Danish Ballhead Cabbage

HEIRLOOM 1887 A late fall and storage variety with medium-size heads of blue-green. It is an exceptionally good keeper with a pleasing flavor and texture. This variety was introduced by Burpee and remains a standard storage favorite today. 90 days.

• Days to Harvest: 150 Days (Winter)

Description

Solid, sweet, crisp heads, ideal for winter salads. High yielding and very hardy and can be picked right through winter. Considered in trials to be the outstanding variety of the decade.

Sowing Instructions

Sowing time:	spring.
Sowing depth:	12mm (½in) deep in rows 23cm (9in) apart.

Sow outdoors in a well prepared seed bed in or alternatively, in a greenhouse or frame. Sow thinly. If the soil is dry, water well and allow to drain before sowing.

Growing Instructions

Transplant at 5-6 leaf stage allowing 60cm (24in) between plants. The soil should be firm and contain plenty of well rotted compost, preferably from a previous crop, and should always be well limed. Just before planting, rake 3oz/sq yd of balanced fertiliser.

Aftercare Instructions

Hoe occasionally and water if the weather is dry. Harvest in very late winter

Oliver Brussels Sprouts

Brassica oleracea (gemmifera group) The earliest Brussels sprouts. The flavorful, medium-green, smooth sprouts are large and mature remarkably early. A vigorous, easy-to-grow variety for diverse climates. The seeds can be sown as late as early summer and still mature a crop. Mini: 80 seeds. Days to Maturity or Bloom: 90 Growing Information: CULTURE: The most delicious Brussels sprouts grow in irrigated, fertile soil, and are harvested after frosts. The soil pH should be above 6.0. TRANSPLANTING: In May, sow thinly (3-4 seeds/in.) in flats, in 1 1/2"-cell containers, or in outdoor beds. Transplant in 4-6 weeks, 18-24" between plants. DIRECT SEEDING: About 4 months before expected fall frost, sow 3 seeds every 18", 1/4- 1/2" deep, rows 30" apart; thin to 1 plant. DISEASES and INSECT PESTS: See "Cabbage." HARVEST: After frost and until Christmas in most areas, and through the winter where cold is not severe. Pick when sprouts are firm and well formed. Break off the leaf below the sprout and snap off the sprout. The upper sprouts continue to form and enlarge as the lower ones are harvested. WHOLE-STEM HARVESTING, MARKETING, And TOPPING: For a once-over harvest (uniform maturity of most sprouts on the plant) and whole-stem marketing, the plants should be topped: pinch out the growing point (rosette of several small leaves at the top of the plant) when the lower sprouts are 1/2- 3/4" in diameter. A full stem of uniform-size sprouts will develop in about 4 weeks. STORAGE: Before ground freezes, pull plants out by the roots and place in a humid cooler at 32°F (0°C) or cold cellar for 4-6 weeks. DAYS TO MATURITY: From transplanting; add about 20 days for direct seeding.