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["Karen L. Black" <karen AT plamondon.com>]

James writes: 

> Today I transplanted a bed of brussels sprouts.  Almost all the brussels
sprouts I've grown have been pretty much a dismal failure and more's the
pity.  I am really fond of them.

> The plants grow fine, lush, tall.  And the set on plenty of sprouts ....
but the sprouts are as loose as little tufts of collards.

> How does one grow those stone hard brussels sprouts??

> Last year I though I had some decent ones on the way but the drought
weakened the plants and then they were beset by the thrice cursed harlequin
bugs that finished them off.

> I'd heard that sprouts will set on loose heads if they are grown in loose
ground.  This year I planted half of the in the hardest ground available
(it's getting scarce in the garden as the soil is developed).  But I wonder
about the advice.  It's suppose to hold true for other brassicas as well,
and regularly grow nicely hard cabbage heads and those are often on very
loose ground.
****************************

I think you may be planting too early. Brussels sprouts are a fall-to-winter
plant, where hot weather during sprout formation will cause loose heads as
you've described. I note that excess N is supposed to do the same thing, so
I hypothesize that fast growth causes loose heads, and that one wants to
encourage slow growth during sprout formation.

Brussels sprout cultivation per Illinois Extension:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/brusselssprouts1.html
A great deal about commercial cultivation:
http://www.uga.edu/vegetable/brusselsprouts.html

Karen Black
Norton Creek Farm
Blodgett, OR