Brussel Sprouts — Nautic Organic

$6.79

Nautic Organic Brussels sprout seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC! These are the best tasting sprouts we've tried in years! Succulent, tender, and useful as whole sprouts or separated leaves, Nautic was bred for high disease resistance, including a strong resistance to powdery mildew. Its buds are spaced slightly apart so the plants dry quicker after fall rain, reducing bud loss, and making it easier to harvest individual sprouts. Nautic is a great variety for the home garden or newbie sprout grower because of its simple and straightforward production. Plant in early summer, transplant in late summer, and harvest all fall and winter.

These seeds are coated with an inert, organically certified layer which helps to minimize clumping in storage and seed sowing machines. The coating is approved by organic certifiers in Canada, the US, EU, and Japan.

Matures in 120 days. (Hybrid seeds).

Quick Facts:

The best tasting sprouts Westcoast Seeds have ever tried
Buds are spaced slightly apart
Was bred for high disease resistance
Certified organic
Matures in 120 days

Size: 25 seeds

Difficulty
Easy

Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full-sun

Timing
The goal is to harvest mature sprouts after they have been kissed by frost. Seeds can be direct sown any time once the daytime temperature is steadily above 10°C (50°F). Otherwise start the seeds in small pots or transplant beds and transplant into the garden so the plants are in the ground for 45-60 days before the first hard frost. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-30°C (50-85°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

Starting
Sow 3-4 seeds per pot, 1cm (1/2”) deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Transplants should be set out when they have 6-8 true leaves. Space transplants 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 75-90cm (30-36″) apart.

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-7.5. Plant in humus-rich soil amended with composted manure. Mix ¼ cup complete organic fertilizer into the soil under each transplant. High nitrogen levels result in loose sprouts with internal browning, so do not fertilize after midsummer. Cool temperatures during sprout development are important for compact, quality sprouts.

Harvest

Sprouts are sweeter after moderate freezes. Pick when sprouts are firm and well-formed, beginning with the ones at the bottom. The upper sprouts continue to form and enlarge as the bottom ones are harvested. For a once-over harvest, to ensure you have enough for your holiday meal, pinch out the growing point at the top of the stem when the lower sprouts are 1-2 cm (½-¾”) in diameter. A full stem of evenly sized sprouts will develop in about 2 weeks.

After harvesting the sprouts, there may be another harvest in early spring where winters are mild. The plant sends up long, edible flower stalks which are tender and sweet when steamed, or served raw with a dip.

Diseases and Pests

Slugs and snails – Sprinkle broken eggshells around plants to deter.

Cabbage aphids – A hard stream of water can be used to remove aphids from plants early in the day.

Cabbage root maggot – White maggot larvae feed on roots of plants. Damage causes wilting early on, and the death of plants later on.

Flea Beetles – Use row covers to help protect plants from early damage. Put in place at planting and remove before temperatures get too hot in midsummer. Control weeds. Nematodes feed on the larvae of these pests.

Cutworms – Control weeds. Cardboard collars around each plant give good protection.

Cabbageworms – Hand-pick and destroy. Row covers may be useful on small plantings to help protect plants from early damage.

Clubroot: If soil is infested, add lime to raise pH of soil to 7.2. Locate plants in a part of the garden different from previous year’s location. If that is not possible, remove infested soil and replace with fresh soil. Start seeds in sterile potting mix or fresh ground. Remove and discard or destroy infested plants along with the surrounding soil and soil clinging to roots.

Companion Planting

All Brassicas benefit from chamomile, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage. Avoid planting near eggplants, peppers, potatoes, or tomatoes.

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5 based on 9 reviews from westcoastseeds.com