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How to Plant and Grow Brussels Sprouts

unharvested brussels sprouts on the stalk
Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Brassica oleracea
Grown as
Annual
USDA Zones
2a
2b
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Special Features
Winter Interest
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Vegetables
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Brussels sprouts: those little green globes that get a bad rap—until you grow your own! When grown right, these cool-season veggies are sweet, tender, and packed with nutrition, and actually improve in flavor after a light frost. 

Whether you’re new to growing or ready to level up your fall harvesting game, here’s everything you need to know about cultivating Brussels sprouts and how to harvest the absolute best-tasting sprouts around.

Planting

When to Plant Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are a slow-growing, long-season crop that grows best in cool weather and can turn bitter when temperatures get too high.

Most varieties take between 80 and 100 days to reach a harvestable size when grown from transplants, which is the recommended growing method. I get the best results by planting nursery-grown transplants outdoors about 90 to 110 days before the first fall frost. 

If you’re a reasonably savvy gardener, you can also start plants indoors from seed by sowing the seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. However, this is a trickier process!

Where to Plant Brussels Sprouts

Choose a planting site that gets full sun or about 8 to 10 hours of direct light per day. Raised beds are especially good for cool-season vegetables—particularly in the spring and fall when temperatures are irregular.

Brussels sprouts crave lots of nutrients, so be sure to work several inches of aged manure or compost into the soil before planting.

How to Plant Brussels Sprouts

To plant, work compost into the soil and then plant transplants at the same depth they were growing in their nursery pots. Firm the soil around the base of the transplants, space multiple plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows located about 24 to 30 inches from each other, and water well. Adding mulch around the base of your plants will keep weeds down.

If you’re growing sprouts from seed, plant 2 seeds 1/4 inch deep per pot or planting cell and thin the weakest seedling out with fingernail scissors once true leaves form. Remember to harden off indoor plants before transitioning them outside.

Brussels sprouts ready to pick

Growing

Watering

Inconsistent moisture can lead to subpar sprout development. To avoid this, provide Brussels sprouts with about 1 to 1½ inches of water per week, and add mulch around the base of your plants too.

Fertilizing

Brussels sprouts are heavy feeding plants. For bigger sprouts, side-dress plants 2 to 4 weeks after planting or when the plants are 12 inches high using an organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer. Reapply the fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks after that.

Pruning or Maintenance

As they grow, Brussels sprout stems can easily reach over 2 to 3 feet tall and may require staking. Removing the yellowing leaves at the bottom of the plant boosts light levels around the plant’s stalk and helps increase sprout size. When working around your sprouts, take care not to disturb their roots as they’re shallow and easily damaged.

Seasonal Care

Like other brassicas, Brussels sprouts are prone to pests like cabbage loppers—especially right after planting. Protecting young plants with row covers can help. You can also try out organic pest control measures like BT thuricide.

  • If you want to encourage sprouts to mature faster, cut off the top leaves 3 to 4 weeks before harvest.
  • If you intend to harvest sprouts into winter, leave the plant’s top leaves intact as they provide protection from snow. Then, cover plants with 10 to 12 inches of mulch.

Brussels sprout plants in a field

Harvesting

When to Harvest

Brussels sprouts are typically harvested from fall to early winter and taste sweeter after a light kiss of frost. Sprouts mature from the bottom of the stalk upwards and are ready to pick when they’re about 1 inch in diameter. Ripe sprouts should be firm and green and have tightly closed leaves, while overripe sprouts will look yellow and open.

How to Harvest

Individual sprouts can be snapped off the plant’s stems with your fingers or cut free with a sharp knife. You can also pull the entire stalk of the plant up, roots and all.

Storage

Stalks of harvested Brussels sprouts can be stored in a root cellar or basement for about a month once you trim the roots free. Individual sprouts last about 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge when stored loosely in a plastic bag, but they’ll keep even longer if you blanch and freeze them. For longer storage, don’t wash Brussels sprouts until just before use.

Brussels sprouts on the plant
Photo by audaxl/Getty Images

Pests and Problems

Common Problems

  • Undersized sprouts can be caused by heat stressed or low nutrient soil. It may also result from harvesting sprouts too early!
  • Bitter flavor can ruin sprouts that are planted too late in spring and subjected to hot weather. That’s why it’s best to plant Brussels sprouts for cool weather harvesting.

Common Pests

  • Aphid infestations can leave Brussels sprout leaves misshapen and yellow and cause distorted sprout growth. Growing companion plants can help to naturally deter these pests, while active infestations can be dispelled with your garden hose or treated with an organic insecticidal soap spray.
  • Cabbage loopers are small, green caterpillars that bore ragged holes through Brussels sprouts and their leaves. Using row covers or BT thuricide are the most reliable ways to prevent looper issues, but you can also deter loopers with companion planting and adding feeders near your garden to attract visiting birds.

Plant Diseases

  • Black rot is a fungal issue that causes plant leaves to turn yellow and develop v-shaped brown lesions that eventually collapse. Infected plants should be destroyed, while future issues can be prevented by growing resistant cultivars and rotating crops seasonally.
  • Clubroot is also caused by a fungus and produces wilted and stunted plants, yellowing leaves, and distorted root growth. Keeping soil pH levels slightly alkaline can help to minimize risks of this disease; however, if clubroot has already made its way into your garden, you’ll want to destroy infected plants and potentially solarize the soil too.

Types

Different varieties of Brussels sprouts come in different colors, mature at different rates, and offer other specific perks. Here are a few of our favorite picks and what makes each stand out.

  • ‘Diablo’ is a famously heavy producer and excellent pick if you want a bumper crop of sprouts.
  • ‘Falstaff’ produces striking reddish-purple sprouts that hold their color even after cooking.
  • ‘Jade Cross’ is a high-yielding and compact plant with resistance to some diseases and better heat tolerance than most.

Wit and Wisdom

  • In 2013, a team of scientists and schoolchildren lit an 8-foot-tall Christmas tree in London with the energy from 1,000 brussels sprouts or a total of about 62 volts.
  • Brussels sprouts were first cultivated in Brussels, Belgium, in the 16th century—which is how these veggies got their name!
  • Like closely related cabbages, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower, Brussels sprouts are a cultivar of the wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea, which was carefully cultivated over generations to produce a wide variety of our favorite cool season vegetables. 

Vegetables

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 11/19/2014 - 11:21

If you can't cook the the sprouts right away place the frozen sprouts in freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Do not thaw them.

 <span>Ricky Cordry</span> Mon, 11/10/2014 - 20:53
I have been patiently waiting to be able to pick my brussle sprouts. But now it snowed the first time this year. It was my first garden and they looked great but the sprouts were only the size of a pea. Should I give up on them? Can I dig them up and bring them inside?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 11/11/2014 - 10:21

Hi Ricky,

You may have planted the brussels sprouts too late in the season. They need a long growing season. Your sprouts will not grow much bigger with the cold weather arriving. You can harvest the entire stalk and cook the sprouts and leaves. Or you can leave the stalks in the garden. They will not do well indoors.

 <span>Frank Drebon</span> Sun, 11/02/2014 - 12:40
I grew 4 Brussel sprout plants this year, harvested enough for my satisfaction. After they were done, I knocked the stalks down and composted them. About 3 weeks ago I noticed 4 young plants emerging in the same spot as the previous plants. What can I do to prevent this? It's not a big deal for me, but it's already November and last night we had a good frost. I plan on clipping the young leaves and putting them into a soup recipe. Let me know what everyone thinks!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 11/03/2014 - 14:04

Had you cut the plants to the ground and they sprouted from the base of the stalks, or are these volunteer seedlings? Brussels sprouts are biennial and will, especially with some winter protection (depending on where you live), overwinter to sprout again early next season and flower that second year.

 

If these seedlings sprouted from the old stalks, you can try overwintering them (protect them with mulch etc.) and let them grow in late winter/early spring for one more harvest before they bloom.

 

Or, you can remove the entire plants (roots and all) if you don't want them to grow back.

 

Or, perhaps next time delay when you knock down the stalks (which perhaps was encouraging new growth, especially if you had some warmer weather meantime)--wait until after several hard frosts; some plants can be harvested into December.

 

Or, plant later, if possible, so that you can harvest them after a few frosts; it is thought that the flavor improves after the brussels sprouts have experienced a frost.

 

Anyone else have ideas?

 <span>Sandrawolfe</span> Tue, 03/17/2015 - 20:51
Last year I planted tiny Brussels Sprouts plants that I purchased at a nursery. The plants thrived, but were attacked by aphids. It was so severe that I cut the plants literally to the ground, intending to just have the roots decompose in the soil as compost. Much to my surprise, the plants sprouted back up and are now producing a gorgeous crop! Once I harvest, can I cut to the ground again and have any chance of a repeat performance?
<span>Sena</span> Sun, 10/26/2014 - 11:51
Hello, I live in milwaukee WI. I planted my brussel sprouts in May it's now end October. I have huge stalks, but no sprouts. I'm getting ready for a nasty winter and wondering if I should dig them up or will they maybe produce sprouts next year? Can I leave the stalks in the ground? And if so should I trim the leaves or cover the plants? Any suggestions will be helpful. Thanks in advance.
<span>Amyrl</span> Thu, 10/30/2014 - 13:03
I live in Madison, WI. Last year I had 2 purple Brussels sprouts that didn't produce, and I left them in the garden. I didn't mulch because I wasn't trying to overwinter them (I was just lazy about clearing the garden). We had an unusually rough winter, and they both survived. This year I got my Brussels sprouts. If you mulch, there's a chance they will come back and produce next year.
<span>Deb Isaacson</span> Wed, 10/15/2014 - 11:58
I live in northern Minnesota and have been growing brussel sprouts in raised beds for 3 yrs.I collect rain water from the gutters and use it for all of my raised beds.All of my plants benefit from the rain water as it is all natural. Our city water almost kills everything I used to water with it. My brussel sprouts have done the best this yr as I learned to get them as plants and get them in the ground on the day of purchase as soon as they come out in our local garden center.They love the cool soil here and are provided with partial shade during hot days in our back yard.The last 2 yrs we have had cool summers with plenty of rain in the spring.I had to haul water from my reserve tanks daily during dry spell but the results have been amazing. It is mid,October and we have had 2 light freezes in the mid 20's over night.Our sprouts range from baby pea size to a little over 1 in across. I removed leaves from the bottom of the plant as it developed pea sized sprouts thruout the summer leaving at least 15 to 20 leaves at the top. where the leaves where removed the sprouts grew the best.I have shared the excess sprouts with other gardeners and will have enough to freeze about 8 quart bags for the winter
<span>Nick Siminson</span> Sat, 08/30/2014 - 08:43
Hi Y'all. I'm a British "ex pat" and live on the North German Coast about 100km North of Hamburg. I am trying to grow Sprouts this Year for the first time. I started them from Seed and they took an eternity to germinate. However, they are doing well in the Garden and look very healthy. It's now the end of August and absolutely no sign of the Sprouts developing. Our Soil is very sandy but well manured. I hope to be able to harvest for Christmas (although they are easy to buy in the Shops). Am I going to see any results ?