I planted Brussel Sprouts for the first time this year. My plants are big and strong but no sprouts. Any ideas? I planted them this spring.

What’s not to love about a cute little brussel sprout? They are cousins of broccoli and cauliflower, and actually look just like a miniature version of their cabbage cousins. Brussels Sprout recipes began appearing as early as the 16th century, but surely were eaten even earlier than that. They originated from Belgium of course you would figure that by the name. The season for Brussels sprouts is August through March.
When selecting Brussels sprouts, look for small sprouts with tight heads. Small sprouts yield a more tender texture and the tight heads help indicate freshness.
Store your Brussels sprouts unwashed in an airtight container or plastic bag. Keep them in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days. After that, the Brussels sprouts begin to develop a very strong flavor.
Brussels sprouts contain a lot of Vitamins A and C, with some iron.
The best way to cook brussel sprouts is roasting them. Wash and trim the sprouts, removing any discolored leaves and then cut a cross in the base of larger sprouts, approximately 1/4 of the way deep.
Put the brussel sprouts in a roasting pan with three or four of tablespoons of olive oil (or 2 each of olive oil and butter), a couple of thinly sliced garlic cloves, a couple of tablespoons of chopped shallots, and a handful of slivered almonds. Toss it all around a bit with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and then roast them at 350 for about 40 minutes or until tender and fragrant.
Yum!
Brussels sprouts are not the easiest of the brassicas to grow-in part because of their long growing season. Brussels sprouts are categorized as “short” (18-24 inches) and “tall” (24-48 inches). Dates to maturity can range from 75-110 days or more after transplanting—so you can see that they are a long wait to harvest. There are improved varieties that will mature in 90 days or so, but the older varieties will take longer than that, so patience is key with Brussels sprouts.

A few of the lower leaves should be removed in late summer to concentrate the plant’s energy into producing sprouts. Harvest the sprouts when they are 1-1 ½ inches in diameter, start picking at the lower part of the plant first. Sprouts can be harvested well into late fall, as a matter of fact, flavor improves with a light frost or two.
Brussels sprouts need lots of organic matter in the soil and they should be planted at the same time that cabbages and broccoli plants are set out. They need full sun to mature, but they also require lots of soil moisture to compensate for the heat. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer will produce lots of green leaves, but few sprouts so stick with the high P/K fertilizers for sprouts. Brussels sprouts also need lots of room to row-space them a foot and a half or two feet apart. They are very bizarre looking as they grow, so they will definitely be a conversation piece for your vegetable garden.
Sprouts will mature over a long period of time and as the weather starts to cool, natural refrigeration is provided by the cooler nighttime temperatures, allowing the sprouts to remain on the plant for storage. To harvest lots of sprouts at once, top the plant by taking off the growing point and the top few leaves; this will shorten the harvest season of course, but you’ll get lots of sprouts at the same time.

Thank you so much Cindi! I was ready to pull them up! My brother and a friend were done with them too! Guess I will let them know!