Brussels sprouts outdoor cultivation and care, video and photo. Proper cultivation and care of Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are popular with experienced gardeners, growing it is quite simple. Of all the known cabbage varieties, this one stands apart. However, in our gardens it is considered a rarity due to its peculiar capriciousness and low yield. But this is far from true.

You can grow a vegetable in the country in open ground in the Moscow region, plant directly from seeds or plant seedlings first.

The plant is biennial, characterized by a thick stem, reaching a height of one meter. It has long-leaved foliage with a multi-colored bubbly surface. The top of the stem is crowned with a leaf rosette.

By the autumn season begin to form small loose or dense heads of cabbage, outwardly resembling a fork of white cabbage. Their diameter is two to five centimeters, grows on one stem from 30 to 70 pieces.

The plant is unpretentious, resistant to frost, the vegetative period is 4-6 months, so it is recommended to grow the culture by the seedling method.

Cabbage has a delicious taste, contains many useful vitamins and minerals.

Origin story

Culture is considered variety of white cabbage, does not occur in the wild in nature. Its predecessor is kale, which grows in the Mediterranean. The Brussels vegetable was bred by Belgian selection specialists, which was the reason for such a name.

Over time, the vegetable began to be grown in the countries of Western Europe, and it got to the east in the middle of the nineteenth century, but did not take root due to the difficult climate. But Canadians, Americans and Westerners began to plant crops in industrial quantities.

Beneficial features

This variety of cabbage contains:

• cellulose;
• folic acid;
• proteins;
• vitamins of various groups;
• phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iodine, sodium salts;
• amino acids.

According to this composition, the product is classified as a valuable food and medicine.

Cabbage juice has a diuretic, choleretic, hematopoietic, anti-cancer, anti-toxic, anti-inflammatory effect, stabilizes the pancreas, is recommended for sufferers diabetes. Cabbage helps with wound healing after surgical interventions.

vegetable count gourmet food. It is used in the preparation of salads, first courses, side dishes, it can be marinated and even frozen.

The most popular varieties for growing

The most famous include:

Sowing dates

Sowing is best mid-March to early April.

For seedlings, the temperature at night is not higher than six degrees Celsius, and during the day - about eighteen. So it is better to place containers for planting on a balcony or in a greenhouse.

seedling care

After three to five days, the first shoots appear. At this time, you should remove the plastic film from the boxes, rearrange them to more illuminated places. So that the seedlings do not stretch out, it is recommended to organize additional lighting.

cabbage seedlings need abundant watering, but do not get carried away so that the roots do not begin to rot. The soil should always loosen to provide oxygen access to the root system.

feed sprouts should be in the phase of the second - third leaves, using Kemira-lux. It is necessary to ensure that the composition does not fall on the leaves. The second top dressing is performed a couple of weeks before transplantation. Urea is used for this blue vitriol, potassium sulfate, boric acid.

picking

It is performed for seedlings that have formed one true leaf. Picking scheme - "six by six" centimeters. Before transplanting, the seedlings are shed with a weak manganese solution, then carefully seated in cups.

Make sure that the roots do not remain bent. Too long are allowed to pinch.

The seedling deepens to cotyledon leaf. The containers are placed in a shaded place for several days, the air should be humid.

Planting Brussels sprouts outdoors

Seedlings should be transplanted after the sprouts appear fourth - fifth leaves. As a rule, this moment falls on mid-May - mid-summer season.

The soil should be fertile, loamy. The preparation of the beds should be done in the fall - dig up, add lime if necessary. In the spring, the place should be fertilized by adding a bucket of compost or humus to the square of the plot.

Holes are prepared for planting seedlings, in each of which a small spoonful of urea is laid, two tablespoons - superphosphate, a couple of glasses wood ash.

The landing pattern is "sixty by sixty" centimeters. The sprout is rolled along with a clod of earth, sprinkled, compacted and watered.

Care rules

Cabbage should be fertilized urea and potassium chloride. top dressing boric acid, molybdenum and manganese solution must be foliar. At the beginning of the formation of the ovary, infused bird droppings are added with the addition of ash.

To accelerate the ripening of fruits and increase their weight at the end of the vegetative period, it is recommended to pinch the apical parts of the shoots. Rosette leaves are cut off one month before harvest.

Hilling the plant should be done carefully so that the lower heads do not begin to rot. In this case, weeds should be removed. These are the basic rules for care.

Diseases and pests

In the spring from the beds it is necessary remove weeds cruciferous family, so as not to attract pests to it. To scare away the cabbage fly, the beds can be sprinkle with tobacco mixed with ash or lime.

Harvest and storage

In autumn, when the leaves turn yellow and begin to fall, cabbage start to shine. This suggests that you can start harvesting.

The characteristic shine of heads of cabbage is a signal for harvesting. If you put the heads of cabbage in a bag, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

The stem is cut off at the surface of the earth, the remaining leaves are removed. If such a stem with heads of cabbage is wrapped in a bag, it can be stored in a cool place for about two months. Frozen cabbage will keep for up to four months.

It turns out that nothing difficult to grow Brussels sprouts No. It remains only to choose the most suitable variety for the climate for your region, and you can start sowing, planting this amazing and delicious plant, which will also look unusual.

Brussels sprouts come from Belgium, from where this plant spread to Holland, Germany and France, as well as to other countries of Western Europe.

This type of cabbage is different high content nutrients and good taste. Dense small cabbages of Brussels sprouts are used in the preparation of first and second courses, and they can also be pickled for the winter.

Brussels sprout varieties

All varieties of Brussels sprouts are divided into early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening.

Mid-season varieties of Brussels sprouts:

• Rosella - has a good yield (up to 50 heads of cabbage are harvested from one stem);
• Cassio - characterized high yield(up to 60 heads).

Late maturing varieties:

• Hercules 1342 - resistant to diseases, is the most common, frost-resistant;
• Dallik - characterized by high resistance to keel;
• Curl - a variety of domestic selection, frost-resistant.

Early maturing varieties:

• Franklin F1 - ripening period 130 days;
• Dolmic F1 is best grade taking into account the peculiarities of growing Brussels sprouts in Siberia and the Urals.

The stalk of cabbage reaches 40-60 cm, depending on the variety. Brussels sprouts are green-yellow, can reach a mass of up to 20 grams, and up to 0.5 kg are harvested from one copy (yield depends on the variety).

Features of growing Brussels sprouts

In order to receive good harvest sprouts, the cultivation of Brussels sprouts should be carried out taking into account the exactingness of the culture to the soil and place of growth. planted in fertile loams with neutral or low acidity pH. Brussels sprouts are well diverted for growing, because due to lack of light, heads of cabbage on the stem do not have time to form and gain mass.

This type of cabbage should be planted after root vegetables, legumes, early tomatoes and pumpkin crops. In order to prevent many diseases, and especially keel, Brussels sprouts are not recommended to be planted after cruciferous ones.

Features of growing Brussels sprouts in Siberia and the Urals

The growing season for Brussels sprouts lasts 160-180 days, so in the middle latitudes this crop is grown only in seedlings.

For seeds to germinate, 3 degrees of heat is enough, and when it rises to 20 degrees, seedlings appear on the 4th day.

A soil mixture is poured into the seedling boxes, made up of and sod land with the addition of and. Garden soil is not used for growing Brussels sprout seedlings to minimize the risk of pest and clubroot infestation. Seeds are laid out in holes to a depth of 2 cm. Cabbage can be sown for seedlings from the second decade of April. If there is no space, seeds for seedlings can be sown under a film in a place well warmed by the sun.

Brussels sprouts should be watered as the soil dries out in the box. It is important not to pour, otherwise the seedlings will disappear. When 4-7 true leaves are formed on the plant, the seedlings are ready for transplanting into open ground.

Planting seedlings of Brussels sprouts is carried out taking into account weather conditions (from May 15), and for the regions of Siberia and the Urals, the dates are shifted to the beginning of June.

Ideal for growing Brussels sprouts would be a ridge on which they grew last year, or crops of the legume family. When transplanting cabbage seedlings into the hole, you do not need to add fertilizer, since the ridge has been prepared since autumn. If there was no autumn dressing, 2 weeks before planting, a bucket of humus, half a liter of chalk or ash, 100 gr. nitrophoska. The soil with fertilizers is dug up, leveled and spilled with an additional solution of potassium permanganate (1.5 g of the substance is taken per bucket of water). This is a good prevention of clubroot and other cruciferous diseases.

Brussels sprout seedlings are carefully removed from the box, keeping a clod of earth.

Planting is carried out in rows, maintaining a distance of 60 cm between plants. The soil around the stem is compacted so that the wind does not tilt the plant. Cabbage seedlings, grown or, take root best of all, since the clod of earth retains its shape during transshipment.

Since Brussels sprouts develop for a long time (almost six months), the beds with this crop can be used more rationally by planting cucumbers, early tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables and herbs in the aisle.

Care

After planting seedlings, you need to ensure proper care for Brussels sprouts. It is practically the same as for cauliflower, only you do not need to spud.

Watering. For the entire growing period, Brussels sprouts are watered 10 times, spending on 10 square meters planting 400 liters of water before the formation of heads on the stem, and 450 liters - during their growth.

top dressing. During the season, seedlings are fed twice with mineral fertilizers. Organics are not used as food for this type of cabbage.

1. The first time Brussels sprouts are fed a week after planting in open ground. A teaspoon of nitroammophoska is used for 2 holes.
2. The second feeding is carried out on already grown plants, when the rudiments of cabbage heads begin to appear on the stems. A solution is used as a top dressing: 25 grams of nitroammophoska, potassium sulfate and are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Before top dressing, the soil is shed with water, and then top dressing is applied. For the second top dressing, you can use the following fertilizer composition: 30 grams of potassium chloride, 40 grams of superphosphate, 2 grams.

Pinching. In September, when 3-4 weeks are left before harvesting, pinch the top of the Brussels sprouts and cut off the rosette leaves. This is a decapitation method that promotes the growth of sprouts.

Harvesting. The fact that Brussels sprouts are ready to be harvested will be indicated by their coloring of the first leaves of the heads. They become yellowish, after which they crumble. A characteristic waxy sheen appears on the fruits themselves.

Growing Brussels sprouts - video

For quite a long time in the vegetable markets, and in most supermarkets, you can observe unusual look vegetable. This peculiar and unique vegetable is Brussels sprouts. By the number of useful vitamins contained in it, it is in no way inferior to ordinary white cabbage, and palatability surpasses it in many ways. Moreover, it is very unusual and beautiful plant, which looks especially unusual during the formation of the forks. What is this culture and how to grow Brussels sprouts at home?

General information

In fact, Brussels sprouts are one of the varieties of white cabbage and belong to the species It cultivated plant therefore, it is simply impossible to meet it in the wild. An unusual vegetable was bred in Belgium and named after Brussels farmers.

Cabbage received general recognition first in Western Europe, Canada and the United States. In Russia, however, popularity came to it only in the middle of the 19th century. In our country, it is cultivated in limited quantities in the central regions. This vegetable is so frost-resistant that it gets along in almost any climatic conditions.

Description and appearance of cabbage

This vegetable crop is a biennial plant. Brussels sprouts grow (how to grow in open ground, we will consider further) is extremely in an unusual way. First, a thick stem 30-100 centimeters high grows, in rare cases the stem can reach bigger size. Large green leaves are located throughout the stem. It is also considered normal if dark green spots with a purple tint form on the leaves. A small rosette of leaves forms at the top of the stem. In autumn, small forks of cabbage form near each leaf. The diameter of each reaches from 2 to 5 centimeters. The fruits can be located very rarely, or they can and, conversely, stick around the entire stem. Up to 70 forks can grow on one stem. In the second year of its flowering, the plant does not produce fruits, but forms flowers with small brown seeds. Brussels sprout seeds can remain viable for no more than 5 years. Cabbage is able to withstand frosts down to -10 degrees, which makes it the most frost-resistant among all species. Also, this type of cabbage is one of the longest growing species. The ripening period lasts from 120 to 180 days, which is why this species is more convenient to grow through seedlings.

How to grow Brussels sprouts from seeds

The very first question that a gardener who decides to grow this crop asks: how and when to plant it? How to grow Brussels sprouts in the garden? The seeds of this plant begin to grow already at a temperature of +2 degrees. It is best to grow seedlings in early April. It is desirable to do this in a heated greenhouse. If there is none, then glazed balcony perfect for this. The most optimal environment for sowing is high humidity, as well as a temperature of +3 or +4 degrees at night. Sprouts begin to appear on the fifth day.

So how do you grow Brussels sprouts from seed? Before sowing, the seeds must be well warmed up in water for 15 minutes. Recommended water temperature - no more than 50 degrees. Then they are lowered into cold water for 1 minute. Next, the seeds are kept for 12 hours in a solution rich in trace elements, then washed in running water and placed in the refrigerator overnight. After that, the seeds should be dried and you can start planting. In order for the seedlings to be strong, you need to sow the seeds at a distance of at least 5 centimeters from each other, and the planting depth should be no more than 2 centimeters. After one true leaf appears on the seedlings, the plants dive, and then transplanted into separate boxes. Further, the seedlings should grow from 35 to 60 days. Then it is transplanted into open ground. Usually, by this time, 4 to 7 leaves grow on each stem. If you're planning to grow Brussels sprouts in your backyard, it's important to properly prepare the soil.

The soil

Cabbage loves processed and rich useful substances soil, in putrefactive soils, seedlings will give poor germination. Exactly therefore, before growing Brussels sprouts in the open field, in the spring before planting, the soil must be fertilized. It is best to use ammonium nitrate or urea for these purposes. The concentration is about 20 g per 1 m. A sunny place is best suited for planting, as cabbage does not like shade. It is recommended to plant plants in two rows, quite far from each other. The best distance between plants is at least 50 cm.

How to care for Brussels sprouts

When considering how to grow Brussels sprouts, it is important to familiarize yourself with the features of care. Two weeks after planting the plants in the beds, it is recommended to carry out the first top dressing with mineral fertilizers. Under one stem, it is recommended to apply 1-2 liters of fertilizer.

The second top dressing is carried out when forks form on the stems. Cabbage must be watered abundantly. This culture needs abundant watering especially during the formation of small forks. In order to prevent pests from attacking the cabbage, it is recommended to sprinkle the ground with ash once a week after loosening. To make the cabbage crop richer, the upper rosettes should be cut off. It is best to do this one and a half months before the harvest ripens. Consider further how to grow Brussels sprouts so that they are not attacked by pests.

• observe crop rotation;
• treat seeds before sowing (the method was described above);
• compliance with all the rules for caring for cabbage.

Harvesting

Cabbage picking is recommended to start in late September or early October. It is not necessary to cut all the forks. The crop is harvested as it ripens. Ripe cabbage has a rich green color and reaches a diameter of 3 centimeters. The mass of one fork can reach from 10 to 15 grams.

There is another way to harvest: the fully ripened forks are cut along with the stem, then placed in wet sand and removed in a dark place. In this form, cabbage can be stored for up to 4 months. Cut forks are best used immediately or frozen. A scientifically proven fact - frozen Brussels sprouts do not lose their nutritional value.

Varieties of cabbage varieties

Considering the technology of how to grow Brussels sprouts, it is worth dwelling on the most popular varieties. They can be divided into three types:

• early cabbage(Cassio, Dolmik, Rosello (Germany), Franklin, Rudnev, Isabella);
• mid-season cabbage (Boxer, Perfection (Russia), Hercules, Risen);
• late cabbage(Gruniger (Germany), Catskill (USA), Curl).

The harm and benefits of cabbage

Brussels sprouts are a storehouse of beneficial vitamins and minerals. It is rich in vitamins of group B, PP, C, E, protein, also contains amino acids and enzymes, folic acid and fiber in large quantities. By the amount of vitamin C, cabbage is many times ahead of blackcurrant. And riboflavin in it contains exactly as much as in natural cow's milk.

Cabbage is a dietary and hypoallergenic product, so it can be safely given to young children, as well as to the elderly. Due to the high content folic acid the vegetable can also be eaten by expectant mothers. Brussels sprout juice has a diuretic and choleretic effect. It also has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, immunostimulating effects. Cabbage helps fight excess weight, enhances intestinal motility, and also relieves heartburn. The prepared cabbage broth is in no way inferior to chicken broth in properties.

Brussels sprouts are not recommended for people with weakened pancreatic function, as there is a high risk of developing hypothyroidism. In people suffering from Crohn's disease, as well as gastrointestinal diseases, cabbage can cause bloating.

Nutritional value of Brussels sprouts

Calorie content of Brussels sprouts - 35 kcal.

The nutritional value per 100 g: proteins - 4.8 g; fats - 0.3 g; carbohydrates - 3.1 g.

The use of cabbage in cooking

Cabbage is prepared quickly and easily. Forks are most often used whole for soups, side dishes and second courses. Vegetables can be boiled, fried, stewed. At the same time, it will not lose its taste properties. unusual shape and the small size of the cabbage give chefs plenty of options for garnishing different side dishes and dishes. Of course, it is best and healthier to eat raw cabbage, but if the taste seems unusual, then you can resort to heat treatment or frying.

In order for the color of the forks to remain as bright as when raw, it is recommended to fry it over high heat without covering it with a lid. When choosing cabbage in the store, it is recommended to pay attention to its upper leaves. As a rule, they should be bright green in color, with no dark spots on the leaves and stems. The stem must be light color and clean. If the upper leaves on the cabbage turn yellow, such a product is not recommended to be eaten. It is best to choose cabbage forks of medium size, with a diameter of about 3 cm. They should be dense and shiny, usually these are the most delicious and juicy. Larger sprouts may be bitter.

So, we examined the cultivation of Brussels sprouts, care, varieties. As already mentioned above, with a competent approach to business and strict observance of all instructions, a crop can be planted on your site. The process will not require any large costs, but the result of the work done in the form of a useful harvest will clearly please.

Brussels sprouts look very unusual, and they require special attention. In addition, the taste is not quite familiar - a little bitter. And therefore not much spoiled by the attention of gardeners. But in vain. After all, this is a real delicacy.

Try planting this amazing vegetable in your garden. Growing Brussels sprouts is a very exciting and interesting process. In addition, you can pamper your household with new unusual and very healthy dishes.

From this article you will learn

Features of growing Brussels sprouts

How does it grow? Not every gardener knows how Brussels sprouts grow. Unlike its relative - white-headed - it grows up. And it can even reach 1 m in height! Such a giant.

At first, when the plant is just emerging and starting to grow, it looks like white cabbage- in the seedling phase for beginner summer residents, they are like twin brothers. However, then her stem and leaves begin to grow. This crop has a thick stem and long leaves. Heads of cabbage are tied and grow in the axils of these leaves. They range in size from 2 cm to 5 cm.

You can see the stages of growth in our photo.

They tightly stick around the stem, outwardly the plant is very beautiful - it resembles a miniature outlandish palm tree. Thanks to this feature, the vegetable can also be used as an ornamental crop for a vegetable bed.

Flowering cabbage occurs only in the second year. It blooms with yellow inconspicuous inflorescences. The seeds are in pods. They are brown and very small. As a rule, germinate for 4-5 years. This crop has a very long growing season. Heads of cabbage ripen, as a rule, for 120-180 days.

Which variety to choose? There are many varieties of Brussels sprouts. And since its popularity is growing from year to year, scientists are constantly deducing new ones. In general, they are divided into

• early. Heads of cabbage ripen in about 120 days. This species includes the following varieties: Franklin, Dolmik, Pomegranate bracelet;
• mid-season. Vegetables ripen for 140-160 days. Pay attention to the varieties: Perfection, Boxer, Pomegranate, Merry Company;
• late-ripening. Cabbage ripens in 180 days. The most popular varieties are Curl and Gruniger.

Fact! Brussels sprouts are a hardy crop. It can withstand temperatures down to -10°C.

Where to plant, choose a place

This outlandish-looking cabbage is very demanding on the choice of place and growing conditions. However, it is not difficult to satisfy all her whims. We will tell you how to grow Brussels sprouts in the country.

Rule 1

Plant only on fertile, rich in humus and humus soil. She does not like heavy clay soil in the garden. By the way, experts cite the following facts: in just 1 season, from 1 acre of land, a vegetable takes out almost 2 kg of nitrogen, the same amount of calcium and half a kilogram of phosphorus. The numbers are very impressive. Accordingly, do not expect a harvest on poor and infertile soil.

However, you should not use fresh manure at all stages of growth. As a result, you will only get a bunch of greens, and there will not even be any head tying.

Advice! Prepare the land for vegetables in the fall. When you dig, be sure to put rotted manure or compost (5-6 kg per 1 sq.m), as well as mineral fertilizers(2 tablespoons of potassium chloride, the same amount of ammonium nitrate and superphosphate, instead of the latter, you can add 1 cup of ash).

Rule 2

The place for cabbage should be sunny and open, always protected from the wind. She loves the southern and southeastern areas.

Rule 3

Choose the right predecessors. Vegetables are best planted after potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, legumes, beets or carrots.

Planting scheme, how to plant seedlings

We plant seeds. In general, this cabbage ripens very late. That is why it is cultivated only through seedlings. It is very important to choose the right sowing time so that the sprouts have time to start.

If desired, you can soak the seeds for 12 hours in a solution of trace elements or humate. It is only necessary to dry the seeds before planting. You need to sow the seeds in boxes not too deep - about 1.5 cm. Can be sown in peat tablets. From above you need to cover with glass or polyethylene.

It is also desirable to sow the seeds at a small distance from each other - 3-4 cm. They germinate at a temperature of + 20 ° C for 4-5 days. Further growth of seedlings should take place at a temperature of + 16 ° С ... + 18 ° С during the day and + 6 ° С ... + 8 ° С at night. Otherwise, it may stretch.

We care. Care is easy:

• water often (but do not flood!), make sure that the soil is always wet;
• if you sowed sprouts in a large container, the seedlings need to dive. To do this, carefully remove it along with a clod of earth (before that, the plants need to be shed), slightly shorten the central root and plant it in a new container, slightly deepening. Then water a little;
• as soon as the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, they need to be fed with such a mixture: dissolve 20 g of ammonium nitrate in a large bucket of water, be sure to add 40 g of superphosphate, as well as 10 g of potassium sulfate. Mix everything well. Repeat this feeding after 10-14 days.

Before planting sprouts in open ground, they should definitely be hardened. Remember that young seedlings should already have several true leaves, preferably 4-6. They should look healthy and strong, not stretched out.

Landing scheme. You need to plant sprouts far enough apart from each other. Choose a planting pattern of 70 cm X 70 cm. If you plant seedlings closer, this will affect the harvest, experienced gardeners say, since the vegetable will receive less light, and the heads will be smaller and not as tasty.

First you need to dig small holes. They need to put mineral fertilizers: 1 teaspoon of calcium nitrate, the same amount of superphosphate. You also need to add 500 g of humus and 50 g of wood ash. Experienced summer residents it is advised to plant seedlings, as if deepening it slightly. You can check the correctness of the procedure as follows: the lower leaves should be at the level of the soil.

Advice! Remember that outlandish cabbage grows magnificently and gives an excellent harvest only at low temperatures of + 15 ° С ... + 18 °.

Feeding and watering

How to care for cabbage? Caring for Brussels sprouts outdoors is easy. It needs to be watered and fertilized regularly. You also need to pinch the plants.

How often to water? This culture is very fond of watering. It should be watered especially intensively in the phase when leaves grow intensively and sprouts begin to form. You should take from 10 to 14 liters of water per 1 sq. landing meter. If the weather is rainy, the volume and frequency of watering should be reduced.

Remember that after watering the earth must be loosened to an average depth. You can mulch - so the plantings will remain wet longer. If you see that the bush is holding rather unstable, you can spud it with earth - just rake it up to the stem.

What to feed Brussels sprouts? This vegetable is very capricious in terms of feeding. Therefore, you need to fertilize often. This will only increase productivity. The first time you need to fertilize 2 weeks after you planted the seedlings in open ground. In this case, the vegetable needs nitrogen supplements, because it is very actively gaining green mass.

Prepare such a "feed": take 10 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium chloride and 15 g of ammonium nitrate. Dissolve all this in 10 liters of water.

The second top dressing should be carried out in the phase of formation of 15-20 leaves, when the sprouts are just beginning to tie. Now they need a completely different "lunch". In 10 liters of water you need to dissolve: 6 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium chloride.

For the second top dressing, you can use organic matter. Suitable slurry (1:4), mullein (1:6), bird droppings(1:10). Under each plant you need to pour at least 1.5 liters of the prepared mixture.

Do you need to puddle? It is not necessary to carry out special hilling, as, for example, white cabbage. This should be done only if the earth is loose and the stalk itself grows rather unstable. In this case, you just need to tease. And if necessary, install a support.

Topping

To speed up the ripening of this outlandish vegetable, such an agricultural technique as pinching, or, as gardeners also call it, topping, will help. There is nothing difficult in this procedure. Do everything step by step.

1. As soon as the lowest heads of cabbage grow in diameter up to 1.5 cm (in different regions- these are their terms, for example, in the central one - this is the end of August), then it is necessary to remove (pinch, as they say in another way) the very top of the vegetable. You must remove the growth point. You can also remove a few leaves from the topmost rosette.
2. A month and a half later, you can completely cut off the top of those plants on which heads of cabbage are very poorly tied.

Advice! Before pinching the plant, it is advisable to feed them with a useful infusion. To prepare it, you need to take a bucket of water and 30 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Everything needs to be mixed well. Water 1.5 liters under each bush. In this case, the heads will be denser.

Ripening terms

The peculiarity of this cabbage is that it ripens unevenly, like other types of cabbage. Therefore, it is removed in stages. First, the lower ones sing, then higher ones, which are located in the middle part of the plant, and the top ones can be removed last.

To determine ripeness, look at appearance: sprouts should be dense to the touch, shiny in appearance, up to 3 cm in diameter. Approximate ripening dates: early ones can be removed in September, mid-season - late September-early October, and later late October-early November.

Usually cabbage early varieties removed in one go. Other species - a few. First of all, the lower heads of cabbage are collected, which are at least 2 cm in diameter. Later - heads of cabbage on the middle part of the stem, and then on top. Many gardeners are wondering if it is necessary to cut off the leaves on a vegetable, experts do not advise doing this, thus they will help the cabbage to protect itself from frost in the fall.

Diseases and pests of Brussels sprouts

Question answer

Why won't Brussels sprouts tie?

There may be several reasons for this

Reason 1. Poor quality change. It happens that a seed plant interbreeds with its cruciferous counterparts. The result is a hybrid that does not tie heads of cabbage.

Reason 2. You overfed the plant with nitrogen. Everything has gone green. It is possible that you, on the contrary, did not feed him at all, or your land is very poor.

Reason 3. There is intense heat. This cabbage does not like this weather very much.

Reason 4. You forgot to pinch the top.

Reason 5. You are not watering the plant well.

The cabbage went into color, what should I do?

If your cabbage has bloomed, there may be several reasons. First, it is hot and dry. Usually this weather is in July. In this case, cabbage should be watered and shaded frequently.

Secondly, it is possible that you overfed the plants with organic matter. In this case, you need to stop feeding altogether.

Thirdly, you may have overgrown seedlings. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor the timing of landing. If the Brussels sprouts are blooming, cut off the flowering parts, shade, water more often.

Should Brussels sprouts have their leaves removed?

Many people ask the question: “When to pick leaves on cabbage. And is it necessary to do so? Experienced summer residents do not advise doing this. They can only be cut off if you want to keep the cabbage in the cellar. To do this, they dig it up along with the roots, break out the leaves (except for the apical ones) and dig them in the sand.

Why do leaves curl?

• Insufficient watering and heat.
• Pest damage (aphids and whiteflies).
• The plant may lack minerals or, conversely, there may be an excess of them.
• You can simply burn the plants if the proportions are not correct when preparing herbicides or fertilizers.

Why don't heads form?

This culture is rather capricious in care and cultivation requirements. She does not like heat and dryness, when she is overfed or underfed. In this case, heads may not form. And don't forget to pinch the top.

IMPORTANT! * when copying article materials, be sure to indicate

This cabbage is more nutritious than white cabbage. Small cabbages contain three times more vitamin C, PP - twice as much as white cabbage. The vegetable produces more proteins, mineral salts, little fiber. Especially a lot of it contains potassium salts, which are necessary for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Brussels sprouts are used boiled, fried, stewed for second courses and pickled for soups. This cabbage can be dried and frozen, as its products are more tender than white ones. Brussels sprouts are moisture-loving plants and grow well in high-fertility soils. Planting and maintenance is easy. It is frost-resistant, withstands autumn frosts down to -8-10°C.