How To Harvest Brussels Sprouts
You’ve waited months for this moment. Those beautiful Brussels sprouts are finally ready. But when exactly should you pick them? And how do you do it without ruining the plant?
Let’s get straight to it.
Know When Your Brussels Sprouts Are Ready
Brussels sprouts are ready when they’re firm and bright green. They should be 1 to 2 inches across. Think golf ball size at most.
Pick them before the leaves start to turn yellow or open up. Once they open, they taste bitter. Nobody wants that.
Here’s the thing. A light frost actually makes them taste sweeter. The cold weather turns the starches into sugars. It’s nature’s way of protecting the plant. If you can wait until after the first frost, do so.
The Two Ways to Harvest
You have two options here. Both work. Pick what suits your kitchen needs.
Method 1: Pick Them as They Mature
This method gives you fresh sprouts for weeks.
Sprouts mature from the bottom up. Start with the lowest ones. They’ll be ready first.
Twist each sprout off the stalk. Give it a firm turn, and it should pop right off. Or use a sharp knife for a clean cut.
Check your plants every few days. More sprouts will be ready as you work your way up the stem. While you’re at it, pull off any yellowing leaves below the sprouts you’re harvesting. This helps the plant focus its energy where it matters.
This approach allows your harvest to be spread out over several weeks. Perfect if you’re cooking for one or two people.
Method 2: Harvest the Whole Stalk
Want all your sprouts at once? Cut the entire stalk at ground level.
This works best when most of the sprouts look ready at the same time. Use sharp loppers or a sturdy knife.
You can leave the sprouts attached to the stalk. Stand it in water like a bouquet or hang it in a cool spot. They’ll stay fresh longer this way than loose sprouts in the fridge.
Or twist them all off straightaway. Whatever suits your storage space.
The Secret to Bigger Sprouts
Want larger sprouts? There’s a simple trick.
About a month before you plan to harvest, cut off the top 4 to 6 inches of the plant. This is called topping.
It stops the plant from growing taller. All that energy goes into fattening up the existing sprouts instead. They’ll also mature more evenly.
Just don’t do it too early. Late August to mid-September works well, depending on your area. Schedule it approximately three weeks before your first planned harvest.
Keep Pruning as They Grow
Want to know why some gardeners get massive sprouts and others don’t? It’s often down to pruning.
Brussels sprouts take at least 80 days to mature, often longer than 100 days. During this time, they need regular tidying.
Start when sprouts begin forming on the stem. Remove yellowing or damaged leaves from the bottom up. Take off 3 to 4 leaves at a time. Do this every week or two.
But here’s what matters. Always leave 5 to 7 healthy leaves at the top. These are essential. The plant needs them for energy. Strip too many and you’ll stress the plant. Your harvest will suffer.
How Long Can You Keep Harvesting?
Brussels sprouts can survive temperatures as low as 20°F. That’s properly cold.
This means you can leave them in the garden well into winter. They’ll keep producing as long as the weather holds. Harvest as you need them. They taste better picked fresh anyway.
If a deep freeze is coming, pile mulch around the base of the plants. Straw or hay works well. Pack it up to the top leaves. This insulation can buy you extra weeks of harvest time.
Come spring, the plants will bolt. They’ll shoot up and flower. At that point, the sprouts are no longer suitable for eating. But you’ve had months of harvests by then.
Don’t Waste the Rest of the Plant
Most people toss everything except the sprouts. That’s a mistake.
The leaves are edible. Cook them like kale or collard greens. The young leaves at the very top are milder in flavour. They’re especially good once you’ve finished harvesting the sprouts.
Even the stalks can be eaten. You’ll need to peel off the woody outer layer. What’s left inside can be cooked like broccoli stems or added to vegetable stock.
Brussels sprouts are heavy feeders. They’ve taken a lot from your soil. Using every part of the plant makes the most your investment.
What If Your Sprouts Are Tiny?
Small sprouts are usually down to two things. Not enough water and nutrients or a lack of pruning.
Brussels sprouts are hungry plants. They need rich soil and regular feeding throughout the season. If growth seems slow, side dress with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser in early summer.
The other culprit is skipping the pruning. Those bottom leaves need to come off as the sprouts develop. Otherwise, the plant spreads its energy too thin.
Proper spacing matters too. Plants need 18 to 24 inches between them. Crowded plants compete for nutrients and struggle to size up properly.
We hope this blog post has helped you clear up any doubts you may have had about harvesting Brussels sprouts this season. We have blog posts for many of your gardening queries here: Coco and Coir Blog.
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