When you're growing brussels sprouts, you get a great harvest after enjoying an unusual plant. Here's our guide to growing them yourself!Everything is cuter when it’s tiny, right? Well, that makes Brussels sprouts the cutest veggie around! Sadly, despite their adorable size, these baby cabbage look-alikes often get a bad rap, but that can usually be chalked up to user error. When overcooked, Brussel sprouts release sulfur, which is why so many people complain about the smell. When cooked correctly though, you’ll find that they have a palatable, nutty flavor. With just a little love, care, and seasoning, growing Brussel sprouts can make them the stars of your garden and your kitchen, so let’s give them a try!
Brussels Sprouts gained their popularity, and their name, in Brussels, Belgium. Though they date as far back as the 1200s, these little veggies weren’t brought to the United States until the 1800s. Today, California grows most of the US Brussel sprout supply. You don’t have to live in the Golden State to cultivate these cute veggies though.
In this guide, we’ll teach you how to grow Brussels sprouts, as well as harvest and prepare them. Follow our tips, and you may just change your mind about these delightful baby cabbages.All About Brussels Sprouts
Growing Brussel Sprouts
Growing brussel sprouts in the cool months gives you great veggies. Source: clurross
They look different, but Brussels sprouts are very closely related to kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli. These are all varieties of Brassica oleracea, which is wild cabbage. Wild cabbage has been cultivated into several groups, including our beloved sprout Gemmifera.
When you look closely, you’ll see that Brussel sprouts have many similarities to the other Brassica groups. These veggies store nutrients like nobody’s business, making them some of the most healthy foods you can eat. They also produce seeds through silique fruit, which are dry valves that seed internally. Brassica veggies are also typically biennials, meaning they flower after two years of growth.
Brussels sprouts in particular resemble cabbage at first. As they grow though, the cabbage-like leaves shoot up on a sturdy, main stem that reaches 24-36 inches tall. The leaves continue to grow and hang over the stem. When you push those leaves aside, you can see a tiny round Brussel sprout growing right out of the stem. By harvest time, the entire stem will be shrouded in sprouts.
There are lots of Brussel sprout cultivars to choose from. For some classic green medium-sized sprouts, try the Dagan or Jade Cross cultivars. You can also choose an early-blooming variety such as Churchill or Tasty Nuggets (the former bearing very small sprouts).
Of course, you can add a little more excitement to your garden by choosing a colorful cultivar. The Red Rubine and Redarling plants feature beautiful reddish-purple coloring. Or you can go for a more blue hue with the Falstaff cultivar. Most colored cultivars feature a slightly sweeter taste and keep their color when cooked.