Hybrid

Gladius

Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera

Wikimedia Commons

Blue-green sprouts are uniform in size and color and hold well on their stalks. Plants resist lodging. Medium-small sprouts. For early and mid-fall harvest.

Harvest

98d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun to partial shade

☀️

Zones

6–9

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

10-24 inches

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Harvest

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for Gladius in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 brassica →

Zone Map

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Gladius · Zones 6–9

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing18-24 inches

SoilWell-drained loam rich in organic matter, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0-7.5)

WaterRegular, consistent moisture (1.5-2 inches weekly); intolerant of drought

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorClassic Brussels sprout flavor with slight sweetness and mild cabbage undertones; nutty when roasted; sweetened further by frost exposure

ColorBlue-green

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 1	April – May	June – July	June – July	September – September
Zone 2	April – May	June – July	May – July	August – September
Zone 11	January – January	January – February	January – February	March – December
Zone 12	January – January	January – February	January – February	March – December
Zone 13	January – January	January – February	January – February	March – December
Zone 3	March – April	May – June	May – June	August – October
Zone 4	March – April	May – June	April – June	August – October
Zone 5	February – March	April – May	April – May	July – November
Zone 6	February – March	April – May	April – May	July – November
Zone 7	February – March	April – May	March – May	June – November
Zone 8	January – February	March – April	March – April	June – December
Zone 9	January – January	February – March	February – March	May – December
Zone 10	January – January	February – March	January – March	April – December

Succession Planting

Gladius takes 98 days from transplant, so you're not succession planting the way you would a cut-and-come-again crop — each plant gives one harvest run. What you can do is stagger your start dates: sow a first round indoors in late February, transplant in April, then sow a second round in mid-March to transplant in early May. That spreads your harvest window from roughly September into November rather than everything coming in at once.

Don't push transplants out past mid-May in zone 7. Sprouts still sizing up when daytime highs hit 85–90°F tend to stall, and the buttons stay loose and leafy rather than tightening up. A light frost in October actually improves flavor — cold converts starches to sugars — so the fall end of that window is where Gladius does its best work.

Complete Growing Guide

Blue-green sprouts are uniform in size and color and hold well on their stalks. Plants resist lodging. Medium-small sprouts. For early and mid-fall harvest. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Gladius is 98 days to maturity, annual, hybrid (f1).

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed, Stem Cutting. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Gladius reaches harvest at 98 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

The fruits dry and split when ripe.

Color: Brown/Copper, Green. Type: Siliqua. Length: > 3 inches.

Garden value: Edible

Harvest time: Fall, Summer

Edibility: The foliage is edible raw or cooked but when cooked can emit an unpleasant odor.

Storage & Preservation

# Storage and Preservation

Store freshly harvested Gladius sprouts in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator's crisper drawer at 32–40°F with humidity around 95 percent. They'll keep for up to two weeks when handled gently, as loose sprouts bruise easily and deteriorate faster than intact stalks. For longer storage, freeze blanched sprouts in ice-water baths for three minutes, then spread on trays before bagging—they'll maintain quality for eight months. Fermentation works exceptionally well with this variety; pack whole small sprouts in a 3-percent salt brine and let sit at room temperature for one to three weeks for a tangy, probiotic preserve. Many gardeners also find Gladius responds well to quick freezing on the stalk, then stripping individual sprouts once solid, which prevents premature oxidation better than blanching alone.

History & Origin

Gladius is an F1 hybrid developed through controlled cross-pollination. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: W. Europe

Advantages

+Blue-green color and uniform size create visually appealing, marketable sprouts
+Sprouts hold exceptionally well on stalks, reducing harvest losses and waste
+Plants resist lodging, making them reliable for windy or exposed locations
+Easy difficulty rating makes Gladius suitable for beginner and experienced growers
+98-day maturity fits early and mid-fall harvest windows perfectly

Considerations

-Medium-small sprout size may yield lower total weight per plant than larger varieties
-Early and mid-fall timing limits planting flexibility for year-round production
-Blue-green varieties can be more prone to certain fungal diseases in humid conditions

Companion Plants

Nasturtiums and marigolds are the two companions worth prioritizing. Nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids — colonies pile onto them and stay off your sprouts. French marigolds (Tagetes patula) have a well-documented track record against soil nematodes, and NC State Extension specifically recommends a solid planting of them in beds with nematode history before returning susceptible crops. Dill draws in parasitic wasps that go after cabbage worms; let it flower and you'll see the beneficials working within a few days. Onions at the bed's edge confuse cabbage moths with their scent. Lettuce and spinach fill the 6–8 inches of bare ground between sprouts without any real competition — Brussels sprouts root deep while those two stay shallow.

Tomatoes are the companion to cut from the plan entirely. In our zone 7 Georgia gardens, both crops go in around the same window and compete directly for the 1.5–2 inches of weekly water Gladius needs; beyond that, tomatoes are reported to inhibit brassica growth through root-zone chemistry. Pole beans fix nitrogen, which sounds useful, but excess nitrogen in the soil pushes leafy top growth while the sprout buttons stay loose and fail to button up tight — skip them in this bed.

Plant Together

Nasturtium

Acts as trap crop for flea beetles and aphids, protecting brassicas

Marigold

Repels cabbage worms, aphids, and other brassica pests with strong scent

Dill

Attracts beneficial wasps that parasitize cabbage worms and aphids

Onions

Repel cabbage root flies and aphids with sulfur compounds

Lettuce

Provides ground cover and efficient space use without competing for nutrients

Spinach

Compatible growth habits and helps maximize garden space efficiently

Carrots

Different root depths prevent competition and carrots loosen soil for brassicas

Celery

Repels cabbage white butterflies and other brassica pests naturally

Keep Apart

Tomatoes

Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt brassica growth

Strawberries

Brassicas can inhibit strawberry growth and fruit production

Pole Beans

Can shade brassicas excessively and compete for root space

Nutrition Facts

Calories

31kcal(2%)

Protein

2.57g(5%)

Fiber

2.4g(9%)

Carbs

6.27g(2%)

Fat

0.34g(0%)

Vitamin C

91.3mg(101%)

Vitamin A

8mcg(1%)

Vitamin K

102mcg(85%)

Iron

0.69mg(4%)

Calcium

46mg(4%)

Potassium

303mg(6%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #747447)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Common Pests

Cabbage worms, flea beetles, aphids

Diseases

Clubroot, powdery mildew, downy mildew

Troubleshooting Gladius

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Ragged holes in leaves, starting on seedlings or young transplants, with tiny dark beetles visible on the foliage

Likely Causes

Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) — worst on transplants under stress in cool, dry spells
Plants too small to outpace the feeding damage

What to Do

1.Cover transplants immediately with row cover (Reemay or similar) at planting and leave it on for the first 3–4 weeks
2.Side-dress with a balanced fertilizer to push fast early growth — a plant that sizes up quickly shrugs off flea beetle damage better than a stunted one
3.If beetles are heavy, apply spinosad-based spray in the evening to avoid harming beneficials

Leaves skeletonized or riddled with large irregular holes; green caterpillars visible on the undersides, or frass (dark pellets) scattered across leaves

Likely Causes

Imported cabbageworm (Pieris rapae) — larvae of the white butterfly you see fluttering around the bed
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) — loopers arch their back as they crawl

What to Do

1.Spray Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Bt-k) directly on affected leaves; repeat every 5–7 days and after rain
2.Hand-pick any caterpillars you can see — check undersides of leaves at your 18-inch spacing every few days
3.Float row cover over transplants until they're well established to block egg-laying butterflies

Stunted, yellowing plants that wilt at midday even with adequate water; roots pulled up show swollen, distorted galls instead of clean white tissue

Likely Causes

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) — a soil-borne pathogen that persists for 10–20 years in infected ground
Acidic soil below pH 6.5 favors the pathogen significantly

What to Do

1.Lime the bed to raise soil pH to 7.0–7.2 before planting; clubroot is far less aggressive in near-neutral soil
2.Pull and bag infected plants — do not compost them, and wash your tools before moving to another bed
3.Rotate brassicas on a minimum 4-year cycle; don't put Gladius or any Brussels sprout back in a bed that grew brassicas within the last four seasons

Gray-purple fuzzy coating on the undersides of leaves; upper surfaces show yellow angular patches blocked in by leaf veins

Likely Causes

Downy mildew (Peronospora parasitica) — spreads fast in cool, wet weather; NC State Extension notes it shows up at different times and locations each season, making it worth monitoring closely
Dense planting that traps humid air around the foliage

What to Do

1.Space plants at the full 18–24 inches and keep irrigation off the foliage — drip line or soaker hose at the base
2.Strip and bag infected leaves at first sign; don't leave them on the soil surface
3.Apply a copper-based fungicide as a protectant during prolonged cool, wet stretches in fall — Gladius matures into October and November, right when conditions favor this disease

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Gladius Brussels sprout take to grow?▼

Gladius matures in 98 days from transplanting, or approximately 120-130 days from seed. For a fall harvest, sow indoors in late May or early June (in northern zones) or direct sow 8-10 weeks before your first frost date. The variety is specifically bred for early and mid-fall harvest windows, when cooler temperatures improve flavor and sprout quality.

Is Gladius good for beginning gardeners?▼

Yes. Gladius is a hybrid, which means it's naturally vigorous and disease-resistant. Its strong stalk rarely needs staking, and it produces uniform sprouts that mature over an extended period, reducing harvest timing pressure. The main requirement is consistent moisture and regular feeding—not difficult for attentive beginners. Its ease rating reflects its reliability.

Can you grow Gladius Brussels sprouts in containers?▼

Yes, with limitations. Use a 5-gallon container minimum per plant with excellent drainage. Containers dry faster than garden soil, requiring daily watering in hot weather—a challenge since Brussels sprouts demand consistent moisture for quality sprouts. In-ground or raised-bed cultivation is preferable, but containers work if you commit to vigilant watering and fertilizing.

What makes Gladius different from other Brussels sprout varieties?▼

Gladius excels in lodging resistance, holding upright even in wind or heavy soil where other varieties topple. Its hybrid genetics deliver faster, more uniform growth and superior stalk strength. Sprouts hold exceptionally well without yellowing or dropping prematurely. These traits make it ideal for home gardeners wanting reliable, hands-off productivity.

When should I plant Gladius for a fall harvest?▼

Count back 98 days from your first expected frost date and transplant seedlings on that date, or sow indoors 4-6 weeks earlier. In USDA zones 5-7, this typically means starting seeds indoors in late May through early June and transplanting by early July. Fall planting ensures sprouts mature as temperatures cool, concentrating sugars and flavor.

What do Gladius Brussels sprouts taste like?▼

Gladius offers the classic Brussels sprout profile: slightly sweet with mild cabbage undertones and a firm, nutty bite when roasted. Exposure to fall frost further sweetens the sprouts by converting starches to sugars. The medium-small size means rapid cooking and less bitterness than larger-sprouted varieties.