Harvest
When to pick Brussels sprouts
The short answer
Pick Brussels sprouts when they are the size of a walnut, firm and still tightly closed, starting with the lowest on the stem. Early varieties are ready from autumn and the main crop through winter. The flavour is sweeter once they have been frosted.
Sprouts ripen from the bottom of the stem upwards, so a plant is picked over weeks, not in one go. Mid and late varieties are the ones for Christmas.
When it's ready in the UK
RHS says early varieties crop from autumn and the main season runs through winter. Choose mid- to late-season varieties for harvesting at Christmas and beyond. Vercro's catalogue gives October to February.
| Window | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels sprouts: sow indoorsMarch to April | January: no | February: no | March: yes | April: yes | May: no | June: no | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Brussels sprouts: plant outMay to June | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: yes | June: yes | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Brussels sprouts: harvestOctober to February | January: yes | February: yes | March: no | April: no | May: no | June: no | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: yes | November: yes | December: yes |
Months from Vercro's crop catalogue, the data the Vercro app plans with. It allows about 14 to 19 weeks from sowing to the first harvest. Weather, variety and where you garden move every one of these.
60 UK gardeners had recorded brussels sprout in Vercro by 19 September 2026. What Vercro gardens are growing.
How to tell it's ready
- The size of a walnut, firm and tightly closed.(RHS)
- Garden Organic: about 3cm across and tightly closed.(Garden Organic)
How to harvest
- Start with the lowest sprouts and work up the stem over the following weeks.(RHS)
- Snap each one off with a sharp downward tug.(RHS)
- Or cut the whole stem and hang it up in a cool, frost-free garage or shed.(RHS)
- When the sprouts are finished, pick the tops. The mild young leaves cook like spring greens.(RHS)
What moves the date
If you leave it too long
- Sprouts opening or turning yellow are past their best. Pick before that.(RHS)
After picking
- A cut stem hung in a cool, frost-free shed keeps the sprouts on it.(RHS)
Where the sources differ
Two good sources, two answers. We show both rather than picking the convenient one.
| Question | RHS | Garden Organic |
|---|---|---|
| Size to pick | The size of a walnut. | 3cm across. |
Keep a record of what each bed gave
Log what you pick, and how much, bed by bed. Vercro keeps the record, so next year you know what worked where, and Today shows what your crops need next.
Keep going
Where this comes from
Crop windows, growing times and plant families come from Vercro's own curated crop catalogue, the same data the Vercro app uses. Where a published source says something different, we show both rather than choosing the convenient one. Reviewed 19 September 2026.
- How to grow Brussels sprouts, Royal Horticultural Society. Read 19 September 2026.
- Brussels sprouts, Garden Organic. Read 19 September 2026.