necessary to neutralize the soil. To do this, you can plant in this area:

• potato;
• cucumbers;
• tomatoes;
• garlic.

Having pre-treated the soil with copper sulfate and lime, which the Bordeaux mixture contains.

The soil where it is planned to plant this variety of cabbage must be fertilized with humus and compost. In the fall, you need to bring in a bucket for each square meter and dig it up. In the spring, immediately after the snow melts, add humus again and then dig it up.

But, despite such an abundance of nutrients, cabbage will have to be fed during the growing season, since the plant quickly takes nutrients from the soil. It is necessary to feed several times:

• before planting seeds on cabbage seedlings;
• when the first two full leaves appear;
• before planting cabbage in open ground, a spoonful of ash in each hole is enough;
• two, three times throughout the season.

Fertilized soil from the site is suitable for growing seedlings. But it is best to purchase ready-made soil and use peat molds for seedlings, in which you can later plant them on the site.

Seed preparation

Seeds must be purchased from official retail stores. When buying at the market, no one can guarantee that the seeds are not infected with various diseases. After purchase, before planting, it is necessary to neutralize and “harden” the planting material.

To do this, the seeds are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate (light pink) for 30 minutes, then in hot water (no more than 50 degrees) for the same period, dried and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Important! Seeds for planting seedlings must be dry. Therefore, after all the preliminary procedures, they are dried well, simply laid out on a towel, but away from heat sources.

Dried, treated seeds can be planted in prepared pots.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Seedlings can be purchased at the market. But in this case, no one guarantees that it will be a healthy plant. That is why many gardeners prefer to grow seedlings with seeds themselves.

It has already been mentioned that it is necessary to plant after March 15 until April 10. If planting is carried out in separate containers, then plant 1-2 seeds in each pot.

If these are boxes for seedlings, then maintain a distance of at least 3 centimeters, followed by picking. After the first three full-fledged leaves appear, you can carry out the first feeding, combining it with picking, if necessary.

How to pick

It is necessary to pick seedlings if they were planted in a common container. It is advisable to moisten the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate before doing this. When the moisture is absorbed, the plants are carefully removed by digging up the roots and transplanted into a separate pot. It is advisable to leave a small lump of earth on the root.

After transplantation, on the second or third day, the seedlings need to be fed. A solution of superphosphate or complex potassium-nitrogen fertilizer is suitable for this. To do this, dissolve 40 grams of the product in ten liters of settled water and simply water the plant.

Repeat the procedure after approximately two weeks. Immediately after each feeding, the seedlings are watered with plain water. Make sure that the soil is not over-moistened. This can lead to rotting of the root system.

Two weeks before planting Brussels sprouts in open ground, the seedlings must be hardened off. To do this, containers with seedlings are simply placed outside or windows are opened on the balcony. The time spent outside is constantly increasing and at the moment when the seedlings are outdoors all day, they are ready for planting.

Planting in open ground

Before planting cabbage, you need to choose an evening on a cloudy day. For planting, holes are dug, maintaining a distance of about 50 centimeters between them. It is advisable to add a solution of superphosphate, ash or bird droppings diluted in water. Plant a plant in each such hole, preferably with a lump of earth, without compacting it too much. After planting, water with settled water.

Cabbage care

Growing and caring for this variety of cabbage is practically no different from how to care for white cabbage. But it is worth noting that this variety is much more resistant to pests. The high content of mustard in the plant simply repels them. But the main pest that is not afraid of this fact is the cabbage flea beetle. To prevent its appearance, the plant is regularly sprinkled with ash, but only clean ash.

Maintenance does not involve hilling. Watering is regular. Like any other variety, this cabbage loves moisture. But about three weeks before harvesting, you need to pinch the top of the plant and cut off the leaves near the rosettes. So the pumpkins will become a little larger.

Care also includes fertilizing, which must be done at least three times per season. Hilling is not necessary, but loosening the soil and removing weeds is a must. Many people place cut nettles near the plant. This helps in the fight against pests and diseases, and also retains moisture in the soil and saturates it with useful substances. It is advisable to alternate feeding. Add organic matter once, mineral fertilizers once.

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that this is a resistant plant, infections with fungal diseases and pest attacks are possible. It is not advisable to plant cabbage in an area where sacrums used to grow. The ideal place for planting would be areas where the following grew last season:

• tomatoes;
• potato;
• dill;
• garlic.

These are plants that can disinfect the earth. But disinfection with plants and special means does not provide a 100% guarantee that it will repel pests. The most common are:

• cabbage moth;
• mite;
• flea;
• sprout fly;
• cabbage butterfly and its larvae;
• slugs;
• caterpillars and others.

It is better, of course, to take preventive measures even before planting cabbage. Crop rotation is mentioned above, but this is not enough. Treatment with Bordeaux mixture or other solutions containing lime and vitriol cannot be ruled out. Pollination can be carried out using the same means. One good method is to treat the seeds before planting. But these are not all measures.

But one day it becomes noticeable that the cabbage has been attacked by pests. It is necessary to quickly spray with the indicated preparations, after which, while the plant is still wet, sprinkle wood ash.

Do not use chemicals. If the above measures do not help, treat with insecticides of bacterial origin. The main thing is that this is done in a timely manner, before pests destroy the planted cabbage.

Carefully monitor the condition of the plant. If the spruce leaves have drooped, the color has changed and feeding does not help, then the plant is most likely sick. There are no effective measures to combat this. Therefore, the diseased plant is disposed of before it infects others.

Harvesting

When to harvest Brussels sprouts, any owner will be ahead of himself. You can remove it at any time, in late autumn, even if the first frost is already observed.

Important! Exposure to low temperatures significantly improves the taste of the plant. Therefore, Brussels sprouts often show off on the plot at a time when other crops are harvested.

It is important to prevent the temperature at night from dropping to ten degrees below zero. When the leaves fall off and the heads of cabbage have become quite dense, you can cut the plant. The stem is cut closer to the root.

The heads of cabbage can remain on the stem and in this form are stored in the cellar in boxes, pressing the plants tightly together. But most often they are cut off and frozen. Cabbage will be even tastier this way.

Freezing guarantees the longest, most reliable storage. In winter, cabbage is used to prepare delicious and healthy side dishes, soups and much more. I wish you rich and healthy harvests!

Similar materials

Brussels sprouts are popular with experienced gardeners and are quite easy 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 true.

You can grow vegetables at your dacha in open ground in the Moscow region, plant them directly from seeds, or plant seedlings first.

The plant is biennial and has a thick stem reaching a height of one meter. It bears long-petioled foliage with a multi-colored bubbly surface. The top of the stem is crowned with a leaf rosette.

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

The plant is unpretentious, frost-resistant, the growing season is 4-6 months, so it is recommended to grow the crop using the seedling method.

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

Origin story

Culture is considered a variety of white cabbage, is not found in the wild in nature. Its predecessor is kale, which grows in the Mediterranean. The Brussels vegetable was bred by Belgian breeding specialists, which was the reason for its name.

Over time, the vegetable began to be grown in Western European countries, and it came to the east in the mid-nineteenth century, but did not take root due to the difficult climate. But Canadians, Americans and Westerners began to plant the crop in industrial quantities.

Beneficial features

This cabbage variety contains:

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

Based on this composition, the product is classified as a valuable food and medicine.

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

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

The most popular varieties for growing

The most famous include:

Sowing dates

It's best to sow from mid-March to early April.

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

Seedling care

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

Cabbage seedlings need abundant watering, but don’t get carried away so that the roots don’t start to rot. The soil follows constantly loosen to provide oxygen access to the root system.

Feed sprouts should be in the phase of the second - third leaves, using Kemira-lux. It is necessary to ensure that the composition does not get on the leaves. The second feeding is done a couple of weeks before transplanting. For this purpose, urea, copper sulfate, potassium sulfate, and boric acid are used.

Picking

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

Make sure that the roots do not remain bent. Too long ones can be pinched.

The seedling is buried to the cotyledon leaf. The containers are placed in a shaded place for several days, the air should be moist.

Planting Brussels sprouts in open ground

Seedlings should be replanted after the sprouts have 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 bed should be done in the fall - dig it up, add lime if necessary. In the spring, the site should be fertilized by adding a bucket of compost or humus to the square of the site.

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

The planting scheme is "sixty by sixty" centimeters. The sprout is rolled over with a lump of earth, sprinkled, compacted and watered.

Rules of care

Cabbage should be fertilized urea and potassium chloride. Feeding with boric acid, molybdenum and manganese solution should be foliar. During the period when the ovary begins to form, infused bird droppings are added with the addition of ash.

To speed up 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. One month before harvest, the rosette leaves are cut off.

The plant should be earthed up 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 care.

Diseases and pests

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

Harvest and storage

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

The characteristic shine of the heads of cabbage is a signal for harvesting. If you put the heads of cabbage in a bag, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

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. When frozen, cabbage can be stored for up to four months.

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