Viewing post #2447253 by ElPolloDiablo

PoconoPotatoes said:My experience growing Brussels last year from seed was poor (Catskill variety). Started from seed, late; maybe mid-April, and they never developed fast enough for our weather. By October they'd barely started growing any budding sprouts ... I had bought a few plants, seeing how slowly they were growing, and the plants did better, but caterpillars infested them and I got a pathetic harvest of tiny ones.

Trying again this year, started last week, and will be using DE and a hoop tunnel to try to keep the pests at bay.

Use BTA (Bacillus thuringiensis var aizawai) against Cabbage white caterpillars and collars against slugs and cabbage flies. A hoop tunnel is no deterrent against either.
Also remember Brassica sp are extremely heavy feeders. For a good harvest you'll need a lot of fertilizer: nitrogen rich during the first couple of months to promote leaf growth and then potassium and phosphorous to improve taste. I bet your sprouts struggled due to lack of nitrogen in the soil.