[Snoop]

This year's goal is to produce enough sprouts to keep my OH happy. I have a few reasonably sheltered beds I use for winter veg, but not that many, so I'm trying to maximise the number of sprout plants while still growing at least a few overwintering spring cabbage.

I know sprouts have to be planted a certain distance apart. Is this to do with the tops or the roots? More to the point, could I grow/intercrop spring cabbages between sprout plants?

[Totty]

You could get three types, an early, mid and a late season. And make three staggered sowings. You wouldn't need as many plants that way either, and you will be able to pick as you want them over a long season as opposed to having say, 20 plants all ready at once, you could sow something like Maximus F1 about now and be picking some in September, you could sow a few Red Rubine as a delicious novelty red sprout to be picking at the same time as the early ones and then leading to a later one like Montgomerie that will keep going into spring.

Totty

[Snoop]

Thanks Totty. My intention is to grow a spread of sprout plants to cover the entire season, some of which will be shortish plants that I can put in more exposed spots. But it really is a case of the more the merrier. OH says he could eat sprouts every day. And it's not such a bad wish to indulge, if not quite every day!

Unless someone comes up with a definite "no, can't be done", I might give it a go in one bed just to see if it works.

[Totty]

You won't get any 'it can't be done messages, cos it can be done!

Defiantly from September till spring anyway.

Totty

[Snoop]

Thanks Totty. We'll raise a toast to you on the main day  for eating sprouts!

[Snoop]

Captain's log, supplementary...

Do you think I could also intercrop small summer/autumn cabbages (Hispi and Samantha) between the sprout plants?

I notice you mention September till spring, Totty, but am now thinking about earlier too.

[Yorkie]

I'm not sure about the intercropping, Snoop.  You'd need to be very careful that the sprouts aren't loosened at all in the soil when harvesting the hispi; otherwise, the sprouts are likely to blow.

[pink aubergine]

Closer you plant things together, the smaller the crops.

[Snoop]

Thanks, Yorkie and Pink Aubergine.

I was wondering about simply cutting off the heads of the cabbage when harvesting rather than uprooting to avoid loosening the spout roots.

The sprouts get planted a metre apart in a single row in beds just over a metre wide. I usually stake sprout plants using rebar - we get gale-force winds here at certain times of year.

But I take your points. Maybe it's not such a good idea. Thanks.

[Totty]

In a bed a metre wide, you could have a staggered double row to get more plants in. If space is an issue in regards to cabbage, have you thought about growing some kale? A few plants picked little and often can produce all through winter and spring, as opposed to one cabbage being picked, and that's it.

Totty

[peedee555]

got 4ft beds using 3 16inch rows or16inch suares its as close as i dare with taller in the middle and dwarfs in the 2 rows either side 10ft long gives me 18 plants and nobody in doors apart from me likes them 

[Snoop]

got 4ft beds using 3 16inch rows or16inch suares its as close as i dare with taller in the middle and dwarfs in the 2 rows either side 10ft long gives me 18 plants and nobody in doors apart from me likes them 

Crumbs, these really are close in comparison with mine, peedee555.

And thanks for the advice Totty. That's a good point: I might try and work out how many I can get in in a staggered row.

As for the kale, no chance that OH will eat it, unfortunately.

What I was hoping was to grow early cabbage between the sprout plants for use in late spring and autumn rather than something that will stay in the ground all winter.