Help with growing brussel sprouts

I have questions on brussel,sprouts Mine didn't do to well last year the plant got big but the little sprout got kind of long and then it was almost like it was just gone, Any help you could give me would be appreciated, I love brussel sprouts, What am I doing wrong?

Thank you Margie

moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic

 

Margie I'm no expert this is my second year growing sprouts. I had problems too last year with plants growing ok and only getting sprouts the size of a thumbnail.

But this is what i plan to do this year to improve it hope it helps.

1. I am growing the seedlings indoors first to try and get a longer growing season.

2. One of the big things i am trying with all my brassicas this year is firming the soil down, last year I left it quite open texture but after a lot of reading through the winter. Nearly all the books suggest the soil needs to be firm. So I will be treading the bed down this year.

3. I'll be putting slug pellets down around the young seedlings, I left this too late last year and I think the plants lost quite a bit of growth because of it.

Thats my plan for this year hope it helps

 

I agree with Danjensons points. The soil needs to be really, really firm for them. Any wiggle in the plants and you end up with blown sprouts which is where they don't grow as buttons but as open little flowers almost. If the plants get really tall, and you are only growing a few, it might even be worth staking them - I do this with my purple sprouting - as this will help keep them steady in the ground. I lime my soil to help reduce clubroot infection, a nasty soil born disease which really hinders brassica growth. They also need quite a long growing season. I have young plants now to go in, and won't expect to harvest until early winter, infact, for Christmas, but that is in the UK, you may find they produce quicker for you. Don't give up, they are delicious fresh from the stem, I even like them raw, but then I likes my greens.

 

Eileen, thanks for the link to the grow page. I certainly would have not had a crop of brussel sprouts this year without it. I started some for friend and I would have made a mess of it not ever having grown them before.