Brussels sprouts are a type of brassica vegetable related to cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage, typically grown as a cool-season crop. They are hardy and nutritious, with various varieties, soil preparation, crop rotation, and pest management tips. To grow Brussels sprouts, choose a light-filled and well-ventilated spot in your garden. One Brussels sprout can produce two to three pounds of sprouts, and one plant should be allowed 20 to 30 inches between plants in larger containers.
Sunflower sprouts or microgreens can be grown from black oil sunflower seeds in a soilless medium. Follow the step-by-step instructions and tips for harvesting, storing, and using these nutritious greens. The health benefits of sprouts outweigh the risks if you’re a healthy person. Kalettes thrive in full sun, so select a location in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. They prefer well-drained soil. Flower sprouts will produce the best florets when planted in fertile soils with a pH above 6.5-7.5.
To grow your own sprouts, soak seeds overnight, drain them, rinse them, and repeat. Sow seeds about ¼ in (6 mm) deep in a small pot or the cell of a plug tray 4 to 6 weeks before your local last frost date. They are a new type of vegetable created by crossing Kale with Brussels sprouts and mature in Late Autumn/Winter. Full sun to partial shade suits sprouts, ideally with shelter from winter winds. They need neutral to alkaline soil, firm enough to hold top heavy crops upright.
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HOW TO GROW/START FLOWER SEEDS IN POT…FAST N EASY //FOR WINTER FLOWER N VEGETABLE QUALITY SEEDS …
📹 Seedling Care: Thinning, Separating, Fertilizing & Fixing Stretched Seedlings! 🌱🌱🌱 // Garden Answer
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Amazing article Laura!! I’m so fascinated to see your growth and your amazing garden! I absolutely love what you do!! Your amazing Laura!! You have inspired a lot of people including me and I’m only 16!And I’ve being gardening since I saw your planting bulbs in December article!! And now I teach others how to grow their own food on my website Ultimate Gardening! Keep up the great work and never stop!🧑🏽🌾🌿🌸
Good morning Laura. Just another note about having fans for air movement on your plants. When I first built my greenhouse and filled it with plants we were going to overwinter, I did not have a fan to provide air movement. After a few days with all the humidity locked in with no air movement, I went to check on how things were doing and found that mold was growing everywhere! I immediately went and purchased two oscillating fans and in a couple days the problem was solved. I’ve kept the oscillating fan going now for two years and have not had any more mold issues. Keep up the good work. Jim
Love it when you’re in the greenhouse caring for all your seedlings. I used to start my own plants ( in a small way) but didn’t have much instruction so I had a lot of damping off. How I wish you had come along about 25-30 years ago before my gardening life was over. I can’t get around now but with help from my friend and my husband I still have a few small gardens. I live vicariously through your articles, but I miss it so. Thanks for keeping my dreams alive.
There is no one I watch that has your perfect recipe for learning articles. There’s a saying – I don’t know to whom it gets attributed – “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.” This is what you do – Tell us what you’re going to do, do it, then show us what you did. I just think you have it down beautifully! Thank you.
Yesterday here in UK it rained so I watched the article you did of the Oct 2019 tour. It made me realise just how much has changed in that short time. Very very interesting to compare your garden then and now. Even the gazebo was still there then. Looking forward to seeing a summer tour and seeing the difference from way back. Could even view again some of the ones you did when you first moved there. We should all take photos of our gardens that we can look back on and enjoy the journey. 🤗
Holy moly there is such a learning curve with seeds!!!! I work at nurseries over the years so I always came home with seedlings or full sized plants. I talked to them for the past few months!! I am so excited to have this super power of making seeds grow!!! Thanks Laura for showing the good the bad and the ugly of seeds ❤
You must have quite the collection of coffee cups! At the end of this article I saw a “plain” one as opposed to the many others I’ve seen. You’ve jokingly brought up moving when you see a backdrop of trees in pictures in pictures. Well, where I live that is everywhere (so I should appreciate that more). 😊 I don’t have grow lights but have started several flats of seeds. I just got a very small greenhouse last year so I’ve been walking them out there in the morning to get some sun and then back at night since it’s not heated. Getting my steps in! Some seedlings have stretched so thanks for the info on how to fix that. I love how you talk like you’re speaking to a friend in these articles. It’s like having a friend over for coffee in the morning.💕
You mentioned fertilizing at full strength once a week when the seedlings are more robust and have a second set of true leaves. Is this how you fertilize the full-grown plants, too— once a week at full strength? Thanks so much for all the helpful info! I started geraniums from seed after perusal you start yours and am enjoying the journey!
Good Morning, Laura. . 1st a question -?- What happens to the roots of the plants you clipped off – allowing the stronger plant to exceed? Now: Praise for ALL your abilities – so much Love and Passion for growing plants, your education of each plant, your endurance and positive energy of endurance. One of your strongest attributes is the ability to control your ‘touch’ with each plant – giving the proper touch to each! I’ve seen you be so tender to some and yet stronger touch to others. That is a trait we all desire to have —- to read our plants — to make them all Happy and Pretty like you do. Thank you. Pray you are enjoy LENT.
Question: So you’re potting this in the tunnel with no grow lights. Your plants look great. So you don’t worry about low level sunny days at this time of year? The grow lights say the plants need up to 16 hours of light a day but many days at this time of year are overcast or raining in your setup. Can you speak to that please. I learn so much from you.
Hi Laura, I live in Olympia WA and just came across your articles and I really love and enjoy your articles! You are so detailed and make it look so easy for beginners like me lol. I really appreciate your awesome articles I get so intrigued I forget to “like” them but I do love them lol. Thanks and have a great day!!
I admire and learn from you so much! I especially appreciate your comment at the end that you don’t have 100% success every year. It’s my first year trying to grow flowers on from corm/bulb and I feel like I have NO IDEA what I’m doing haha finding myself getting a little hung up on the outcome — this is a nice reminder that my first attempt might just be a learning process and that’s awesome, too. it’s reassuring to hear that even the pros and someone I consider a magic garden genie don’t just nail it perfectly every time. 💚
Laura and Aron, You might consider putting a splash pad in the center of the gardens where you were marking out the circles a couple of weeks ago. You wouldn’t have to worry about anyone drowning as they are pressure sensitive. They come in all colors and if anyone could make something beautiful around that where it was disguised from the outside, it’s definitely you! If you’re worried about too much sun exposure on their young skin, you could design a shade screen to go over it. Not the tarp looking things, think 1920’s vintage Paris circus big-top structure vibes, (old world) that would play really well with the Heartley. You could train vines up the supports and remove the shade screen in the winter. You’d never get the babies out of there!!! Best to all of you!
This is the article I was looking for when I started my seeds in march. First year trying to start flowers from seed and oh my goodness the amount I’ve learned already. Didn’t thin properly, they’re so leggy because they didn’t get enough light, and planted outside too soon (two weeks ago in the South). None of them were strong enough at all. Hoping at least 20 of the 100 will do something. Considering starting more seeds with all your information!! Thank you!
Love these types of articles! I am still learning about different plants even though I have been gardening for years. I appreciate the information you give us. I was so excited today. I got some garden areas ready to plant. I transplanted my daffodils as they weren’t getting enough light. Which is strange. They were in the same area. I am starting some seeds indoors already. Our weather has been crazy. Thanks for all your articles.
Hi Laura, I love perusal your website. It really inspires my own gardening endeavours. Since you usually plant a generous number of seeds for each flower, wouldn’t it be easier to just plant one seed per cell? Thinning or separating seems such a lot of work, especially as you usually have excellent germination rates.
Exactly what I needed to learn this morning! Thank you! I do have a question though. Do you fertilize your annual and perennial seedlings the same? Just curious since I fertilize my annual plants once a week but use slow release fertilizer for my perennials when they are planet outside for the season. Thank you for all the knowledge you share! I tell everyone about Garden Answer ❤️🌱
Laura, thank you so much for sharing your vast knowledge of seedlings! This is my second year growing my own plants and it is still a mystery. You really have such a beautiful patience with your plants! I am growing sunflowers and they are about 2.5 inches tall so i hope they aren’t reaching for light since I have good lighting. Thank you for all your time teaching me about plants!
Hi! This was so cool to watch and see how everything is growing and becoming a real plant! It’s always fun to watch, b/c it means Spring is coming! By the way, Erin from Impatient Gardner had a article out today (Wednesday), and she is having a problem, she thinks, with clorosis on some seedlings. I thought of you right away and thought you might have some ideas for her. Just a thought. Thanks so much for what you do. I can’t wait for it to warm up enough to get out and do the Spring clean up and transfer some plants from one place to another. I have two rose bushes that need to be moved so they have the freedom to spread their wings and I can’t wait!! Thanks again!
Your seedlings look great! Laura: would love to know if you could try an experiment of using potting soil (the type with fertilizer in) for seed starting. Another gardener on YouTube has been doing this with no ill effect. It would be so nice to skip the step of fertilizing seedlings. My greenhouse and shop would not have to smell like a shrimp boat too.
you know, I have a unheated/non electric glass window DIY (Hothouse)Greenhouse & I start seeds mid-late Feb here in zone 6B & have great luck….it is March now & we are still getting frost/freezes here too. I use NO heat mats, no heat lamps, my GH is NOT air tight for sure (DIY). I do use covered seed trays however. I think sometimes seed starting can get overcomplicated…I would love to see you do some experimenting on this, just for fun! HAPPY GARDENING everyone!
Thank you Laura & Aaron for sharing your day to day struggles and triumphs with us. I enjoy each and every article. I live in Eastern Washington and share your zone and climate. I have areas in my garden that are on the west side of our home that get morning shade and HOT afternoon sun. What can you recommend for those areas?
Question, Laura: Can you talk a bit more about the fertilizing in general? I can’t get Espoma products here in Canada. What type of fertilizer for seedlings would you suggest as an alternative? I tried to ask at my local garden centre, but the worker told me not to fertilize seedlings at all because I’d just burn them. I can see from your success that that’s not the case at all.
Always so informative! I have learned so much from you. Question… can you cut back on grow light time as your seedlings get bigger? I’m hoping to slow down growth until I can get my seedlings in my cold frame It’s too cold at night here for a while. Number 1 lesson for me to learn… Don’t start too early!
Beautiful greenhouse. So I have never started flowers from seeds. I don’t have any seed starting equipment or lights. I’m in planting zone 7B. Can I directly put my flower seeds into my Greenstalk for them to grow? Or do you always have to start seeds indoors? Thank you for your articles, they are just so educational and direct.
Hi! I watch and look forward to your articles everyday. I’m based in the UK and the only thing I find slightly frustrating is not knowing the Celsius temperature equivalent when you talk about temperatures. On your articles. I know you are US based, as is a lot of your following, however it would be great for your international viewers if you could just add a quick stamp of the Celsius equivalent when you talk about temperatures. Thanks for all your amazing articles!
Thank you for the tips! Every year I get damping off on my tomato seedlings, so this year I performed the dreaded task of washing/bleaching all the 4 packs, trays, etc. before starting the seeds. I thought that had to be the culprit b/c I don’t overwater, I put a fan on for 2 hours/day, and I keep grow lights on for 16 hours. They start off in my office (68-72 degrees, heat mat to germinate then I turn off). And this year was the worst for damp rot! Ugh, I’m out of ideas, do you have any? I’ve buried their long thin stretched out stems in bigger pots and am crossing my fingers, but I lost most of my fave tomatoes (Brad’s Atomic Grape) to damp rot, and only ONE has survived! Can’t buy that one at Lowe’s, so it’ll be babied this year…
I don’t like cutting off seedling tops so I don’t. I do not overseed by using fresh seed and reviewing the germination rate. For example, I might just put 2 seeds in a cell for just a couple cells. That way I have a couple extra to fill in if the seed does not germinate. Seeding this way is a time saver and I’m not wasting seeds. I do pot up my lisianthus and snapdragons to bigger cells since they are started so early. Hopefully they can be hardened off outside soon!
I know that you use half strength fertilizer on Seedlings with first true leaves. But how do you water them? Do you water from overhead or do you bottom water and if bottom water inbtrays with no drainage, how much do you typically put in or what is your routine? I know this is a super long question but I want to try to be more successful. ❤
I ventured into seed starting this year and so far no good luck, I spent a small fortune on seeds for Johnny’s and followed the packages exactly., but I had poor germination only about 20 plants came up. the only thing I can think of was maybe my soil was too damp when I filled my trays. If your soil is too damp could this affect your seeds and should I not cover with the humidity dome if the soil is too damp and leave uncovered the greenhouse? BTW you are the best!!! Florist trying to grow her own flowers in SC
Thank you so much for all you share. I follow several gardening websites and my hubby says I’ve started sounding like a gardener!! I consider that a result!! He knows for example that I’d like a power auger for my birthday and I keep saying ‘Laura says…’ I was perusal Kevin from epic gardening and he used a power auger to plant his dahlias and mentioned you and how you’ve influenced him!! Do you follow any other websites and if so who? Thanks again
What is the temperature in your greenhouse? I’m new to greenhouse gardening and am in zone 4. I’m unsure of when I can put my seedlings in the (unheated) greenhouse. Also, my garage is 53 degrees. Would that be warm enough if I use heat mats? (I do have grow lights.) Enjoying your website. Thank you!
👋Good Wednesday morning, Laura!!! Halfway through your work week! Hopefully, you have been having a good, productive week! perusal your recent productivity in your yard, has inspired me to get my yard in better order. I have a couple of pending concrete work to be done, this year and I am looking forward to getting them completed. Got my coffee and unpausing tv 📺… All of your seed trays are really going for it. QUESTION: When you say your timer is on for 16 hours per day, what time does it come on, in the morning? Why can’t watering can manufacturers make them so they don’t leak????? It irks me, to no end, 😂🤣😂 when you get more water outside of the plants than in the pots…. Come on workers, do a better job making the watering cans.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Pretty please 🍨🍒 👋Hi Russell! 🐈 I got a quick p👀k of you in your favorite chair.😺 Laura, it is ALWAYS a pleasure “hanging out” with you! You are part of my daily routine, you encourage this 62 years young gal to get up and play in my yard. I will be starting my second flower bed this season, while gLauraFying my backyard. Have a Blessed and Beautiful day/night 🌞/🌜✨️⭐️🌟⭐️✨️ 🌐 everyone!!! Kimberley F in the Arizona desert 🌞🌵💞🏜😎 (Zone 9b) USA 🇺🇸
I finally started my own in ground garden! You inspire me to follow my passion, so thank you! I think I may have killed my lemon coral sedum tho. I watered everything in and then its been raining. It’s now a pale green instead of the vibrant chartreuse green it was just two days ago. Do you think it will bounce back? Southeast Texas springs can be very rainy. Can anyone help?
Oscillating fans: not a fan over the years. Another one bit the dust this year. It was starting, but humming. I took it all apart cleaned and oiled. Worked great, then it made a loud screech and I threw it out. Others tend to flop forward and I would never leave them run if I wasn’t home as I don’t trust them. I never start hollyhocks indoors. They grow so easily outside and they won’t bloom until next year anyways. What I need is a larger greenhouse, but I’m too frugal to heat one so I will work with my small lean to. What I shouldn’t have done was use an opened bag of soil without sterilizing it—whole host of problems there.😊
Good morning Laura, I would like to thank you for all the wonderful articles you make that are filled with so much knowledge and bliss. I want you to know that perusal your articles first thing in the morning before starting my day it’s a routine of mine. 😇 At this current time I live in a condo with a pretty nice size balcony. Where I have a good amount of plants that I have in pots. However it’s never enough when it comes to having plants for me.😊 I can’t wait to have a house so that I can have a beautiful garden or should I say gardens. 😁 As well as having a greenhouse so that I can do all of my gardening work that I would very much enjoy and love doing. It’s something that I’ve always loved since I can remember. But I want to let you know that you are an inspiration to so many people, and at this time even though I don’t have my house and gardens as well as a greenhouse. I very much enjoy following/ perusal your articles on YouTube and learning new things about plants and techniques . I also enjoy perusal the articles of your Mom, sister and you going shopping at the antique shops and having fun. You ladies really know how to have fun. Let’s just say we have a lot in common. There was one time that I jokingly told my husband that you’re my sista from another mista. Lol…😊😇 I at least want to say that you are my sister through our Lord and you truly are a blessing. So may the Lord bless you always with great health, good fortune and an abundance of happiness to you and all of your family.
I am eggcited😛 to say that I planted my first seed trays this week! Used the @GardenersSupplyCompany self watering trays for the first time as well, but here is my question – how soon should I use start using the reservoir tray (self watering part of the kit) if I am germinating tomato seeds? I’m a dork and realized the heating mat won’t really work under the water reservoir, LOL. and it looks like my tomato seeds need between 72-90 degrees soil temperature.
Hi there, I need some help with my Lupin. I had the humidity domes over their pots. You’re not kidding they just shot up. Now I have leggy seedlings, I tried what you suggested with setting up a fan for air flow and their tray is on the floor in front of my patio doors which is south facing. I’m in zone 4a, so I’m not able to put the tray out on the deck till about 1pm. They don’t have their first true set of leaves yet, so I’m concerned about repotting and fertilizing them. Suggestions? Thanks for your time 😊
How would you go about watering seedling trays if you didn’t have an outdoor greenhouse space? The only place in my house that I can set up an indoor grow station is the unfinished part of my basement, so there’s all that exposed wood framing and wiring in the walls, along the with bare (aka porous) concrete floor. I wouldn’t want to shower water all over the tops of my trays. I figure I’ll hang a tarp up so it protects the wall and the floor behind/below my work station, but would still like to keep the mess to a minimum. Just trying to figure out what my process is going to have to be. The only water source down there is the bathroom (sink, shower).
Hey Laura and Aaron! Was wondering, since we all know that you guys like to keep your property more private and so many of us want to come see it. Would you guys maybe think about having other YouTubers in the garden community be able to come tour and film your property? That way you know who’s coming to your home? I saw Janey (dig plant wanter repeat) go and tour Robbie’s (visit our garden) property and i though you guys could do that to be in control and we could see your property from other peoples perspective!
Hi there. Thanks for the information article. Can you please tell me about small and large sunflowers. Mine are tall and striny with feed but not exactly the right lighting. When I move them into deeper soil they tend to die, do you know why? Also my pumpkin seedlings. Help please!. Thank you so much. Love everything about you and what you do. 👍🇨🇦
What can you do for tomato and geranium seedlings that came up quickly, have their first leaves, but haven’t grown any after that. They’ve just been sitting there for about three weeks. About an inch or so tall. They’re green, under a grow light (14 hours a day), plenty of air flow. I fertilized them yesterday at 1/8 strength. Also put them outside, East Texas warm, in very dappled shade. The only thing else I know to do is repot them ?
Are your self watering seed cells from Gardener supply working ? I got in some and filled the reservoir with water, but my seedlings are turning yellow and the wicking mat was sopping wet so I drained the water out and removed the mat . Was this your experience ? Now I’m wondering if they actually work for seedlings? 😢
Question: is the light in the greenhouse sufficient for seedlings to grow? I don’t see supplemental lights in the greenhouse. I have a small, glass greenhouse (in Texas so it’s hot) and I had to put a 50% shade cloth up. The greenhouse was getting up to 100-105 degrees already. I don’t have an indoor grow room or grow lights … is the 50% shade cloth too much for seed starting? My seeds/germination/growth rate is abysmal this year.
If you are going to separate so many seedlings anyway, is there a reason why you don’t just intensive plant in open trays and prick them all out to transplant, culling weaker ones as you go? Seems like it would be a space saver for your grow lights and you wouldn’t have to lift them out of cells when they are so tender. Saves a lot of time trimming out extras too. Everything looks great and you have some beautiful root systems on those seedlings!
13:40 where you’re talking about tall seedlings and repotting them deeper in the cell trays. From a greenhouse I’ve purchased broccoli plants that have a long stem that is exposed… when planting in the garden should I plant them deeper so the lanky stem is buried? Thank you for all you do, you are my calmness to some really rough months.
I’ve looked on Gardners to find the “high output” lights and I’m not sure which ones to get. Only product that says “high output” is a $200+ ballast {x3 for the three tier system} You make it seem like it is as simple swapping the bulbs out-my wallet hopes this is the case. Future Abby needs to contact Gardners support line to ask these questions, lazy Abby is lamenting here.
I know I am going to regret this, but I would want to know if it was me and frequently search out pronunciations for new plants, so some part of me keeps believing that others might actually want to know, too. 😀 (not that cerinthe is new, I grew it 20 years ago because I am old now, lol. ) Anyway, Cerinthe is pronounced as 3 syllables, ser-IN-thee. But, the only mispronunciation that really bothers me, like nails on chalkboard, is clematis. 😊. At least I couldn’t care less how you pronounce foliage and ranunculus doesn’t trigger me, either.
I wanted to cry when you cut those poor little flowers tops off. I thought to myself that the roots that are left from the ones you cut off would grow overnight and look strong and beautiful the next morning . You will hear an evil laugh, and it’s from the ones you cut off. They scream at you for cutting them off,but then they make a sad face and tell you they would have made beautiful flowers also. That’s just my brain working overtime. I did cringe when you cut those other little seedlings out, but I know in order to have beautiful flowers, you have to sacrifice other seedlings. On another note, I noticed you have highlights in your hair. I think I like it darker,but hey, I didn’t pay a darn dime on your hair, so you wear it the way you want.