Being a part of the Cabbage family, Brussels sprouts vaguely resemble little cabbages, and they are made up of thick stems and broad leaves.
Many people enjoy eating them fresh since they are high in nutrients, but sprout lovers ignore the intake of these Brussel sprouts due to their bitter flavor. That’s right! Some Brussels sprouts are bitter only because they are grown incorrectly. Brussels sprouts are harvested in the fall, so growing them in May or June is better.
Through this article, you will be exploring the correct procedure to grow Brussels sprouts from the scraps and harvest nice healthy grown sprouts from your garden.
Many gardeners claim that they can grow the Brussels sprouts from sharp in their backyard garden. As an enthusiastic gardener and a healthy and organic food lover, you must be trying to know how to grow Brussels sprouts from scraping your garden.
If so is your problem, then there is no problem because, in this article, you will be exploring a step-by-step procedure for growing brussels sprouts from scraps. It will guide you about the whole procedure to have a satisfying outcome.
How to Grow Brussel Sprouts From Scraps?
For your better understanding, we are dividing the procedure into two parts:
- Slashing and regrowing
- Transplantation
1. Slashing and Regrowing
The Steps include in this part are:
Step 1: Wash Your Brussels Sprouts and Peel off the Dead Leaves
Rinse and clean your Brussels sprouts in a bowl over a sink to clean all the scraps and dirt. Examine the bottom portion of the sprouts and peel off the dead and yellowish leaves.
Since this is a method to grow Brussels sprouts from scraps but if you want, you can take fresh sprouts too for this.
Step 2: Cut off the Bottom of Your Brussels Sprouts
Slash the bottom portion of your Brussels sprouts in flat. The new roots of the sprouts will grow only from the bottom of this slice.
Step 3: Fill ½ of the Container With Water
Fill a container to half with water to put your sprouts within. Keep your container somewhere visible and noticeable, so you’ll remember to survey your cuttings. Your Brussels sprouts only require a slight amount of water to help them cultivate a new root system.
Some gardeners have experimented with growing cuttings in a water bottle and gotten good results even in less space.
Step 4: Put the Brussels Sprouts in Water
Place the sprout cuttings in a position on the sliced side down the water surface in the container. It will be great if there are fewer sprouts in the container- take care of not binding a lot of Brussels sprouts together in the same container. If the container is small, take two or three of them and try to take a bigger container for the process.
Step 5: Change The Water Of The Container Regularly For Better Results
Remove the old water from the container and replace it with ½ more precisely (1.3 cm)of freshwater. Check the water periodically and remove any floating inert/dead leaves.
Step 6: Plant Them In The Ground When Your Brussels Sprouts Are 3 Inches (7.6 Cm) Tall
After a couple of weeks pass, measure the height of your sprout’s cutting with the help of a ruler. Once the height of the roots is recorded at 3 inches (7.6cm), move them from the container and plant them on the ground of the backyard garden.
2. Transplantation
Following are the few things that must be taken care of during the transplantation procedure:
Also Read: How Long Does Transplant Shock Last? (+ How to Recover From it)
Step 1: Do The Planting Of The Transplantation Between The Time Of Late June And Early July
Brussels sprouts naturally grow in the summers, so between the end of June and the beginning of July is favorable for the transplantation.
Brussels sprouts take an 80-day growing season or longer to mature, and they taste better after a mild frost. Plant seeds four months before the predicted first fall frost date in your location. Harvesting in the early to mid-summer gives you a fall to early winter yield in locations with cold winters. You can plant in the middle to late summer for a crop to late winter in milder climates.
Temperatures between 45 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for Brussels sprouts, while plants can endure brief periods below freezing. Humidity is generally not an issue as long as the plants’ soil moisture requirements are met and adequate airflow around them.
Step 2: Grow the Transplant in Most Sun Exposure
A raised garden bed is perfect since it can better endure temperature variations. Growing in containers is also an option.
Before planting the transplants, look out for somewhere in your garden exposed directly to sunlight. Although a lesser interaction with the sun can not harm the plants, it can slow the process of their growth. For the excellent development of the Brussels sprouts, a minimum of 6 hours of exposure to sunlight is needed.
Strawberries can obstruct the growth of Brussels sprouts, so keep them away from them. Brussels sprouts should not be planted near nightshade plants, such as tomatoes, because sprouts can restrain their growth.
Step 3: Always Use Fertile Soil For The Transplantation Of Your Brussels Sprouts
In its remarkable growth, Brussels sprouts need fertile soil that can drain well and absorb an adequate amount of water for the plant.
To check the correct fertility of the soil, examine its Ph. If the Ph scale shows results between 6.0 to 7.5, consider the soil ideal for growing your Brussels sprouts.
Although Brussels sprouts can grow in soil with a pH slightly higher than 7.5, they grow sufficiently in the 6.0 to 7.5 range.
Commercial fertilizers with high phosphorus fertilizer ratio content, such as 10-30-10 and 5-10-5, are examples.
Step 4: Make A Spacing Of 18 Inches To 24 Inches Between Your Plant
Place the transplant of your Brussels sprouts in the fertile soil leaving a vast space of 18 inches to 24 inches between each sprout.
Stifle the sprouts thoroughly in the soil to grow enormously and grow massive and leafy.
Step 5: To Keep Weeds At A Distance, Mulch Your Plants With Trimmings Or Straw
Surround your transplants with 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) grass cuttings and straw. Use herbicide-free grass to prevent the chemicals from transferring to your new plant.
Weeds are strewn among several varieties of straw. To avoid spreading weeds into your garden, ensure there are no weeds in the straw.
Step 6: Water The Newly Transplanted Brussels Sprouts
After transplantation, sprinkle water using any best water sprinkler on the ground where it is planted for the plant to adapt to the new surface.
A transplant starter solution, which is a particular fertilizer created for new transplants in your garden, is needed for your Brussels sprouts. You can purchase it from your local gardening store.
Choose a phosphorus-rich formula with low potassium and nitrogen levels for your Brussels sprouts.
Step 7: Water Your Sprouts With 1 Cup Per 2.5 Cm Of Water Each Week
These plants need more water; therefore, watering them regularly is essential.
Once a week, water your Brussels sprouts thoroughly for their healthy growth.
You don’t need to water the sprout plants in the rainy season as rain provides enough water to the soil to stay moist and favorable.
In a 4 by 8 ft (1.2 by 2.4 m) garden, 1 in (2.5 cm) water equals 2.3 L is required.
Step 8: When The Sprouts Grow To 12 Inches (30cm), Coat The Soil With Nitrogen Fertilizer
According to the classic thumb rule, apply 150gm -227gm (about 1 cup) of nitrogen fertilizer every 30 ft or 9.1 m of space. Splash water over the fertilizer, wait four weeks and add nitrogen fertilizer to the soil again.
For instance, a few nitrogen fertilizers good for the Brussels sprouts are ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate.
9: Harvesting of Brussels sprouts (in winters)
Brussels sprouts grow tall at first and don’t begin sprouting until they’re nearly mature. Each sprout emerges from the leaf’s axial or joint. Sprouts develop from the bottom to the top of the plant.
So, when the bottom sprouts reach an inch in diameter, harvest them. Pick them before they become too big, explode, and turn bitter. Each plant produces a quart of sprouts.
Remove the leaf beneath each sprout first to make pulling out the sprouts simpler. After that, the sprout should be twisted and pulled. Some folks prefer to use pruners. After harvesting, the second crop of sprouts may grow at the stem’s base. These aren’t as snug as the first crop, but they’ll suffice.
Sprouts can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days. Wash them only when you need to consume otherwise, store them unwashed in a cool place.
Conclusion
Following this guide will help you grow Brussel sprouts from the scraps and solve your gardening problems. Ensure you provide them with the required water, sunlight, fertilizers, and soil for their perfect growth.
