How to Grow Brussels Sprouts From Seed

Brussels sprouts are a long-haul, cool-season crop, and the secret is timing them to finish in cold weather. In most regions, start seeds indoors in late spring to early summer, about 12 to 14 weeks before your first fall frost, then transplant sturdy seedlings out 4 to 6 weeks later. In the mild-winter South and coastal West, sow in mid to late summer for a winter harvest. The goal everywhere is the same: sprouts sizing up as the nights turn cold.

Sow seeds a quarter inch deep in a seed-starting tray, keep the mix moist and around 60 to 70F, and seedlings appear in about 5 to 10 days. Move them into cell pots as they grow, then transplant into the garden when they have a few true leaves, spacing plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows about 30 inches apart. Give them full sun and firm, rich, well-drained soil, and firm the ground well around each stem, since loose soil leads to loose, leafy sprouts.

Brussels sprouts are hungry and thirsty over their long season. Water deeply and evenly, mulch to hold moisture, and feed every few weeks with a balanced fertilizer, easing off nitrogen as sprouts form. Hill soil up around the base or stake tall plants so they do not topple. Watch for cabbage worms, aphids, and flea beetles, and cover young plants with a light row cover. In cold-winter regions like the Northeast and Upper Midwest, plants shrug off hard frost and the sprouts turn sweeter for it; in hot-summer areas like the Deep South, grow them strictly as a fall-to-winter crop.

Brussels sprouts take up a bed for months, so good neighbors that repel pests and use the open space early really earn their keep. These four make especially good companions, and you can add any of them in one click:

Sprouts mature from the bottom of the stalk upward, so start picking the lowest ones once they are firm and about an inch across, twisting or snapping them off and removing the leaf below. Work your way up over several weeks as the higher sprouts fill out. Flavor is best after a frost or two, which converts starches to sugar. To gather a whole stalk at once, cut it at the base and store it sprouts-on in a cold spot.

Brussels sprouts are at their best roasted: halve them, toss with oil and salt, and roast hot until the edges caramelize and the outer leaves crisp. They also shred raw into crunchy winter slaws and salads, saute quickly with garlic, or pan-sear cut-side down for a golden crust. Smaller sprouts are sweeter and more tender, and a touch of frost in the garden makes any of them taste better.

• Loose, open sprouts: usually warm weather or loose soil. Firm the ground around the stem, ease off nitrogen late, and time the crop to finish in cool weather.
• Cabbage worms and aphids: hand-pick caterpillars, blast aphids off with water, and float a light row cover over young plants.
• Plants toppling over: they get tall and top-heavy. Hill soil up around the base and stake plants in exposed spots.
• No sprouts forming: often too little time or too much heat. Give them a long, cool finish and be patient, since they need 90 or more days.