At long last I harvested my Brussels sprouts! Last year, the cabbage worms on the cauliflower & Brussels sprouts were SO BAD I didn’t dare even try them. Of course, I had planted them together in the same plot, so the bugs thought I had set out a feast just for them!
It was my first garden, so I knew nothing about companion planting or planting crops that attract the same pests away from each other.
This year, I wised up (a little) and planted cauliflower at one end of the garden, and the Brussels sprouts about 2/3 of the way to the other end, about 20 feet away.
It worked for the most part. Of 4, we enjoyed 1 cauliflower. We brought a second cauliflower head to friends’ with the plan to roast it for dinner but we got lazy and ordered a pizza. Good thing, because a couple of days later when I took out the cauliflower to roast at home, it was FILLED with cabbage worms!
At first, after finding a few, I thought if I cut it into florets instead of roasting it whole, I could wash out the worms. No. Just no. They were living EVERYwhere and no doubt pooping everywhere too and it just became too unappetizing, to say the least.
I dumped the lot and, in frustration, started pulling the remaining 2 heads from the garden when I stopped. What if I left the remaining cauliflower for the bugs to feast on and just protect the Brussels sprouts?
I’d heard other home gardeners talk about allowing the bugs to enjoy their “volunteer plants” so they’d leave their purposely planted crops alone. So the cauliflower became volunteers to be devoured by the nasty little green worms I didn’t want on the Brussels sprouts.
I continued to spray the sprouts with organic, food-safe bug repellent and just watched the little things crawl over the overripe cauliflower. A few would still appear occasionally on the Brussels sprouts, but nothing my Crocs couldn’t handle squishing.
Fast forward to early November: we’ve had at least 3 hard frosts and sprinklings of snow. Temps have dropped below freezing a handful of times not. I’d heard if you wait through a couple of frosts before harvesting your Brussels sprouts, they’d be sweeter.
I hacked off the thick stems about a foot from the ground, since those sprouts were the ones that grew during the buggy period; their leaves were opening too, and it’s said that’s when they start turning bitter.
The stalk was pretty thick, at least as thick as my wrist. The sprouts weren’t too big, maybe an inch across on average, but there were quite a few. All the dead leaves got pulled off and left in the firepit, then I gave each stalk a good shake to get rid of any bigger bugs or other undesirables before bringing them inside.
It’s funny how having a frame of reference makes such a difference. What looked like 2 just decently tall plants in my 16’ x 30’ garden all but swallowed my 2-1/2’ x 3-1/2’ island – and this was only the top 2/3 of each plant!
Using a medium sized knife and working one side at a time, I cut off the leaves close to the stalk, up to where the sprouts were too small to bother with before starting to cut off the good sprouts.
They’re held on surprisingly well, with a short but thick little stem! The method that worked best for me was to rock the blade of the knife against the stem a few times, under the sprout, until it sliced through to the other side.
TBH, it was not an easy task, if I discover a better “trick” to cutting off the sprouts next year, I will for sure share it! I also hope to harvest throughout the season next year, cutting ripe sprouts from the bottom of the plant, letting the top ones grow even bigger. That experience will be shared then lol
I was still a little “bugged out” about the possibility of finding bugs & bug excrement in my dinner, though, so I soaked the sprouts in 1:1 vinegar & water for about ½ hour to get everything out, then rinsed till the cows came home!
I was a little worried I had waited too long and these guys were over ripe, but there were very few open leaves and I hardly had to clean anything off of them.
I like to eat simply, not too many ingredients covering up the actual taste of the veggies, so I just steamed these babies up.
While the sprouts steamed, I cooked some vegan smoked paprika sausages in avocado oil in my favourite cast iron pan, removed them when they were ready, then added a bit more avocado oil, salt & pepper, and a few whole garlic cloves and sautéed the sprouts. Simple and OMG SO GOOD!
2026 will definitely be a year with more Brussels sprouts on the table!
Here are my tips for enjoying Brussels sprouts from your garden to table:
- Plant AWAY from veggies that attract similar pests (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower)
- Other plants to avoid planting nearby: tomatoes (compete for nutrients), pole beans (create too much shade), potatoes (nutrient competitors + spread disease that affects sprouts), melons (outcompete for space, sunlight & water), mustard greens (attract unwanted pests)
- Use a cage to keep the plant upright (a medium-large tomato cage is perfect)
- To prevent unwanted pests, net the plant early in the season and inspect regularly. When netting, secure well to the ground or bury the bottom in dirt and keep in mind the plant can grow up to 4’ tall. Check under the net regularly for bugs, remove dead leaves & adjust when needed to harvest.
- Harvest with a sharp knife when sprouts are at least 1 to 1-1/2” across, but before too many leaves open. (A couple open a bit on the outside is OK, but too many open leaves may make them taste bitter.)
- Harvest into November after a few frosts – if there are sprouts there, have at ‘em!
- Simple prep is best! These little gems are so flavourful, you can just steam them and pop them right in your mouth! An easy add-in to your pan-cooked dishes or sauté them by themselves with some garlic & salt.
Not sure if Brussels sprouts would fare well in the freezer… If next year’s harvest is more than our plates can handle, I’ll let you know how it goes!
Happy harvesting!
⭐❤️
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