Forget what you thought about Brussels Sprouts as a child or the sprouts you bought from the grocery store. They just can't compare to those picked fresh from the garden. Brussels sprouts are a very good source of many essential vitamins, fiber, and folate. They are especially high in Vitamin C, containing 120% of the daily recommended amount in just 4 sprouts! As soon as you see tiny Brussels Sprouts beginning to form start breaking off all the branches starting from the lowest and continuing up 6 or 8 inches. The Brussels Sprouts stay in place but all the branches are nearly gone. Stripping the Brussels Sprouts stalk like this stimulates the plant in two ways: it grows taller so it can add more leaves and sprouts and it directs energy to the tiny sprouts at the bottom of the stalk. These Sprouts will grow really fast, in 5 - 7 days they will be ready for picking.
Consider staking your Brussels Sprouts plants if only a few plants are being grown, as the weight of the sprouts can cause the plant to topple over. Harvesting Brussels sprouts after frost they will become sweet, as the plants create sugar for antifreeze!
