Re: Brussels Sprouts

**Katherine Wendt katherine@memberstoaction.com>**

>Speaking of Brussels sprouts, which I have always disliked, today's 
>Washington Post garden column by Scott Aker answered a question 
>concerning this veggie that may be germane to some on the SqFt List.

Hey, I wrote that question to him!

>
>Here in DC we're in USDA cold zone 7 and also American Hort. Soc. 
>heat zone 7.  A questioner wrote in saying she had heard that 
>Bsprouts prefer to live where heat does not exceed 65 degrees F. 
>while they're growing, which would really be only the very most 
>northern tier of U.S. states and Canada.
>
>Aker pointed out that Bsprouts do well here in DC as a fall-planted 
>crop and NOW is the time to stick the seeds in the ground for 
>sprouts ripe during the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving. 
>We have lots of fall high temps in the 70's here, so I think the 
>65-degree limit is not being endorsed by Aker.

I put in transplants a couple of weeks ago, but I think I'm going to 
pop in a couple of seeds now and compare harvests.

What makes me nervous is what Jim Allen said about having to soak 
them to get the worms out. Earlier this year I had broccoli that was 
ready to be harvested while I was out of town. So I told DH he could 
go ahead and cut them, but that he should soak them in salt water for 
half an hour first to get the worms out. He swears he did it but when 
he steamed the broccoli, tons of worms crawled out. And he swears 
they were still wiggling when the broccoli was through steaming. So 
he threw out the whole lot and then refused to eat another mouthful 
of broccoli from the garden. Even though it was just side shoots that 
had no worms. Eventually I ripped out the broccoli altogether since 
it was a lot of room devoted to something he would no longer eat. So 
I guess I'm destined for the same discussion about the Brussels 
sprouts.

>
>I've got some empty space in my raised beds and may pop in a few 
>seeds just to see if homegrown ones are less bitter and annoying 
>that grocery ones....
>
>--Janet
-- 
Katherine Wendt
toll-free 1-877-328-2949
703-288-1151
thefolks@memberstoaction.com
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