[colin120]

Hi all
can anyone tell me why my Sprouts are large, loose, and leafy they are not round and tight, they look like they have flared open.

Plot holder next to me  says it might be that I planted them to early but I sowed them as the packet says

Thanks

[Mattgregory27]

From the grow your own section of this website!

"Wind rock and lack of nutrients is the most common cause of “blown” sprouts. The buttons become loose rather than tight and firm . Removing the blown sprouts and giving some additional feeding with a high nitrogen liquid fertiliser may stop the problem."

Hope this helps

[lettice]

The important thing about sprouts is to make sure you plant them in firmly.
I plant rows of sprouts around my maincrop potato plot, as the soil on the edge stays firm and that area gets a good dose of compost, before planting.
I always plant some in the same plot that my broad beans were in once they have finished and carefully pulled up, still lovely firm and fertile soil from your bean beds.
I have had the odd blown sprout, in the past. If you catch them early and remove the single blown one you may be lucky. Be wise to make sure that the plant is still firmed in well and you can always earth up to help it firm in.
I do put some string, up to around 12 inches around the sprouts, just so they don't get too wind blown, especially in the autumn when we tend to get the stronger winds.
One more thing, sprouts should not sit in water or be over watered, so let the rain do its job and only water when very dry. This year, they have little manual watering. Obviously that loosens the soil more.
Had the first few pickings of sprouts already this year for the earliest ones I put in, they have done very well this year. Keep picking to early next year.
I grow Groninger and Crispus varieties.

[ARPoet]

This is the first year i have got good sprouts. But its also the first year of growing in a Wonderwall Netting Tunnel.
I have planted them in un dug ground covered with weed membrane and planted through it.
My garden, as did my allotment, when i had it, suffers from very strong winds and the Wonderwall defuses this and stops the rocking. Cabbages too were good in the wonderwall.