Brussels Sprouts Basics

They are big plants. I've never grown them in containers but I wouldn't be surprised if 2.5 gallons is kind of small for one. They sometimes fall over a bit but the leaves keep the sprouts off the ground. Mine were transplanted outside last May and are bearing now in Ohio. They taste better after they've been in a frost, which they survive nicely.

That is too small for sprouts. The plants get quite huge. You can plant them individually in very large tubs and you will be ok.

They need no support as they grow with thick, upright stems. Do keep after them for cabbage moths, though. Usually a good hose-down on the undersides of the leaves helps, as does hand picking of the caterpillars.

I gave up on trying to grow them in smaller tubs and put them in the downstairs garden this year & just as they were getting full sprouts, a groundhog took them right down to the stems...all 4 plants.

Boron

Brussels grow to about 3 to 4 ft high, and need about 12-18" of clearance all around. They're kind of top-heavy when mature, so you need a wide base pot. I grew them this year, and they got mutilated by cabbage moths (as did my cabbage. Grrrrrr). Next year I'm putting all my cole crops under netting.

Did I miss the explanation of why you're growing everything in buckets? I have a very shady yard, and have had to try container growing in various sunny patches, but my experience is that nearly all veg crops do better planted directly in the ground. In containers, growth and production appears to be directly proportional to the size of the container. I can't think of much other than an herb plant that would do well in a 2.5gal bucket.

I'm just curious, yours were planted indoors, and not inside a container ?

-- Jim Carlock Post replies to newsgroup.

From what I hear, they don't make proper little tight Brussels sprouts unless the plants are treaded well into the ground, they like a heavy soil. Otherwise, you get large, open, floppy, cabbage-like sprouts.

s.

I read here that the size of the plants is 3-4 ft high ?? are those BS trees ? I live in the land of BS where plants are typical 1.5 ft high and they are a typical "winter" crop many times they are harvested when it is already freezing outside .. and indeed they thrive best on heavy clay like soils like abundantly available around Brussels :-) When grown hard the plants produce compact small closed cabbage-like "fruits" FWIW

My BS plants are easily 4-5 ft. high.