Growing Brussels sprouts

Brassica sp. : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in Australia - tropical regions

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 45°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 18 - 24 inches apart
  • Harvest in 14-28 weeks. Pick sprouts when small. .
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile)
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chili, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry, mustard

Your comments and tips

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08 Oct 17, Kathy (Australia - temperate climate)
Never grown Brussel sprouts before. They have grown high, but also have yellow flowers, no sprouts as yet. Will they grow now, or remove the plants?
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09 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Maybe let grow for another month and sees what happens. Possibly you should have planted quite a bit earlier. I have the same problem with savoy cabbage the last 2 yrs. Producing lots of leaves and no heart. Temps are now high teens at night and around 30 in the day - probably too hot for cabbage broccoli here.
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08 Oct 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)
Depending if you live in a cool or warm temperate climate, and what month you planted them in. It could be too late if it is to warm where you live, otherwise give it a bit longer to see if they produce.
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18 Jan 17, Tina Vann (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi fellow gardeners. I'm not having much luck with any normal seeds. I think I am going to source Heritage seeds. Perhaps I'll have better luck. Happy New Year & Happy Gardening. Tina
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25 Sep 16, Kay (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I'm in northern Tasmania and planted my Brussel sprouts in May as well. The whole lot went to seed after producing a few very loose sprouts. I though a pout using the leaves in soups etc as I hate waste, but I read that they are quite bitter so I guess the lot go into compost. Any comments welcome
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17 Oct 18, Jul (Australia - temperate climate)
If you still have some going to seed, let them, and then collect the ripe seed for sowing later.
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26 Sep 16, Candice (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I had the same experience, Kay, but I did harvest the plant on the weekend and made a delicious soup with the leaves. I put the hard stems in the compost. The base stock for the recipe was one diced onion and six cloves of garlic chopped and softened in olive oil, 2 litres of chicken stock, 1 cup of white wine, 1 cup of water, salt and white pepper. Add the leaves and 250g of mushrooms and simmer away for an hour or so then blitz with a hand blender. I also added half a cup of cream at the end. It was really delicious and the left overs went into the freezer!
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11 Jun 16, MJ (Australia - temperate climate)
Something has eaten all the leaves on our Brussel sprout plants. Will they still grow?
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19 Mar 16, Lewy (Australia - temperate climate)
When is the best time to grow Brussel sprouts in newcastle new 2300
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12 Apr 17, MakingTheBestOfMayfield (Australia - temperate climate)
Yeah I would like to know if we can grow a decent sprout in the Newcastle area too.
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Showing 31 - 40 of 110 comments
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Hi! When it says "S" it means start seeds inside, when it says "T" it means to transplant those seedlings outside in the garden. When it says "P" for plant outside does that mean you plant the seeds outside? I'm unsure because, take Brussels Sprouts for example - It says "S" in March and "P" in May and June; what is the "P" referring to? I'm just confused because some vegetables have an "S" and a "T". Thanks for any help you can give me!!! "Plant in garden" means to sow seed directly into the garden where you want the plant to grow.

- Kathy

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