Dear Helen: My Brussels sprouts show no signs yet of swelling into plump rounds fit for harvesting. They remain tiny buttons, on otherwise healthy plants. I鈥檓 wondering what I did wrong.
D.C.
Pinching out or cutting off the top tuft of leaves early in the fall prompts sprout development. That 鈥渢op knot鈥� is a delicious vegetable, steamed lightly and served with butter.
Other factors that contribute to satisfactory sprout development are the timing of the planting and variety choice. It is commonly recommended in our climate to start the seeds indoors mid-May to early June and transplant in August. Or, plant purchased transplants as soon as they are available in August.
Because individual home garden conditions can vary considerably, a little experimenting with the timing can be useful to find the best planting 鈥渨indow鈥� for your garden. In my forest-surrounded vegetable plots, a seeding and transplanting made two to three weeks earlier than recommended works well.
It鈥檚 worthwhile growing more than one variety, if possible. Grow the better (or best) one(s) the following year and add a new one to听try. That鈥檚 a sure path to finding varieties that grow and produce most satisfactorily in your garden鈥檚 conditions.
This year, the star of my Brussels sprouts show is Nautic (West Coast Seeds). The catalogue description is entirely accurate: 鈥淭he best tasting sprouts we鈥檝e tried in years. Succulent, tender, and useful as whole sprouts or听as听separated leaves.鈥�
At my latest picking, I cleaned and halved the sprouts, and saut茅d them briefly in butter. When they were nicely browned, my freshly picked sprouts were already tender. Larger, or whole, sprouts may need a little liquid (vegetable or chicken broth) added and a cover placed over them to complete the cooking.
I chose to sprinkle a little sweet balsamic vinegar flavoured with orange and star anise into the pan before stirring and serving the sprouts. Sometimes I toss sliced almonds into the pan to brown along with the sprouts.
听
Dear Helen: A Christmas cactus I鈥檝e had for a few years in a corner of my house entryway has never flowered, and it seems rather limp. How much light and water do these plants need? What can I do to help it bloom?
A.C.
Keep the plant cool, ideally at around 13 C, in bright winter light, and minimally watered for now. Water infrequently until April, when the plant鈥檚 soil can be kept modestly moist. If possible, set it outdoors in a shaded spot for the summer.
During the pre-blooming period from mid-September to听mid-November, keep the soil on the dry side and the temperatures cool, in a site with no artificial light at night. Short days, cool temperatures and slightly dry conditions trigger bud formation. When buds appear, watering can be increased. As flowering begins, water normally and maintain cool temperatures.
After the flowering period, in January, the plant needs to go into a 鈥渞esting鈥� time with infrequent watering and cool conditions. This resting period, together with outdoor time in summer, helps to set the plant up for flowering again close to the end of the year.
听
Dear Helen: I am looking for a strawberry that will make good jam. I鈥檝e had poor luck with jam made from purchased berries. My aim is to establish a plot of 100 plants. My preference is for an heirloom variety. D.S.
You may wish to experiment with several varieties, to听find out which ones give the results you desire in your garden鈥檚 conditions.
First, decide whether you want 鈥渆verbearing鈥� varieties, which yield berries from June into September, June-bearing varieties, or a mixture of both. Strawberries are sold in packages of 10 or 25 plants. That gives you good scope for trying out a few varieties.
I grow Totem, an older June-bearing strawberry developed in the 1970s. Its flavour is exquisite. Totem is known for its excellent processing qualities, that is for retaining good colour and flavour when cooked. I freeze extra berries, sliced, in tubs, with just a听light sprinkling of sugar, and make jam with the frozen berries. Cooked with a little fresh lemon juice and minimal sugar, the frozen berries make a superb jam, attractive in colour and full of flavour.