All You Need To Know About Growing Brussels Sprouts

You have some questions about growing brussels sprouts at home? Great!

Make sure to check out this article since I will answer all questions in this regard in the following FAQ section.

Time & Duration

When to grow brussels sprouts from seed?

Since it will take you quite a long time to grow brussels sprouts, you should sow seeds early in the year in spring around two weeks before you expect the last spring frost of the season.

Alternatively, you could also start growing brussels sprouts in late summer to harvest them right before winter.

Do brussels sprouts grow year-round?

While you could grow brussels sprouts year-round, those plants will still require cool outdoor temperatures to grow well and this means that you should not grow brussels sprouts in summer but rather in spring and fall when temperatures are not too hot outdoors.

Do brussels sprouts grow fast?

It can take many months to grow brussels sprouts from seed.

Hence, it is not an optimal plant for impatient people and if you want to see results quickly, you should rather grow lettuce, spinach or carrots instead of growing brussels sprouts.

How long does it take to grow brussels sprouts?

It will take you between 90 and 140 days to grow brussels sprouts from seed to harvest.

This also greatly depends on the climatic conditions you provide to your plants and also how well you care for them.

Also your level of experience in gardening plays a major role since the fewer mistakes you make, the faster you will be able to grow brussels sprouts at home.

Do brussels sprouts grow back every year?

As soon as you harvest brussels sprout plants, they will most likely not grow back.

Consequently, if you want to get brussels sprout yields for many years to come, you will have to plant new seeds for every growing season every year.

How long do brussels sprout plants live?

Once you harvest brussels sprout plants, you will usually also remove the plant material and the life of your plants will be over.

However, if you let brussels sprouts grow naturally without harvesting them, they can live for up to 8 months until the first strong winter frost hits and your plants decay.

How long does it take until brussels sprouts flower?

Brussels sprouts usually flower between one and two months after you’ve planted the seeds.

However, it can also take significantly longer if you don’t provide optimal growing conditions to your plants and you should therefore optimize those factors to grow sprouts as fast as possible.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in fall?

While the best time to grow brussels sprouts is in spring, you could also grow brussels sprouts in fall as long as you make sure that you wait until hot summer months are over but also plant brussels sprouts early enough so that they will mature before the first strong winter frost arrives.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in winter?

Starting to grow brussels sprouts in winter is not a good idea at all since you would have to do so indoors to protect brussels sprout plants from frost.

However, you would not be able to provide cool temperatures sprouts need to grow well indoors and this would greatly lower your yields.

Location & Climate

Will brussels sprouts grow in shade?

Even though brussels sprouts love cool weather, you should still not grow them in complete shade since your plants also need a certain level of sun exposure to grow well.

Hence, instead of growing sprouts in shade, make sure to grow them in a spot where they get at least a few hours of sunlight.

Will brussels sprouts grow in partial shade?

Partial shade is a great environment to grow brussels sprouts since you will be able to provide sufficient sunlight to your plants while you will still be able to protect your plants from excessive sun exposure, radiation and heat.

Do brussels sprouts grow best in full sun?

While brussels sprout plants like a certain level of sun, too much of it will be rather harmful to your plants.

Consequently, don’t grow brussels sprouts in full sun but rather choose a site where your plants get a decent mix of sun and shade.

Will brussels sprouts tolerate frost?

Even though brussels sprouts like cool weather, they are still not resistant to frost.

Thus, make sure to wait with growing brussels sprout seedlings outdoors until you don’t expect frost anymore so that your plants will not decay.

Do you have to protect brussels sprouts from the sun?

While there is no need to actively protect brussels sprouts from the sun, you should rather choose a partially shady spot for your plants so that they get a healthy mix of sun and shade and are protected from excessive sun exposure in a completely natural manner.

How much space do you need to grow brussels sprouts?

Brussels sprout plants can grow quite big both in the vertical as well as in the horizontal and this means that you should provide lots of space to your plants.

Hence, make sure that you plan at least 4 square feet of space for each plant so that brussels sprouts don’t have to compete for nutrients with each other.

Will brussels sprouts grow indoors?

While you could try growing sprouts indoors, you would most likely not be successful since brussels sprouts need the cold to grow well and it would just be too hot indoors.

Consequently, instead of growing sprouts indoors, you should rather grow them outdoors.

Can you grow brussels sprouts without a garden or balcony?

If you can’t grow brussels sprouts outdoors since you don’t have a garden or a balcony, your only option to grow sprouts at home would be to do it indoors.

However, you would run into many problems and I therefore suggest you wait with growing sprouts until you move to a home where you will have access to a balcony or a garden to provide decent growing conditions to your plants.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in small flats?

Since brussels sprout plants can get quite big and also like the cold, you should not grow sprouts in small flats since those plants would just take away too much space from you.

Instead, wait with growing sprouts at home until you move to a bigger place.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in an aquarium?

While you could try growing brussels sprouts in an aquarium that you fill with potting soil, you would still not be able to make sure that water will run off properly and waterlogging would likely become an issue.

In turn, the roots of your plants may start to rot and you should therefore not grow brussels sprouts in aquariums but rather use conventional flower pots instead.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in a terrarium?

Growing sprouts in a terrarium is not a good idea since waterlogging may become an issue and once you fill a terrarium with potting soil, it also becomes quite heavy and inflexible to move.

Hence, don’t grow sprouts in a terrarium but rather use more conventional methods instead.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in buckets?

Growing brussels sprouts in buckets is perfectly fine as long as you make sure that water will be able to run off properly and also that you use big buckets so that your plants get sufficient nutrients to grow fast and to develop healthy crops.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in bags?

You may also want to try growing brussels sprouts in bags.

However, from my experience, this only works if you use really big fabric bags since they are much stabler compared to plastic bags and water will also be able to run off much better.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in hanging baskets?

Since brussels sprout crops can get quite heavy, it is not a good idea to grow sprouts in hanging baskets unless you make sure that your baskets have a really solid foundation and will not fall down during your gardening project.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in rainy climatic zones?

Since brussels sprouts grow well with cool temperatures, you will be perfectly fine to grow them in rainy climatic zones as long as it is not too hot outdoors.

Also make sure to choose a sunny spot around your home to utilize every precious hour of sunlight your plants can get.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in tropical climatic zones?

Since brussels sprouts are cool-weather plants, you should never try growing them in the tropics since temperatures outdoors would just be far too hot and humid and you should rather grow tomatoes and other vegetables that are much more used to the heat.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in regions with permafrost?

While brussels sprouts like cool weather, too much of it will do more harm than good to your plants.

Consequently, you should not grow brussels sprouts in regions with permafrost outdoors but rather use a heated greenhouse that may protect your plants from excessive frost exposure.

Do brussels sprouts grow on vines?

The crops of brussels sprouts grow on sorts of vines.

However, the actual plant is rather solid and will look a little bit like kale or other sorts of salad plants.

If you don’t know what sprout plants look like right now, make sure to have a look at one of the videos in this article to get more information in this regard.

Do brussels sprouts grow underground?

Brussels sprouts don’t grow underground. Instead, the whole plant grows above the soil surface and this means that you will also harvest sprout crops above the ground.

In turn, this will make it quite easy for you to determine the optimal harvesting time since you will see the progress your plants make every day and can decide when the right time has come in this regard.

What is the best orientation for growing brussels sprouts?

Since brussels sprouts like the cold, you should not grow them in full sun in south orientation but rather grow them in east or west orientation where sprouts get a healthy mix of sun and shade.

Don’t grow sprouts in north orientation since your plants would just not get sufficient sunlight.

Can you grow brussels sprouts with indirect sunlight?

Instead of growing sprouts with direct sunlight in your garden, you could also grow sprouts with indirect sunlight by using a greenhouse.

However, from my experience, you get better results by just growing sprouts with direct sunlight in your garden instead of in greenhouses on average.

Where do brussels sprouts grow best?

Brussels sprouts grow best in a partially shady spot in your garden where they get a good mix of sun and shade and also get enough space so that they don’t have to compete for sunlight and nutrients with each other.

Where to grow brussels sprouts in pots?

If you want to grow brussels sprouts in pots, make sure to place those pots on your porch outdoors so that your plants can profit from cool weather but are still protected from heavy winds or other adverse conditions.

Where to grow brussels sprouts indoors?

If you have no option other than to grow brussels sprouts indoors, you should choose a sunny spot inside your home for your plants.

However, still make sure that temperatures are as low as possible to provide decent growth conditions for your plants.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in water?

Growing sprouts in pure water will not work at all since your plants would just not get sufficient nutrients to grow well.

Hence, instead of growing brussels sprouts in water, make sure to grow them in a high-quality soil mix so that your plants get everything they need to grow as best as possible.

Can you grow brussels sprouts with LED lights?

While you could use LEDs or other forms of lighting to support the growth of brussels sprout plants indoors, I still recommend you rather rely on direct natural sunlight since it would just be much eco-friendlier and also better for your finances.

Can you grow brussels sprouts in dark rooms?

Never try growing sprouts in dark rooms since your plants would just not get sufficient sunlight to grow well.

Instead, make sure to grow brussels sprouts in bright rooms or even better, do it outdoors instead of indoors to get the best results.

Soil Requirements

Can you reuse soil for growing brussels sprouts the next year?

There is no need to dispose of the soil you’ve already used. Instead, you can use this soil for growing brussels sprouts and other plants for many years as long as you loosen it after every growing season and also add some fertilizer to the soil so that it gets rich in nutrients again.

Do brussels sprouts grow well in waterlogged soil?

Sprouts don’t grow well in waterlogged soil at all.

Instead, the roots of your plants may start to rot and it is therefore crucial that you make sure that excess water will be able to run off properly to protect the roots of your plants and to assure healthy growth in the long run.

Do brussels sprouts grow best in acidic, neutral or alkaline soil?

Brussels sprouts grow well in acidic to neutral soil with an optimal soil pH between 6.3 and 7.

However, you don’t have to worry about these technicalities as long as you get a decent soil mix from the garden center.

Will brussels sprouts grow in sandy soil?

For growing brussels sprouts, you should not get a sandy soil mix but rather get a more balanced soil mix instead so that sprouts get sufficient nutrients and to assure that the roots of your plants can grow as quickly as possible.

Will brussels sprouts grow well in clay soil?

Clay soil is not a good medium to grow brussels sprouts since it is just too solid and the roots of your plants will not be able to grow well.

Moreover, excess water will also not be able to run off properly and waterlogging may become an issue.

Will brussels sprouts grow in compost?

While you could grow brussels sprouts in compost in a decent manner, it would be even better to add some potting soil to compost so that you get a great soil mix that you can use for growing brussels sprouts and many other garden vegetables.

Plant Care

Do brussels sprout plants need a lot of water?

Brussels sprout plants don’t need lots of water while they are still young.

However, once they get bigger, they will need much more water and watering brussels sprouts may turn into real work if you don’t have a decent watering setup in place.

Do you have to water brussels sprouts on a regular basis?

How much you have to water brussels sprouts greatly depends on temperatures outdoors and also on how you plant sprouts.

For instance, if you grow sprouts in your garden, you will not have to water your plants during rainy periods of the year at all since your plants can just get rainwater from the soil.

However, during dry periods of the year, you will have to water brussels sprouts on a regular basis to assure an optimal water supply for your plants.

Should you use filtered or unfiltered water to water brussels sprouts?

There is no need to filter water when it comes to watering sprouts.

In fact, the effort is not worth the reward in this regard and you should therefore just use unfiltered tap water and use your time on more important issues instead.

Should you use rainwater to water brussels sprouts?

Using rainwater to water brussels sprouts is perfectly fine.

You can just install a rainwater barrel in your yard and collect rainwater during rainy periods of the year which you can use for dry periods.

Not only will this be quite convenient, but you can also save some money on tap water in the long run.

When to stake brussels sprout plants?

You should stake brussels sprout plants as soon as your plants reach a size of around 4 inches in height.

Also make sure to continue to stake and stabilize your plants once you see crops developing on your plants since those crops can get quite heavy and may destabilize your plants without your intervention.

What to stake brussels sprouts with?

For staking brussels sprouts, you should anchor one solid stick next to each plant and tie sprout plants with cord to those sticks.

This simple method will make your plants much stabler and more resistant to heavy winds and other adverse conditions outdoors.

What to do when brussels sprouts turn yellow?

The leaves of brussels sprouts turn yellow if you water them too much or too little.

Hence, make sure to adjust your watering schedule.

Also check your plants for pests and diseases and take appropriate measures.

You may also want to add some fertilizer to provide your plants with more nutrients.

How to protect brussels sprouts against wind?

Tying your plants with cord to stable sticks is more than enough to protect brussels sprouts from heavy winds or storms.

If you want to stabilize your plants further, you may tie them to multiple sticks and also make multiple ties for every few inches in height.

How to protect brussels sprouts against heavy rain?

If you are afraid that heavy rain may hurt sprout seedlings, you may want to grow sprout seedlings indoors and wait with transplanting them outdoors until they reach a height of at least 2 inches and will no longer be vulnerable to rain at all.

How to protect brussels sprouts against hail?

If you grow brussels sprouts in your garden and have no option to move your plants, you should try to use foil cover from the garden center to protect sprouts from hail.

However, it would be far easier to protect your plants from hail if you just grow them in pots and move those pots to a safe location around your home once you expect hail in your region.

Should you pinch out brussels sprouts?

You should only pinch out brussels sprouts if you really know what you are doing.

Otherwise, you would likely do more harm than good to your plants which would result in slower growths and also lower yields on average.

Where to pinch brussels sprouts?

You should never pinch brussels sprouts inside your home but rather do it outdoors in your garden or on your balcony to keep away pests from your home and also to avoid a mess inside your four walls.

Can you grow brussels sprouts without fertilizer?

The better the quality of the soil mix you use for growing brussels sprouts, the higher the chance that you will not have to use additional fertilizer.

However, if you really want to maximize your yields, you should still add some natural fertilizer on a regular basis.

Should you cover brussels sprout plants to protect them against frost?

Since brussels sprouts like the cold, there is no need to protect them from the cold by covering them as long as you wait with growing sprouts until you no longer expect heavy frost in your region.

How to get rid of moss when growing brussels sprouts?

Moss near your plants is an indicator that you water sprouts too often.

Consequently, make sure to slow down your watering schedule once you detect moss on the soil so that the roots of your plants can get some relief and will not start to rot.

Pests & Diseases

Can you grow brussels sprouts without using pesticides?

The better the conditions you provide to brussels sprout plants, the higher the chance that you don’t have to use pesticides during your gardening project since your plants may become resistant enough to deal with pests on their own.

Should you use natural or chemical pesticides for brussels sprouts?

In case pest infestation becomes too severe, you may have no choice other than to use pesticides to protect your plants.

However, still make sure that you use organic pesticides instead of chemical ones to protect the soil and also to make your gardening project as organic as possible.

What are the most common brussels sprout pests?

Leaf miners, earwigs, cutworms, nematodes, aphids, slugs and bugs are just some of the intruders you will have to keep away from your garden to protect brussels sprout plants and to assure great yields in the long run.

How to protect brussels sprouts against pests?

If you want to get more information in this regard, you should check out my guide on how to get rid of brussels sprout pests and diseases and also my pest prevention articles on how to get rid of various garden pests and plant diseases.

Growing Difficulty

Should you grow brussels sprouts with children?

Since brussels sprouts will grow relatively slow and it will take you quite long to grow them from sowing to harvest, you should rather grow other plants with kids that deliver results quicker so that your kids don’t get bored of your gardening project.

Are brussels sprouts good plants for a school project?

Brussels sprouts are great vegetables for a school garden since they are quite resistant to the cold and also don’t require that much care.

Moreover, you can also teach school kids a lot about how our food is produced and they will also become more likely to care for our planet through this education.

Is growing brussels sprouts difficult?

Growing brussels sprouts at home is not difficult.

However, you will still need some knowledge to avoid big mistakes during the growth process and I therefore suggest you read all the information in this article carefully to get the best results possible.

Harvest

What color do ripe brussels sprouts have?

Ripe brussels sprouts often have a green color. Some varieties also produce crops that have a mix of green and white nuances.

You should harvest brussels sprouts as soon as your crops have the right color and are also big enough to make it worth it to harvest them.

Can you save seeds from brussels sprout plants?

Saving seeds from sprout plants is pretty difficult since brussels sprouts only produce seeds in the second year while you will harvest sprout crops within the first growing season and remove your plants from the ground.

Hence, if you really want to save brussels sprout seeds, this will come at the expense of your crop yields and you would also have to wait for quite a long time.

Can brussels sprouts get overripe?

Brussels sprout crops can get overripe and will lose lots of nutrients and flavor if you don’t harvest them in time.

Consequently, make sure to watch your plants carefully and harvest them once your crops reach the size and color you expect.

What parts of a brussels sprout plant can you eat?

You can not only eat brussels sprout crops, but you can also use the leaves for delicious salads or pesto or also roast them.

In fact, sprout leaves are quite healthy and you should definitely not dispose of them if you want to make your gardening project as economical as possible.

Additional Questions

Is growing brussels sprouts expensive?

Growing brussels sprouts at home is not expensive at all. In fact, if you have a garden, you can grow sprouts at almost no cost since you only need to get some seeds and you will be good to go.

If you don’t have a garden, you would also have to get some pots and potting soil.

However, those things are usually not that expensive and almost everyone will be able to grow sprouts at home from a purely financial perspective.

Is growing brussels sprouts fun?

I really love growing sprouts and other plants at home since I love seeing the progress of my plants every day.

Moreover, not only can this be quite interesting, but growing brussels sprouts also gives me a feeling of peace and also helps me relax from a stressful day.

Do brussels sprouts grow on trees?

Brussels sprouts don’t grow on trees but rather grow on plants that can grow quite big.

The plant material as well as the crops will grow above the soil surface and this makes it quite easy for you to determine the optimal harvesting time.

Do brussels sprouts grow from flowers?

Brussels sprouts don’t grow from flowers. Instead, sprout crops will be produced by your plants even though you might not see any flowers at all and you should therefore not worry about the bolding of your plants at all unless you want to save seeds from your sprouts.

How many brussels sprout plants should you grow per pot?

Since brussels sprouts can get quite big, you should never grow more than one sprout plant per pot since your plants would just not get sufficient nutrients and sunlight and would not grow to their full potential.

Which animals feed on brussels sprouts?

Apart from slugs and other pests, rodents like mice and rabbits are also well-known to feed on brussels sprouts.

Consequently, make sure to protect your plants from those hungry animals to get decent yields at the end of the growing season.

Will pets eat brussels sprout plants?

If you keep mice or other rodents as pets, chances are that those pets will try feeding on sprouts sooner or later.

Hence, make sure to keep your pets away from your plants to avoid any issues in this regard.

Are brussels sprouts toxic for pets?

While brussels sprouts are not toxic for most pets, too much of it may lead to diarrhea and other unpleasant issues for your pets.

Thus, make sure to separate your pets and your sprout plants, not only to protect your pets, but also to protect your plants.

Why brussels sprouts grow small?

Brussels sprouts grow small if you don’t provide optimal growing conditions to your plants.

Hence, make sure to use high-quality soil and also change the location of your plants to a site where they get a healthy mix of sun and shade to get better results in future years.

What to grow with brussels sprouts?

If you want to know the best plants to grow with sprouts, make sure to have a look at my brussels sprout companion plants on what to grow with brussels sprouts.

Can you grow brussels sprouts from brussels sprouts?

Growing brussels sprouts from brussels sprouts is perfectly fine as long as you know what you are going.

Otherwise, you would be better off by just growing brussels sprouts from seeds you could get from the garden center.

Can you grow brussels sprouts without seeds?

If you want to grow sprouts without seeds, you could rely on seedlings from the garden center instead.

However, you would skip one important step in the growth process and I therefore suggest you grow sprouts from seeds instead of seedlings to get the full gardening experience.

Do you have to pollinate brussels sprouts by hand?

You don’t have to pollinate sprouts by hand. In fact, you will not see any flowers on your plants if you harvest them within the first growing season and you therefore also don’t have to worry about bolding issues at all as long as you don’t want to harvest sprout seeds.

How to grow big brussels sprouts?

If you want to grow really big brussels sprouts, it is crucial that you choose an optimal site for your plants and that you also use a high-quality soil mix.

Moreover, also make sure to add some fertilizer and to keep away pests and diseases as best as possible so that your plants can use all of their energy to provide great yields.

Can you grow brussels sprouts commercially?

While you could grow brussels sprouts commercially, it is not a good idea in my opinion since you would have to spend lots of money on machinery and equipment and I therefore suggest you just grow sprouts for fun instead of making a real business out of it.

Can you grow brussels sprouts from fresh seeds?

Since it will be almost impossible to get your hands on fresh sprout seed, you will often have no choice other than to rely on seeds from the garden center or from an internet vendor to grow brussels sprouts at home.

Can you grow brussels sprouts from dried seeds?

Most people grow brussels sprouts from dried seeds since it is simply the most effective and also the most convenient way to grow sprouts since you can store those dried seeds for quite a long time and can also order more if you need to.

Can you grow brussels sprouts from cuttings?

While you could also grow brussels sprouts from cuttings, I don’t recommend it in case you are still a beginner when it comes to growing plants at home since it is just more difficult and you can make more mistakes compared to growing sprouts from cuttings.

Should you use a brussels sprouts growing kit for growing brussels sprouts?

While you could rely on one of those growing kits to grow sprouts at home, I recommend you just get some proper gardening equipment that is much more durable and also more suitable to also grow other plants than just brussels sprouts.

Do brussels sprouts grow in the wild?

Some brussels sprout varieties also grow in the wild.

However, those varieties often look quite different from what you are used to from our cultivated varieties and you might already have walked by brussels sprouts without even knowing about it.

Should you talk to brussels sprout plants?

In my opinion, talking to brussels sprout plants is just a huge waste of time and you should therefore spend your time on things that can really positively affect the growth behavior and the yields of your plants instead.

Should you plant brussels sprouts at half moon or full moon?

Also the moon phase you start growing sprouts doesn’t matter for the overall results of your gardening project.

Instead of caring about moon phases, you should rather grow brussels sprouts when it is best from a climatic standpoint.

Now that you got answers to many questions that come along when growing sprouts, you may also want to have a look at my brussels sprout grower’s guide on how to grow sprouts from seed to harvest step-by-step.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_sprout

Own research and experience.

About the Author

My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.

In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.