How to grow Brussels sprouts? Brussels sprouts: care, photo

One of the subspecies of white cabbage is Brussels sprouts. Everyone knows what this plant looks like. It belongs to the cruciferous family, which has a taproot system and a pod-like fruit. But in the case of cabbage, it is not he who is eaten, but the leaves. How Brussels sprouts grow, you can see in the photo in the article. It is distinguished by a large number of small heads of cabbage on one plant.

Every gardener must have thought about how to grow Brussels sprouts. At first glance, this is not difficult. But there are some differences in how to grow Brussels sprouts and cabbage. If you take into account some of the features of this plant, then you can easily get a good harvest.

How to grow Brussels sprouts correctly?

First of all, you need to choose a place for plants in the garden. In this case, the following factors must be taken into account: Brussels sprouts, the photo of which can be seen above, loves open areas of land that have a sufficient content of humus and moisture. Sour soils are categorically not suitable! Best of all, this vegetable grows in the place where last year there were tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, peas, onions, potatoes. How Brussels sprouts grow in the future depends on which site you choose. This vegetable has good frost resistance and does not like extreme heat. The best temperature for full growth is from fifteen to nineteen degrees Celsius.

Beijing

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Is the development of the Chinese. Here the leaves grow to a great length and curl up, forming a specific strongly elongated "head of cabbage". In Russia, this species is better known under the popular name "Chinese salad". It is as a salad that such cabbage is used. Juicy fresh leaves are perfect for a variety of dishes.

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Seedling preparation

The Brussels sprouts, the care of which we master, are in most cases grown from seedlings. In this way, the highest probability of seed germination is achieved. They are planted in pots in March. And in just forty-forty-five days, the seedlings will be ready - by this time it should have reached fifteen centimeters in height. If it is still lower, then plant it early, you need to wait a little.

Savoy

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This is another type of cabbage with a head of cabbage, but with "crumpled" leaves. Each leaf of this plant is strongly crumpled, which leads to a looseness of the head and its low weight. Savoy cabbage has a mild pleasant taste, but in Russia it is extremely poorly distributed due to the impossibility of long-term storage and use in blanks.

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Landing in open ground

Speaking about how to grow Brussels sprouts, we will definitely mention all the nuances of planting seedlings in order, since this is one of the most important stages of caring for this crop. The further development of the plant depends on how correctly everything is done. Seedlings are planted at the end of May. First you need to prepare the ground. If it is already rich in humus, it is just cleared of weeds.

If not, fertilizer must be added to the soil.As for the seedlings themselves, they can be planted along with a lump of earth from the pot. To make this easy, stop watering the seedlings a couple of days before planting. But it is still better to pre-clean the roots from the soil that was in the pot, and leave them for half an hour in a water solution of some kind of organic fertilizer. Such a procedure will significantly increase the chances that the plant will take root safely, but this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the roots. Then holes are dug in the soil - small in depth, at a distance of fifty to sixty centimeters from each other. If these intervals are made smaller, the plants will not be able to fully develop, and certain inconveniences will arise during harvesting.

Popular varieties

In Russia, a healthy vegetable is rarely grown due to low temperatures, although cabbage can grow even at + 5 ° C. Holland is the leader in this business, its climate and soil are completely suitable for this, and Great Britain, France, the USA and other countries do not stand aside.

Industrial interest helped in the creation of different varieties adapted to a temperate climate, therefore in Russia such varieties are often found: Perfection, Isabella, Hercules 1342 (known since Soviet times). Focusing on the short summer, they choose early-ripening varieties, especially for the central and northern regions.

The most popular are early and mid-season types of Brussels sprouts:

• Franklin F1 is an early and cold hardy hybrid. It will take 150 days from sowing to harvesting, up to 1 kg of delicious heads of cabbage can be harvested from one bush.
• Long Island forms up to 80 heads per stem, the taste is excellent. Revealed resistance to diseases and spring frosts.
• Rosella F1 is a German hybrid with a slight waxy bloom and round heads of cabbage, weighing 10-12 grams. Fruiting is average.
• Dolmik F1 - the fruit of Dutch selection, round heads, medium size, weight ranges from 7 to 17 grams. Early ripening.
• Cheerful company - ripens on day 160 and has a green-purple color. Up to 80 fruits are formed on one stem.
• F1 garnet bracelet - gives bright purple heads weighing 12 grams. The hybrid has high taste, wide culinary use and unpretentiousness.

Late varieties include Sanda, Commander, Boxer, Curl and others. The varieties do not require special care, bear fruit well on any loose soil, but need generous irrigation.

Third step

The next step in plant care is watering. For the first time, it is produced immediately after disembarkation. For the first time, the plants are watered with warm water, the temperature of which should be slightly higher than room temperature, under their very base. In the future, you need to moisten the soil as soon as you see that it is dry. Complete drying of the soil should not be allowed. Reduce the frequency of watering a few weeks before harvesting. As you already understood, the Brussels sprouts, the care of which we are considering, loves moist soil. But overdoing it with watering is also by no means impossible, because this will lead to decay of the root system.

Care

Caring for Brussels sprouts is easier than other types of this crop.

Soil deacidification

On weakly acidic soils, deoxidation is not done, since the culture tolerates them well, and, in addition, it is much less affected by the keel, which is strongly manifested just in such conditions. On acidic soils (pH less than 5.1), an infusion of ash is added once a month (1 glass per plant). On highly acidic soils (pH less than 4.6), the procedure is carried out every 2 weeks.

Watering

With direct sowing into the soil, the crop is watered less often, since the root goes deep into the soil. In cool and cloudy weather, the Brussels sprouts are watered 2 times a week, in rainy weather they are not watered at all.On hot days and with summer showers, watering is done 3 times a week, at this time it needs deep soaking of the soil, so the irrigation rate is increased. However, by the time the crop is formed, the requirements for soil moisture are increased.

With the seedling method of growing, after planting in the ground, until a new leaf appears, watered every day. After rooting, in cloudy and rainy weather, they are watered 2 times a week, in case of heat - every other day. At temperatures above 35 ° C, they are watered every day, and the leaves are sprayed with water in the morning and evening. With prolonged rains, watering is not done.

Top dressing in the ground

Brussels sprouts, like any other, require intensive feeding. In terms of the need for nutritional elements, it is similar to white cabbage varieties.

For almost the entire growing season, it needs a lot of nitrogen, a little less potassium and very little phosphorus. During the formation of heads of cabbage, the need for microelements increases and the consumption of potassium increases. At this time, nitrogen fertilization is reduced, since excess nitrogen in the form of nitrates accumulates in the finished product.

The culture is fed once a week, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. If the seedlings were frail, then the first two times they introduce organic matter and only the third fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Also, such plants are sprayed with Aminazole. It contains a complex of amino acids that stimulate growth.

After 2-3 days, the plants rise and start growing. If they grow poorly even after that, then the roots were damaged during planting. Water the plot with Kornevin.

Before any feeding, cabbage is well watered.

First feeding carried out after planting seedlings, when a new leaf appears. An infusion of mullein (1 l / 10 l of water) or bird droppings (0.5 l / bucket of water) is introduced. You can use infusion of weeds (2 l / bucket), humates (10 ml / 10 l of water), vermicompost.

Second feeding. Weak plants are fed with organics again (usually humates or weed infusion). Urea, ammonium sulfate and ash infusion are added to the rest of the plot. Complex fertilizers can be used instead of ash:

• Baby
• Agricola
• Intermag, etc.

Closer to September, the composition of dressings changes: one organic top dressing should be 2-3 mineral. They increase the dose of potassium, introducing 0.5 cups of ash infusion per plant (on alkaline soils, potassium sulfate is used instead of ash) and micronutrient fertilizers (Uniflor-micro, Uniflor-bud). In every second feeding, ammonium molybdate is added at the tip of a knife to accelerate the formation of heads of cabbage.

When forming the crop, organic fertilizing is not done, only complex fertilizers and microelements are applied.

Up to August, foliar dressing can be carried out, since the rosette of leaves does not participate in the formation of the crop and the remains of fertilizers will not get into the head of cabbage. During the setting and growth of heads of cabbage, top dressing is done only at the root.

Care features

Brussels sprouts need to be loosened regularly. It needs good soil aeration. It is not necessary to huddle the culture, since it forms adventitious roots with difficulty. When hilling, the lower part of the stem usually rots and the plant dies.

At the beginning of August, the top of the plant is removed with a length of 3-4 cm. This limits its growth and stimulates the formation of the crop. If you allow the Brussels to grow, then it may not tie heads by mid-October, and if it does, then they will be somewhat smaller.

Some domestic varieties twist the leaves into a small head of cabbage at the top. There can be 1-3 pieces of them. If the upper leaves are curled up and are ready to form a head of cabbage, then the top is also not removed.

Good watering and top dressing at the beginning of summer is the key to a high yield.

Why the harvest is not formed

Sometimes crop formation is delayed due to unsuitable weather. Usually, heads of cabbage are tied after 100-130-150 days (respectively, early, middle and late varieties). But if the weather in summer was too hot (more than 25 ° C), then the setting of the harvest is delayed by 10-20 days.

There is no need to rush to throw out the plants, they will be able to grow heads of cabbage in September and they will have time to ripen until November. Brussels sprouts can withstand temperatures down to -6 ° C, so cold weather is not terrible for them. If, by mid-September, there are no signs of the formation of heads of cabbage, the Brussels sprouts are sprayed with ammonium molybdate, which stimulates the setting of the crop.

The culture will not yield a harvest with the most careful care, if it grows in the shade or even in partial shade. Cabbage doesn't like shade!

If the leaves are cut off, the heads of cabbage will grow very, very slowly and even in 2 months they may not gain the necessary mass. A head of cabbage the size of a walnut and more is considered a full-fledged one.

How to protect from diseases and pests

Brussels sprouts practically do not get sick with keel, but all other typical cabbage diseases are manifested on it in full.

Rot at the bottom of the stem. Occurs with high hilling culture. It does not form adventitious roots well, and, in addition, the lower leaves and heads of cabbage will be covered with earth and rot, which can lead to the death of the entire plant. The culture is not hilled.

Phomosis or dry rot... On the leaves and roots, brown depressed spots with black dots are formed. The leaves first take on a yellowish gray and then purple hue. At the onset of the disease, a good result is given by watering and simultaneous spraying on the leaves with a biological product Trichodermin.

Keela. It develops on acidic soils. If the brussels are grown on such soils, then infusion of ash, milk of lime or calcium nitrate is introduced regularly throughout the season. A sign of a keel is the appearance of growths on the roots and the absence of plant growth, despite all the agrotechnical methods.

The pests of the European are the same as those of other crucifers.

Cruciferous flea... It is very easy to protect yourself from it if, when planting seedlings, spread a non-woven material over the plot, cutting holes in it for plants. The flea will not penetrate through it and, accordingly, will not "riddled" the lower leaves.

Cabbage white... The plot is covered with lutrasil during the butterfly's flight. At night it is removed so that the culture is not hot, butterflies fly only during the day.

Cabbage scoop flies at night. During the summer of butterflies, the plot is covered with lutrasil.

Cabbage fly does not like Brussels sprouts because of the mustard oils it contains and does not attack it if there are other types of cabbage nearby.

Growing in the basement

The technique is used in the northern regions, if by the beginning of the cold weather the European has tied heads of cabbage, but they are still too small.

The plants are dug up by the roots and buried in the basement or greenhouse in the prepared grooves. They are placed tightly to each other, the soil is moistened. The growing process is due to the nutrients accumulated in the leaves, so the leaves are not torn off. Heads of cabbage are formed at a temperature of 1-5 ° C, and in imported varieties they can form at a negative temperature in the greenhouse (-2-3 ° C).

Harvest

The crop is harvested as the heads of cabbage ripen. In the northern regions - from mid-September until the onset of stable cold weather.In the southern regions, with early sowing, early varieties can be harvested from mid-August. For imported varieties, the collection continues until the onset of frost down to -7 ° С. However, since the top is not cut off from them, and the plants continue to grow, they can be dug in the cellar and receive production until February.

You can also leave the top in domestic late varieties (if they have tied heads of cabbage) and also dig them in the cellar, but they will grow heads of cabbage until December at the most.

Brussels sprouts ripen unevenly, so harvesting is carried out as soon as the heads of cabbage are ready. They start with the lower ones, cutting off or breaking them out at the very stem, otherwise the head of cabbage will crumble into separate leaves. Then they remove the middle ones and at the very end, already in the frost, the upper ones.

However, it is also not worth cleaning in the cold. Such heads of cabbage at home very quickly defrost and wither instantly. Therefore, they expect warming, when the entire conducting system of the plant leaves the frost, and only then the cabbage is harvested.

You can remove whole Brussels sprouts by cutting off the stem near the ground, and remove the heads as needed.

In the south of the country, where winters are mild and there are no severe frosts (Crimea, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the Krasnodar Territory), the culture can be left for the winter and harvested at any time until spring. But for this you need to leave the top so that the cabbage can grow.

Storage

In the cellar, Brussels sprouts are stored in boxes or suspended, at home they are frozen or kept fresh.

Storage in the cellar. For long-term storage, the stem with heads of cabbage is cut off at the base of the stem and hung in the cellar at a temperature of 1-3 ° C and a humidity of 90%. Previously, all leaves are cut off from the plant except for a few upper ones. In this form, Brussels can be stored for 3-4 months. If there is insufficient moisture in the cellar, then the stem with the heads of cabbage is loosely wrapped in cellophane, which is changed as condensation appears.

The heads of cabbage are removed from the stem and placed in boxes very tightly to each other. From above, the boxes are covered with wrapping paper or cardboard. But they should not be tightly closed, otherwise the cabbage will get sick with rot or bacteriosis. Brussels sprouts are stored in boxes for 2-3 months.

Storage at home. At home, cabbage is usually frozen. In this form, it can be stored until the next harvest. Before freezing, the heads of cabbage are dipped in salt water for 15 minutes so that insects, if any, emerge.

But they gradually wither and lose their consumer properties. In addition, due to condensation, they are often rotted.

The fourth stage is feeding

To know all the nuances of how to grow Brussels sprouts, you need to inquire about fertilizers - they will now be discussed. First of all, we note that Brussels sprouts need calcium more than other vegetables. Such means as lime and ash can compensate for its deficiency in the soil.

If you use the first, then you need two hundred grams per square meter, if the second - three hundred grams for the same area. These substances should be introduced into the soil in the fall. You also need to carry out regular fertilizing of plants with complex mineral fertilizers. The first procedure of this kind is recommended to be carried out two to three weeks after planting in open ground. To do this, you need to prepare the following solution: dilute ten grams of phosphates, ten to fifteen grams of ammonium nitrate and the same amount of potassium chloride in twenty liters of water. In the future, it is recommended to repeat this kind of feeding. But in the following cases, nitrogen, which is contained in ammonium nitrate, is no longer used.

White-headed

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This is the same type of cabbage that is most common in our country. As it ripens, its leaves curl into a large, dense head of cabbage. Studies have shown that this vegetable contains a whole range of useful substances, among which there was a rare vitamin U. White cabbage is consumed both fresh and sauerkraut (salted).

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Pests

The most common enemies of Brussels sprouts are aphids and bears, as well as numerous species of caterpillars. Aphids can be fought with the help of ash, which she is afraid of. To do this, you need to spray a small amount of it on the surface of the plant. Bears that destroy the root system of a vegetable can only be destroyed by microbiological preparations. To combat caterpillars, you can use insecticides at a time when butterflies begin to fly (primarily cabbage, which are well known to everyone).

Useful properties and contraindications

Rich in vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and various minerals, the vegetable is very beneficial for the body. Its use contributes to:

• improving vision;
• lowering cholesterol levels;
• the fight against excess weight;
• reducing the risk of birth defects;
• good bowel function;
• enhancing mental activity;
• prevention of tumor development;
• reducing the risk of respiratory disease;
• good work of the pancreas;
• normalization of blood pressure in hypertensive patients;
• healing of wounds after surgery;
• increased immunity;
• normalization of the cardiovascular system.

The dietary product is recommended for the elderly and children. However, Brussels sprouts are not good for everyone. It is contraindicated in the following pathologies:

• gout;
• Crohn's disease;
• weakened pancreatic function;
• increased acidity of gastric juice.

In the latter case, it is possible to eat a vegetable, but infrequently and with caution.

In cooking, Brussels sprouts are used for preparing a side dish to fish or meat, soups, salads and to decorate various dishes. Even a novice gardener can take up the cultivation of Brussels sprouts, since this culture is unpretentious in care. However, you should first study the rules for growing it from seeds and features of care. As a result, it will be possible to harvest a good harvest of healthy vegetables in the fall.

Diseases

There are such common diseases of this plant as powdery mildew and keela. The first is not as dangerous as the second. It can be dealt with by removing the affected leaves and spraying all plants with sow thistle infusion or milk whey diluted 1: 9 several times a day. The second is eliminated only by the eradication of the affected plants, so that the disease does not spread to the rest. The symptom of this ailment is the drying up of the plant, seemingly for no reason. After the eradication of the infected specimens, it is also necessary to replace the soil on which they were located, since the causative agent of the disease is located deep in the soil, starting to destroy the plant precisely from the roots.

Sheet

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This cabbage is more like a lettuce. Its leaves are green or purple, collected in an accordion. They are widely used in different countries of the world, adding to salads, mashed potatoes and even vegetable drinks. Fresh leaves contain vitamins K, C, as well as calcium.

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Harvesting

This process also has its own characteristics. You must be able to carry out the procedure correctly. Harvesting begins at the end of autumn, when it is already cold enough. Since small heads of cabbage on one plant do not ripen at the same time, the harvest is not harvested all at once. But you need to have time to do this before the whole plant turns yellow. The first to ripen are the heads of cabbage, which are in the lower part of the plant, the upper ones still need time.When they reach three to four centimeters in diameter, they are already cut off. Plucking the top can be used to make the heads of cabbage ripen more evenly. This procedure is carried out at the end of the summer. The ripe parts of the plant are simply carefully separated from the stem with a knife. And then they wait until the next heads of cabbage are ready. You can store these vegetables raw for three to four weeks. They must be folded in a cool place where direct sunlight does not fall. If you store the crop in the refrigerator, then the period is extended to about four weeks.

Broccoli

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This species continues the "line" of cabbage with inflorescences. Unlike the previous two types, broccoli does not have one large inflorescence, but many small ones. Small green buds are widely used in cooking and can be fried, boiled, stewed and canned.

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Stern

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This species has an unusual stem organization. It is long, naked and only spreading leaves grow at the top. Because of this, kale looks like a tiny palm tree. This plant is used as an additive to feed for livestock and poultry. The nutritional value is very high: the composition includes many useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the fat content of milk in cows and the strength of the shell of chicken eggs.

One of the most favorite vegetables is cabbage. It is very useful to eat in any form. Many people like fresh salads, and some types of cabbage are better for pickling or pickling.

What makes this vegetable stand out? It contains many useful substances that increase immunity, participate in metabolic processes, create the necessary balance of vitamins and promote their absorption by the body.

To all this, it should be added that cabbage itself has a minimum amount of calories. It is often used in dietary nutrition for various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and for weight loss. Different types of cabbage have their own advantages and each of them is used depending on the methods of dietary programs.

For the first time, this vegetable in the vast modern territories of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was noticed in the distant IX century AD. There were no varieties of varieties then. They were bred in very limited numbers. To date, breeders have done a good job creating hybrid cabbage species (see photo). There are also many natural varieties that have survived almost in their original form and are successfully grown in summer cottages and garden plots.

Decorative species - garden decoration

Ornamental cabbage, green, yellow, white, purple with various shades and color combinations, is a worthy decoration of the most exquisite flower beds. This variety of cabbage is used for the autumn decoration of the site, when most flowers have already ended their growing season.

An interesting feature is the fact that autumn frosts do not destroy plants, but make them brighter and more expressive.

The State Register of Breeding Achievements includes 12 varieties of this plant with a description of not only decorative properties, but also nutritional value. It turns out that salads can be made from ornamental cabbage, its leaves are pickled and frozen. They taste a little bitter, have a rough structure, but are extremely rich in nutrients. For example, selenium - an element that regulates the immune system. In the greens of ornamental cabbage, it is three times more than in other species.

Fresh leaves of this culture can be kept all winter long. To do this, it is enough to dig up a plant bush in the fall and transplant it into a large container. Ornamental cabbage will decorate your room and its fresh greenery will always be at hand.

Photo gallery: ornamental cabbage on personal plots

Reproduction of ornamental cabbage - this spectacular two-year-old plant is carried out by seeds, which can be purchased on the market or in a specialized store

Ornamental cabbage grows well in large flowerpots or pots

For transplanting, ornamental cabbage is dug up with a lump of earth and transferred to a new place

Ornamental cabbage is a cold-resistant plant, does not suffer from spring-autumn temperature changes

Experienced gardeners recommend planting ornamental cabbage seedlings first on inconspicuous beds and then moving them to a flower bed only when the flower reaches its maximum beauty