How to Grow Brussels Sprouts
On this page
Transplant brussels sprouts once seedlings are sturdy young plants, roughly 10–15cm tall with several true leaves, moving them from their seedbed or modules into firm, fertile soil.
The short answer
- Ready in
- 108–142 days
- Site
- 6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6.5–7
- Biggest risk
- Club root
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group)
Also known as: Sprouts · 9 sources cited · Verified
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6.5 - 7 |
| Sunlight | 6-10 hours direct sun |
| Optimal growing temp | 12-20°C |
| Minimum survivable temp | -5°C |
| Time to harvest | 108-142 days |
| Soil texture | RHS: "fertile, well-drained, firm soil". Firmness matters because the plants are top-heavy. |
| Drainage | RHS: well-drained; a "sunny location". |
| Lifecycle | biennial (requires two growing seasons, but treated as an annual) |
| Edible parts | sprouts, young leaves (sprout tops) |
| Documented problems | 5 diseases, 9 pests |
At a Glance
Diseases
Pests
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Germination & seedling | 0 | Sprouts are raised from seed sown about 1–2cm deep in spring, usually in a seedbed or modules rather than sown where they crop (RHS: sow March–April). Seed germinates in about a week in warm soil; grow plants on to sturdy young transplants of roughly 10–15cm with several true leaves before moving them. Harden off module-raised plants first. |
| Vegetative growth (transplanting & leafing) | 3 | Transplant from late spring into very firm, fertile soil, spacing plants about 60cm apart each way (RHS) — roughly 24–30in (Univ. of Maryland) — to give these big plants room. Firm the soil hard around each plant: loose ground produces loose, 'blown' sprouts. Water in well, keep weed-free, feed for strong leafy growth, and net against pigeons and cabbage white caterpillars. |
| Sprout formation (buttoning up the stem) | 4 | Small sprouts begin to form in the leaf axils and swell up the stem from the base towards the top. Keep plants firmly anchored and evenly watered; earth up the stems or stake plants on windy sites to stop them rocking, which loosens the sprouts. Removing a few yellowing lower leaves improves airflow. |
| Harvest (bottom-up over winter) | 8 | Start picking from the bottom of the stem upwards once the lowest sprouts are firm, tightly closed and about walnut-sized (RHS), usually from autumn onward. Flavour improves after the first frosts (Univ. of Maryland). Snap or cut sprouts a few at a time; a single stem crops over many weeks, and whole stems can also be cut for storage. |
Harvest & Storage
Companion Planting
Recommended Varieties
- Peer Gynt — a classic early variety with tight, round sprouts from October; a compact, reliable choice across all UK regions.
- Trafalgar F1 — an AGM winner with heavy yields of firm, well-flavoured sprouts from November to January, and good disease resistance.
- Revenge F1 — a late-season variety harvesting January-March; very hardy, with excellent flavour after frost, useful for filling the "hungry gap".
- Evesham Special — a traditional tall variety producing large numbers of small, sweet sprouts from November to January.
Plan your Brussels Sprouts planting
Timing for Brussels Sprouts follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Brussels sprouts in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
These source is specific to this region. The full list of 9 sources behind this guide (Clemson Cooperative Extension, FAO EcoCrop, Royal Horticultural Society and others) is in the references of our UK guide to brussels sprouts; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do brussels sprouts take to grow?
Typically 108–142 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do brussels sprouts need?
A pH of about 6.5–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect brussels sprouts?
Our data links 5 diseases and 9 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.
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How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-07-30
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
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Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.