How to Grow Brussels Sprouts Upside Down

Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea) are homegrown vegetables with special appeal. They grow in a tower of little cabbagelike forms and are slow-growing, cool-season vegetables. Sow Brussels sprouts outdoors in May for an early to late fall harvest. Sow them directly in late summer for an early spring crop in mild climates, such as the Pacific Northwest. Sow transplanted starts indoors or a sheltered location four to five weeks before setting out. Brussels sprouts grow as easily as their cabbage cousins but take up to 100 days to harvest.

Brussels sprout starts
5-gallon bucket
Utility knife
Hammer
Nail
Drill
4 S-hooks
Wire
Wire snips
Newspaper
Potting soil
Compost
Marigolds
Eyehooks
Water
Seaweed fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a 2-inch hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. Punch four additional holes for drainage spaced randomly across the base's surface. Use a hammer and nail for this.
- 2
  Line the inside of the bucket with newspapers around the hole. This keeps the transplant from falling out until it establishes.
- 3
  Drill two holes through the bucket's upper sides. Insert the S-hooks. Cut enough wire for forming hangers for the planters, and wrap the end around the S hook. Twist it at least three times to secure it. Attach another S-hook to the end of each wire, securing it by twisting securely.
- 4
  Remove the transplant from its nursery pot and brush off the soil. Insert the roots through the bucket's bottom. Fill the inside with a mixture of half potting soil and half compost.
- 5
  Plant marigolds on the top of the soil at the top of the bucket. This will cover the surface and help conserve moisture and add some elegance to the plastic bucket.
- 6
  Plant marigolds in the soil on the bucket's top. This covers the surface and helps conserve moisture while adding elegance to the plastic bucket.
- 7
  Removing leaves from the plant's bottom as soon as you see them forming encourages the sprouts. Take off two leaves per week from the bottom as the plants mature.
- 8
  Pick off the sprouts when they are 2 inches in diameter. The sprouts mature in several weeks, giving you a weekly harvest.

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