Crop type: Brussels Sprouts
Brassica oleracea (Gemmifera Group) ‘Cascade’
Common name: Brussels sprout ‘Cascade’
Crop slug: brussels-sprouts
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Cascade’ is a hardy annual Brussels sprout with an RHS Award of Garden Merit. Its upright stems carry firm, dark-green buttons that can be harvested from November through February. The crop has a long standing period, so mature sprouts can remain in good condition on the plant during the main winter picking season.
The profile highlights its ability to withstand exposed sites throughout the UK. This makes ‘Cascade’ a useful option where winter winds and open conditions rule out less robust cultivars, although firm planting remains important.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.5–1 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
These are the dimensions recorded in the live cultivar profile. Its description also characterises the crop as producing buttons on tall stems, so growers should retain the generous spacing and support normally given to upright Brussels sprouts.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam and sand
- Moisture
- Well-drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral or alkaline
Prepare fertile, non-acid ground that drains freely. Firm soil gives the upright crop a stable root run, while organic matter helps sustain steady growth without leaving the roots waterlogged.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- West- or south-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed or sheltered
- Hardiness
- H5 — hardy through most UK winters and specifically described as suitable for exposed sites throughout the UK
Full sun supports firm sprout development. Unlike many tall brassicas, the live profile accepts both exposed and sheltered positions, although staking and earthing up remain useful where wind rocks the stems.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Stem | Flowers | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | — | — | — | — |
| Summer | Green | — | — | — |
| Autumn | Green | — | — | — |
| Winter | Green | — | — | — |
The profile records green stems from summer through winter. Its firm edible buttons are described as dark green, but no seasonal fruit colour is assigned. An em dash indicates that the live table supplies no colour for that field and season.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Brassica includes annual, biennial and perennial plants, most with an upright habit, alternate and often glaucous leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped yellow or white flowers. Many members have been bred as food crops, including cabbages, turnips, mustards and oilseed rape.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow ‘Cascade’ in fertile, moist but well-drained, non-acid soil in full sun. Sow indoors from February, or sow directly outdoors in March at a depth of 1cm with 30cm between seed rows. Transplant or thin plants to their final generous spacing so light and air can reach the stems.
Propagation
Propagate by seed, either started indoors or sown outdoors.
Pruning
No pruning is required. Ageing lower leaves may be removed as the buttons are harvested.
Pests
Potential pests include birds, cabbage caterpillars, cabbage gall weevil, cabbage root fly, cabbage stem flea beetle, cabbage whitefly, cutworms, flea beetles, mealy cabbage aphid, slugs, snails and swede midge. Secure fine mesh helps exclude several of these threats.
Diseases
The profile lists possible susceptibility to black rot, clubroot, downy mildew, foot and root rot, leaf spot and white blister. Use crop rotation, well-drained ground, suitable soil pH and good spacing to reduce disease pressure.