nobbys

Hi everybody info if  u can please,our first year for planting is next year but some time ago another allotmenteer gave us some sprouts he didnt need so for fun we planted them in one of our new raised beds,,like most others the leaves have been eaten but the sprouts are now coming on but,they are loose not tight solid sprouts like you buy in the shops ,do they get more solid later or is something wrong,the sprouts weve chosen for next year are Hastings and Montgomery we chose them becouse our plots are windy and im told they are quite tuff growers just right for us, is there any good advise for getting good nobboys, the beds will have by then been well manured as well

cheersAlan4711

Not a super expert but the one thing I know about sprouts is if they are not planted firmly enough-to test you pull a leaf and if it tears without moving that is good-the result is loose sprouts

See what others opinions are Alan-but that is my theory-does that sound possible?

Never heard them called "nobbys" by the way

many thanks matey, you might be right as Kate did the planting and can tend to be rather delecate i,ll have to show her how to use her welly heel a bit better and  nobbys is a  midlands thing i think soto though im in Tenby  South Wales now  wet, cold, and when i was in town i forgot to get some beer from tesco,its going to be a long night

cheers Alan 

Yes nobby's is a midlands  expression. I was brought up in Nottingham where they were always call nobby sprouts, or just nobs, I haven't heard it recently though as I moved to Lincolnshire when I got married.

Chris.

Hi Alan some people stake their sprouts any stress or rocking and they blow (Open) Dont throw them away though harvest them cut them up and cook like cabbage they still tast good  you can eat the tops as well  

Sprout tops are definitely my veg of the week! Fantastic flavour.

I have tried growing sprouts many, many times and have given up as I could never get a decent crop. Loose sprouts are generally due to loose planting as far as I am aware.

Unless you really like sprouts, Alan, I would suggest you stick to Purple Sprouting Broccoli - far easier to grow and a much superior taste!

When you plant out you seedling sprouts next year make a trough in the soil and plant them in it, as they grow earth up. Sprouts need a long growing season, this gives the plants a deep and secure root base as they grow and they are less likely to be affected over the growing season by winds which rock the plant and cause the developing sprouts to blow. Sounds like your sprouts may have blown, I stake mine with a cane as a precaution but only have a few plants.

Caterpillars love them, so a net covering is advisable if you can't tend your allotment daily.

Well? if all thats not good advise i dont know what is,Nottingham yes i was born there as well Love to garden (MI Duck) and never ever tried sprout tops but we will now,and yes our plot is on a hill and very windy we,ll follow Zoomers advice and also try purple Broccoli,great advise and much appreciated many of em good luck all

Alan4711

If you like broccoli you might want to try growing calabrese.

I grew  Calabrese Marathon this year, it's similar to broccoli and after harvesting the head, produces masses of side spears. This variety didn't seem  to mind the wet weather either and can be sown as early as February, although I wouldn't recommend an early sowing.  I seem to recall sowing it early April and was picking calabrese in July.    

I planted similarly to brussels.

 Another veg which caterpillars love

Both OH & myself brought up WMidlands & had never heard of the expression 'nobbies'.

We do both love sprout tops though, yummy.

Zoomer- may try that calabrese next year. J.