Brussels Sprouts Plants
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trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jun-21-2004 at 11:26pm
Hey there,
Okay this is really embarrassing.
Many of you know I always start my own sprout plants. ALWAYS. Except, um... this year. I got busy and it sorta slipped my mind.
Of course now it's rather too late to start any. So I was wondering if anyone knew of anyone who sells transplants anywhere in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area.
Heck, Gary, if you know of any transplant growers down in the Olympia area I might make the drive. I really love sprouts in the winter, and can't believe I slipped up like this. Aargghhh...
Travis
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jun-22-2004 at 2:30am
Trav,
That's OK but did you have to embarass us in front of everybody. The only reason that I am near your normal schedule this year is that I didn't get to my sowing until July 2nd last year. Disappointing size and yield from that provided my incentive this year.
I do not know when they started them but because we were both ordering the TSC seed 3 weeks ago, I think that Black Lake Organic will have some soon. I'll check and let you know. There might some at the Market but I can't recall if it is one of the varieties that we use. The grower that Grows bought her purple kolhrabi from has several other coles so I'll check him on Thursday.
Gary
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Jun-22-2004 at 7:53am
trav......
is it really too late to start sprouts now??....In steves book, it recommends waiting till June/July to direct seed sprouts to help avoid the aphid season. I have just started some seed myself.....winter varieties from TSC.....the green one....(Monterey, I think), and also the Rubine. Im looking toward a Nov/Dec harvest.
Good luck to ya!
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jun-22-2004 at 10:19am
Jil,
Its Montgomery 200 Days. You should definitely avoid the aphids but I don't think that you'll see how big they can get (but then you won't have to stake them to keep them vertical as Trav has to at his windy site.
TSC is now listing Mid-May to Mid-June and Solomon is still June 1st for sowing dates. My best ever crop was a few years ago with April 23rd transplant sowing. Just picking off 6" of stalk on three of my plants would provide a pound of clean & trimmed sprouts. But at my house that only feeds three people. A holiday dinner requires picking five pounds for five couples and my son isn't eating them yet.
That's why I stake mine. I'll be interested in how you like the Rubine. I dropped it a few years ago and use Falstaff from Thompson and Morgan. Take a look at this photo:
Falstaff Brussels Sprouts
I also like their Trafalgar.
Trafalgar Sprouts
Gary
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jun-22-2004 at 10:09pm
Originally posted by gary
That's OK but did you have to embarass us in front of everybody. The only reason that I am near your normal schedule this year is that I didn't get to my sowing until July 2nd last year. Disappointing size and yield from that provided my incentive this year.
Thanks Gary, now I don't feel so bad!
I'll be curious to hear what you find out. In the meantime, I decided to sow a bed tonight. I gave them a bit more fertilizer than I normally would, plus some bloodmeal (yeah, I know, too much nitrogen and Brussels sprouts may not be good...). But if I can find some transplants that were started at a more reasonable date I will hedge my bets and use them as well.
Grows, remember that Steve was in the lower half of Oregon so his ranges may need to be adjusted for some things. Also Territorial's advice attempts to cover a fairly broad area. I'm starting to lean a bit towards Gary's dates in theory, but I've yet to actually put them into practice!
Actually this evening was great for gardening! Not too warm, and a nice breeze that kept the mosquitoes at bay. I tend to garden into dusk this time of year, and that usually means mosquitoes galore at my place.
Travis
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Jun-23-2004 at 7:05am
Yeah...I'm really curious now too! The seeds for both varieties have come up....in just a matter of 4 days, and Im hopefull. I do have 6 other bs plants that were put in Apr and are doing well.no aphids so far....not sure what variety as they were old seed from last year and I missplaced the packet.
Lets keep this thread going until we can compare notes!
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jun-23-2004 at 11:10am
When I've had aphid problems it's been more like late September or early October. If you see a few, deal with them because they are the most prolific creatures I've ever seen. You can go from a few to a plant that's buried in them in less than a week.
Coles (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) seem to be rather succeptible to swarms of aphids. I've never had an aphid problem on any other type of vegetable.
You can smash them with your fingers on some plants, but you'll need soap to get in the nooks and crannies.
Travis
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jun-24-2004 at 1:17pm
Trav,
Besides my own, the only ones I have found are some Jade Cross plants about 6-7 weeks and pretty good looking.
Gary
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jun-25-2004 at 10:02pm
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the info. I think I'd rather not make a special trip for Jade Cross - but I very much appreciate your having looked for me.
Travis
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jun-26-2004 at 5:04pm
Trav,
Now what if I had offered three of my transplants to trade for three JC's (@ $0.26 each) as we talked about Winter gardening over 3 beers each that you bought?
Gary
trav
Location: Washington, Western
Posted: Jul-12-2004 at 9:34pm
Hey there Gary,
Sorry about the too slow reply. Actually sometime when things are slower I'd like to head down and visit the farmer's market you're always talking about. And I'll buy the beer with no strings attached.
Travis
growsherown
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posted: Jul-13-2004 at 8:09am
I didnt realize gardening could be so.."intoxicating"......LOL!
gary
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Jul-13-2004 at 9:56pm
Lisa,
You are just jealous because I bought Jil and Jenn's coffee when they met me at the Olympia Market last month before the 10AM opening. That early morning choice was actually discretion because I didn't want to have to meet with the young husbands of "Grows' or "Sparkle".
In retrospect they spent so much money at the Market that morning that I should have asked the Market manager to reimburse me for the coffee because the Market's fee from the vendors they spent money with was 2-3 times the cost of the three (mine and theirs) coffees.
Now when we are discussing some beer, that could really cost Trav as he has to drive home and I only have to walk. By the way Trav, I still have 100% survival of the BS but I've lost a couple of Broc/Cab plants to some non-root maggot cause with the same "wilting sympton." If you've got am Umpqua and Melissa seedling you want to dig up, I can give you some BS transplants to replace them.
PS -- I have not been sleeping on the watering but learning much more as my female family side has been planting landscape here for the Rehearsal Dinner this Friday.
I have made some purchase decisions to irrigate all of that and started to layout the rest of the landscap/lawn sprinkler plans also for the future. I will relate my thoughts as to my choices as time permits over the next week.
Do be patient as some know that I am cooking the garlic basted salmon for the Friday dinner (& hot smoking the appetizer salmon before that). Gary
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton