Description
Add a classic touch to your fall and winter garden with 'Long Island Improved' Brussels Sprouts, a frost-tolerant heirloom variety known for its dense, blue-green sprouts and reliable performance. 'Long Island Improved' produce 1″–1½” mini cabbage-like heads along the main stalk, making them perfect for roasting, steaming, or sautéing. This historic variety has been a garden favorite since the 1890s, offering both beauty and productivity in cooler climates.
Ideal for gardeners seeking late-season harvests, 'Long Island Improved' Brussels Sprouts thrive in frost and cooler temperatures, which actually enhance their sweet, nutty flavor. With their palm tree-like appearance and continuous production from bottom to top, this variety is a dependable choice for anyone looking to grow flavorful, nutrient-rich sprouts year after year.
This packet sows up to 95 feet. 140 seeds.
Variety Info:
Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
Days to Maturity: 85–110 days
Family: Brassicaceae
Native: Europe
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant biennial; will tolerate temperatures to about 10?F.
Plant Dimensions: 20″–24″ tall
Variety Information: 1″–1½”, blue-green orbs that look like tiny cabbage heads, and grow tightly and densely against the main trunk of the plant. The cluster of leaves at the top of the plant give it a palm-tree-like look. 'Long Island Improved' was developed in the 1890s, quickly becoming the garden standard, and continues to be a dependable heirloom for home gardeners.
Sowing Info:
When to Sow Outside: 4 months before your average first fall frost date, when soil temperature is at least 40°F.
When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting outside, about 4 months before your average first fall frost date so sprouts mature in cool weather. In mild climates, sow in fall for harvest in late winter and early spring. Optimal soil temperature for germination is 60°–85°F.
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: ¼”
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 24″
Row Spacing: 24″
Thinning: When 2″ tall, thin to 1 every 24″
Growing Info:
Harvesting: Brussels sprouts start maturing from the bottom of the plant to the top. Buds should be picked when they are firm and about the size of a large cherry, between 3/4″ and 1″ in size. Break off the leaf just below the buds and snap or cut off the sprout. Brussels sprouts can be left in the garden through a freeze, which sweetens the flavor.
