Back to growing guides 
VegetablesHardyBiennial
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are tall long-season brassicas grown for many firm buds spaced along the stem from autumn into winter. They reward patience and good soil with a harvest that stands well outdoors and improves in flavour after cooler weather.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Biennial
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
5 companions · 1 crop to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
180 days
Germination window
7–14 days
Germination temperature
10–20 °C
Plant spacing
60 cm
Row spacing
75 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Height
90 cm
Spread
60 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Notes
Sow Outdoors: Usually sown in an outdoor seedbed and transplanted in early summer, although you can direct sow if you have space.
Care tips
Set plants firmly and do not let them rock, because loose roots reduce vigour and sprout formation. Stake in windy positions, keep the crop watered in summer, and top plants later in the season if needed to direct energy into swelling the upper sprouts.
Common pests
Cabbage root fly, caterpillars, clubroot, pigeons.
