[lordthanatos]

hiya all

Ive got 2 beds of sprouts doing nicely and all off them have started to develop the sprouts.

Ive seen on numerous plots that folk have removed the lower hafl of the leaves and just left the growing sprouts on

am i missing something?

thanks

[mumofstig]

Remove the leaves if they start going brown and dying off, otherwise leave them where they are to feed the plant

[dig4victory]

I was very, VERY late in sowing sprouts, they are still little plants, do you think I've still got time to get them out and for them to crop?

[strangerachael]

Hope you don't mind if I chip in with another sprouty question? I remember last year people mentioned they cut the tops off their sprouts - the flowery bit, and it makes the sprouts grow better - at what point would you do this?

[DD.]

I think it little late now for very small plants, but if you have the space, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

As for cutting the tops off, I've never heard of this and besides, the tops are the best bit, but need to be taken off a mature plant.

[JohnB47]

Hope you don't mind if I chip in with another sprouty question? I remember last year people mentioned they cut the tops off their sprouts - the flowery bit, and it makes the sprouts grow better - at what point would you do this?

I'm wondering what you mean by "the flowery bit". If you mean actual flowers, then yes, I suppose cutting them off would be a good idea. Like most vegetables, removing flower stalks will allow more energy to go into the parts you want to eat. But I've never had sprouts that flowered.

[DD.]

When sprouts flower - they've had it! Compost time, nothing more you can do.

[azubah]

I have taken the lower leaves off my sprouts this year.
I don't usually do it as they usually go yellow and drop off, but the leaves look so healthy  and are blocking off the light from the sprouts themselves.
My logic is that if the sprouts don't get enough light they may blow.
I don't know if this is true or not, but I spent a happy hour doing it anyway, and gave the whitefly a good fright.

[mumofstig]

and gave the whitefly a good fright.

what a lovely thought 

[strangerachael]

Hope you don't mind if I chip in with another sprouty question? I remember last year people mentioned they cut the tops off their sprouts - the flowery bit, and it makes the sprouts grow better - at what point would you do this?

I'm wondering what you mean by "the flowery bit". If you mean actual flowers, then yes, I suppose cutting them off would be a good idea. Like most vegetables, removing flower stalks will allow more energy to go into the parts you want to eat. But I've never had sprouts that flowered.

I was referring to the clustery bit at the top of the stalk - not actual flowers, sorry for the confusing terminology!  I remember somebody saying they cut that off to boost the sprout development, but I'm pretty sure she did it in late autumn, to try and get the sprouts big enough for Christmas