The Garden by Channan Din
Brussels Sprout Seeds — Roodnerf (Open-Pollinated Heirloom)
Brussels Sprout Seeds — Roodnerf (Open-Pollinated Heirloom)
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One of the last open-pollinated Brussels sprouts left. Brassica oleracea, Gemmifera group, bred in Hurst, England, and kept going because almost every commercial Brussels sprout today is an F1 hybrid you cannot save seed from. Roodnerf you can. Medium to tall plants carrying plump green sprouts of 2.5–4 cm, about 100 days from transplanting.
Growing guide & FAQs
Growing Guide for Pakistan
- Sowing time: Murree, Swat, Quetta and the northern hills: sow February to April, or July to August for an autumn crop. Punjab plains and Islamabad: sow September at the latest — the season is tight.
- Method: Do not direct sow. Start in trays 6 mm deep, four to six weeks before transplanting.
- Germination: Five to seventeen days at 13–24°C.
- Spacing: Transplant 60 cm apart, rows 45–90 cm apart. They need the room and the support.
- Harvest: About 100 days from transplant. Pick from the bottom of the stalk upwards as each sprout firms.
- Sun and water: Full sun, rich soil, steady water. Earth up or stake the stems — tall plants blow over.
Who this is really for
Grow this if you want to save your own Brussels sprout seed or you garden somewhere genuinely cool. Brussels sprouts need a long cold run to form tight sprouts, which the Punjab and Sindh plains do not provide — you will get loose, leafy sprouts rather than firm ones. In Murree, Swat or Quetta it is a reasonable crop.
An honest note on yield
Roodnerf is an old open-pollinated variety, and it behaves like one: an independent university trial found it variable plant to plant, with a good number of undersized sprouts. Its value is its genetics and its flavour, not commercial uniformity. If you want a heavy, even crop, a modern hybrid will beat it.
Cold makes it sweet
Flavour improves markedly after the plant has taken a couple of frosts. Harvest before temperatures drop below about −7°C.
What is in the packet
25 seeds, packed for The Garden by Chanan Din. Bred by Territorial Seed Company, USA and imported for the Pakistani season. Non-GMO. Every lot is germination-tested in Lahore before it goes on sale.
New to seed starting? Read what to sow in September in Pakistan and why your seeds are not germinating first.
Germination-tested in Lahore before it reaches you, from a seed house trading since 1932.
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