Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilpin Girl
I want to grow a vegetable garden this year. I have zero experience. Not a clue. I love brussel sprouts. I decided I want to include them in the vegetable garden. I've done a little looking into it and they look complicated to grow.
Has anyone ever grown brussel sprouts? If a space alien came here and wanted to grow brussel sprouts what advice would you give him? The alien will be living in Colorado. I thought I would start growing sprouts early inside and then transplant them outside. Apparently they take a very long time to grow. Any thoughts?
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Wow. Brussels sprouts - I haven't grown them in years. I guess I stopped planting them because the kids hated them and there wasn't much purpose to grow them just for myself.
If I remember right, they went into the ground (as transplants) fairly early in the spring and then weren't harvested until well into the fall - maybe early winter, even. It seems that the rule was to leave them in the garden until after at least one frost.
I believe they are "heavy feeders" - so compost and well-rotted manure is important.
Anyway, I hope someone with more recent experience can give you some suggestions. It's been around twenty years since I last grew them so I'm kind of going on fuzzy memory here.
I also remember, too, that when preparing them, it is a good idea to give them a "brine bath" - salted water - to get any little critters out that may have found their way into the heads.
And I think the best way that I found to cook them was to boil for just a few minutes, until barely tender, and then saute' for a few minutes in butter or margarine.
I actually hadn't thought about growing them for some time - thanks for the reminder! I have just the one kid left at home and who cares what he likes or doesn't like, 'eh? I think I'll grow some this year.