Thinking ahead

sprouting brussel sproutes 62814It’s hard to believe but fall isn’t too far away. Right now is the time to start a few things indoors that you’ll transplant to your garden in 6 weeks. For me, that’s brussel sprouts and leeks. Be sure to look at the maturation dates for leeks-I’ve got 3 varieties that all have harvest dates of 90, 110, and 120 days. I like to start brussel sprouts inside on the last week of June. In 6 weeks they’ll be ready for transplanting and will be a good size. That puts me in the 2nd week of August which is when all the pests begin to go away-in this case aphids. This crop loves the cooler weather and in fact tastes better after a hard freeze. There’s several crops this happens with. When you sprout the seeds first I think you save a lot of time(and seeds)by knowing which seeds will grow. Then you put them in your potmaker cups and you’re off and running. These will sprout in about 3 days. If all seven seeds sprout, I’ll give a few of them away. We only need 1 plant to feed 2 of us but I’ll end up growing 3 or 4 to make sure I’ve got enough for customers. For leeks I’ll do the same thing. My favorite varieties are Bandit and Megaton. At a later date I’ll show you my technique for getting a large part of your leek to be white without all the extra work of hilling.[ois skin=”below post”]

2 thoughts on “Thinking ahead

  1. Lisa H.

    What part of the country is your garden in? I’m in east-central PA and started Brussels sprouts and leeks from seed in my bed in May. The Brussels sprouts seem to be doing well, the leeks not so much.

    Reply
    1. Jim Post author

      Hi Lisa, I’m in northern Utah-zone 6B. Sounds like the brussel sprouts are doing well so far-but keep an eye out for those pesky aphids! They are the worst! I quit attempting to grow them in the spring because they always had problems. Leeks are a different story. Why are they not doing well? They do require some time to get going. Are they standing upright but still very skinny? If so, you’ll probably be OK.

      Reply

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