Flower Sprouts: growing, harvesting and companion plants

Other names

kalettes, kale sprouts

Botanical name

Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera

Family / Genus

Brassicaceae / Brassica

Plant category

Cabbage vegetables

fotomarekka/Shutterstock.com

Flower Sprouts are a relatively new variety developed in Great Britain. A cross between Brussels sprouts and kale, with a slightly nutty flavour. They look like loosely opened Brussels sprout rosettes, growing on a long stem, often with a green-purple colouring. When it comes to planting and care, they are very similar to Brussels sprouts.

Facts and figures

Light requirements

Sun / partial shade

Nutrient requirements

Heavy feeder

Difficulty level

Intermediate

Culture (according to Gertrud Franck)

A - tall or wide crops, almost year-round, B - late

Culture (according to Sister C. Weinrich)

Main crop

Growing period

210 days

Row spacing

50 cm

Plant spacing

50 cm

Growth height

60 - 90 cm

Sowing depth

2 cm

Germination temperature (minimum)

8 °C

Germination temperature (optimal)

18 - 22 °C

Germination type

Light

Pre-growing period

60 days

Planting & harvest times of Flower Sprouts

Direct sowing

Pre-grow

Transplant

Harvest

Harvest (next year)

Direct sowing from Late March to Mid May. Transplant to bed from Mid May to Late June. Pre-grow about 60 days before transplanting, approximately between Mid March and Late April. After a growing period of 210 days, harvest can begin around Late October and continues until Mid March next year.

Sow and plant Flower Sprouts

You can sow directly from mid to late March, but starting them off indoors from early to mid-March is the better option. After a few days of hardening off, plant them out into the bed from early to mid-May. You can add a small amount of organic fertiliser to the planting hole right from the start.

Location and soil

As heavy feeders, they prefer well-composted garden soil in a sunny spot. Brassicas dislike acidic soil, so add lime if needed.

Good and bad companions of Flower Sprouts

Growing them near alliums can lead to stunted growth. They also don't get on well with strawberries and a few other plants. Good neighbours include peppers, lamb's lettuce and radicchio.

Very good neighbours

Good neighbours

Bad neighbours

Predecessors and successors of Flower Sprouts

As always, avoid planting the same crop in the same spot for several years, and fellow brassicas make poor predecessors or successors. Alliums and a few others don't mix well with brassicas in the rotation either. That said, parsnips, chard and beetroot are among the plants that do well alongside them.

Good predecessors

Bad predecessors

Mizuna (Asian greens)

Very bad predecessors

Good successors

Bad successors

Lollo biando / Lollo rosso

Melothria

Mizuna (Asian greens)

Very bad successors

Crop rotation

What stood on that bed three years ago is hard to recall come spring. grove remembers. Once you have planned with it for a few seasons it knows your beds and warns you as you plant when a growing break is still running. The other way round, grove points you to the spots where Flower Sprouts fits particularly well right now.

As green manure before Flower Sprouts, grove suggests Sunflower good for example, provided the crop before it fits as well. As the crop before it, grove suggests Radish good or Soya bean good. After it come Leek good or Parsnip good.

Broccoli very poor, Cauliflower very poor, Oil radish very poor and 20 more plants may only return to the same spot after 4 years. grove still remembers that three years from now.

And as soon as next year is planned, the Garden Fairy looks for the right green manure for the cold season in between all by itself, Phacelia for example. How the Garden Fairy works

Plan crop rotation in the bed planner Try free for 7 days, web, iOS and Android

Care and fertilising

To protect them from cabbage white butterflies or whitefly, try planting celery between the brassicas or covering them with insect-proof netting. One or two applications of organic fertiliser and/or watering with plant teas or liquid manure help supply the necessary nutrients and keep the plants healthy. During the main growing period, make sure to water regularly and thoroughly.

Diseases and pests

Susceptible to

Alternaria leaf spot of brassicas

Black rot

Cabbage aphid

Cabbage moth

Cabbage root fly

Cabbage whitefly

Cabbage whites

Clubroot

Diamondback moth

Downy mildew of brassicas

Flea beetles

Swede midge

White rust

Harvest and processing

Depending on the weather and growth, you can harvest the rosettes from late autumn through to spring during frost-free spells. Harvest from the bottom upwards, and new ones will keep forming. In spring, you can also harvest and use the small 'savoy-like head' that develops at the top. The tender rosettes have a short cooking time and are perfect for a quick stir-fry.

Open the bed planner Try free for 7 days, web, iOS and Android