Brussels Sprout (Long Island)

📖 About This Plant

Brussels Sprout (Long Island Improved) is the definitive American Brussels sprout variety — a compact, reliable heirloom that has been producing tight, marble-sized sprouts on neat 24–30 inch stalks since the late 1800s. Each plant develops 50–100 small cabbage-like buds along the main stalk, harvested from the bottom upward as they mature. The flavor of Brussels sprouts is dramatically improved by frost: cold temperatures convert the sprouts' stored starches into sugars, mellowing bitterness and developing a nutty sweetness that makes fresh garden sprouts taste nothing like the sulfurous frozen sprouts many people grew up avoiding. Long Island Improved matures in approximately 90–100 days from transplant and holds well on the stalk through multiple freezes, making it an ideal late-season crop that extends the harvest calendar deep into November or December.

📊 Quick Facts

📅 When to Plant in Your Area

🌱 Care Tips

Brussels sprouts have the longest growing season of any common vegetable — start transplants indoors 12–14 weeks before your transplant date (which should be 90–100 days before your first expected fall frost). This timing means starting seeds in April or May for most US gardeners targeting a November harvest. Space transplants 18–24 inches apart; crowded plants are more susceptible to disease and produce smaller, looser sprouts. Firm the soil well around transplant stems — loose soil allows plants to rock in wind and produces looser, less tight sprouts. Stake tall plants in exposed sites. Feed monthly with a high-nitrogen fertilizer through midsummer, then switch to a balanced fertilizer as sprouts begin to form — too much late nitrogen delays maturity and loosens sprout texture. The most important late-season technique: when sprouts are marble-sized (August–September), "top" the plant by pinching or cutting off the growing tip to redirect all energy into maturing the existing sprouts. In zones 5–8, leave plants in the ground after hard frost — frozen sprouts actually taste sweeter and will keep on the stalk for weeks. Protect from imported cabbageworm with Bt spray or fine mesh netting; aphid colonies inside developing sprouts are the most frustrating pest problem, best prevented with row cover through the growing season.

🤝 Companion Plants

These plants grow well alongside Brussels Sprout:

🌿 Related Vegetable

More vegetable that grow in similar conditions:

❓ Frequently Asked Questions