When to sow Brussels sprouts in the UK
Brussels sprouts is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Brussels sprouts is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant's timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| East Anglia | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Northern England | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Northern Ireland | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early February to mid April | early March to mid May | late May to late June | early October to late February |
Growing notes
A long-season crop: sow February to April indoors or March to May outdoors, plant out in early summer at a full 60cm each way and pick from October right through winter, starting with the lowest sprouts. Firm soil, mounding up the stem bases in late summer and staking tall varieties all help prevent wind rock.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 60 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 60 cm
- Plants per m²
- 3
- Days to maturity
- 210 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.8 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 40 cm
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- clubroot
- cabbage white caterpillars
- cabbage root fly
- pigeons
- mealy cabbage aphid
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for brussels sprouts.