Brussels Sprouts Lovers of the World, UNITE!

[heykim]

oh MAN! talk about BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRN! I'd say ol mag just put the hardcore sizzle on ya there cher! *L* hysterical!!

*bowing low to the empress that does not rule*

THAT was PRICELESS in the comeback department mag! *L*

[barb keith]

Kim, you said it!!!!!!!!

[Kumus]

Long live brussel sprouts! They shall rise from the dust in a lovely garden somewhere in the Bluegrass state.

Future home of the Bluegrass Brussel Sprouts...

[barb keith]

NICE!!!!!! What a gorgeous garden plot!!!!!!!!! WOWSERS!!!! You should have NO problem growing BS plants there!!!!! Looks like some lovely cabbage heads there. Just be sure and don't grow any BS plants in the same spot as any other crucifer plants you've grown before. I'm not sure if it's 'cuz of chemicals they lay down in the soil, or recurring pests that might emerge or if they suck nitrogen out of the soil. I'll have to research that.

It's about 45 here right now, a little chilly, but I hope to still get out there and do a little prep work. If I do any digging, it's not a bad temp, especially if I have a hot flash. It will feel good to take my coat off. I WAS going to get out there a little while ago, but the kefir shake I was making decided to tip over and splatter ALL over my kitchen floor and stove and cabinets. WHAT a mess!!!! So I had to drop everything and clean it up. ACCKKK!!!!! Luckily only about HALF of it spilled, so I was able to have SOME..........grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Kumus]

Poor Barb!!!

I told DH this morning that it's time to start planning our garden and turning the dirt under.

[eddie150]

Empress, you are certainly a worthy opponent. I guess I'll have to retire the BARBEQUE OF DEATH. But do not worry. We shall come back with a better weapon. So enjoy your sprouts . . . while you still can! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[QueenMama]

I saw Paula Deen's tip for planting tomatoes, and I wonder if it would work for our beloved Brussels sprouts? She took a bale of hay, used a serrated knife to cut out a chunk from the top and put in a little dirt, then the tomato plant, and some more dirt, and watered it good. She said it could sit on the patio. It looked like you could get 2 plants, one in each end. Wonder if it would work for other veggies, especially our lovely little green gems? No tilling, little bending, no weeding, instant mulch at the end of the season. Hmmmmmmm..... might have to try this, if I can find baled hay. Around here all you find are the great big round ones we call the Snuffleupagus, like from Sesame Street. Someone used to decorate one like a turkey at Thanksgiving time. Funny! And they are so big, you could plant an entire field in it, and have to use a ladder to get to the plants.

[barb keith]

Nita, that sounds like a good idea. BUT my garden is so overgrown with crap, it needs a complete overhaul. I think one of my neighbors might have a small rototiller. I had gotten a truckload of dirt a while back (maybe 7 yrs ago or so) and it LOOKED gorgeous, all dark and black. BUT it turned out to be mostly black clay............what a rip off. So I have a couple bales of peat moss in the garage, a few bags of garden soil, stuff like that. So I will be dumping it ALL in there, tilling it in, etc. But first I have to get all the dang crab grass roots out first. What a pain. I'm determined to get out there and do a little at a time whenever the weather allows and I don't have to work. A couple of yrs ago I tried container gardening with tomatoes. It didn't work too well. So, back to the drawing board. My step-son owes us some labor, so we'll collect on that for sure and have him help us. If I can get a crew together, we can make quick work of it.

[barb keith]

Susie, there is a Preen product that is safe to use in gardens. Here's a link to a page for more info. I gotta get me some 'o dat!!!!!

[QueenMama]

Barb, you might look into Earth Boxes. They have a website. My DH uses them for the tomatoes, and they work for other veggies as well. It's a unique system. Of course, nothing's better than a real, tilled up, rows planted garden to look good in the back yard.

[barb keith]

Nita, I've heard of those. I don't know what I'm going to do........but I DO need to get my garden in better shape.

[Maggie]

At the risk of turning this "divine tribute to the mighty sprout" thread into a gardening tips one ...

Barb, may I suggest that you find yourself a truckload of rotten hay. It can usually be gotten free or next to it. Then try the Ruth Stout method of gardening. I have DONE this and it's the easiest way to deal with overgrown garden patches. Here's a book on her method:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/067...Fencoding=UTF8

(better yet, search for Ruth Stout using the site's amazon search function. )

If it's a really weedy patch, lay down several layers of newspring in the paths, covered with "books" of hay. Some weeds WILL come up through the thick mulch into which you plant your vegies, but (because of the nature of the mulch) they come out VERY easily. Also, after several years of doing this, you will be amazed at how wonderful the soil becomes. All with pretty much no work.

(Empress and lazy gardener)

[Kumus]

Ohhh yeah, mulching is the way. That's the way DH does it Maggie, he's had Ruth Stout's book for many years. He has mulch rings/cages that he adds to all fall and winter. Makes short work of gardening. He mulches the garden with grass clippings. Look at the picture and you can see the mulch and clippings.

[barb keith]

Yanno, I've done newsprint and grass clippings, gardening cloth, cardboard (in the paths) you name it. But this particular piece of land is infested with crabgrass, bindweed and thistle. It's a nightmare. ALL of those dang weeds have poked right through the newspaper. It's maddening. I need to clean it out before I do ANYTHING with it. But I will definitely check out the book, Maggie, THANKS!!! I THINK I might still have Lasagna Gardening somewhere in this house. I need to dig up (pun intended) my gardening books.

I'll tell ya what tho, the thought of planting BS has got me stoked and eager to get it done. I figure if I get started now, even tho it's still cold out, and if I work an hour or two each day, I can whack away at it. And besides, it's something I can claim as exercise on the Fauxtato thread!!! LOLOL

I WILL look into a hay source around here. We DO have farms nearby, although they are disappearing fast.

[brandyelf]

Haiku for you:

Tiny brussels sprout
Green perfection on my plate
Do not overcook

Green bud of promise
Coated in butter and cream
Rich scent fills the air

Side dish or main
Gently, tenderly prepared
Tiny bites of heaven

Robin