Each stalk can bear 50-100 dark-green sprouts over an extended period. Compact plants produce sturdy spikes with edible florets that mature from the bottom up and take on sweeter flavor after a light frost.
Toward the end of the growing season, cut off the top 4-6 inches of the plant to force the energy into the existing sprouts; the remaining sprouts should mature in 3-6 weeks. Introduced in the 1890s, this historic variety was once the most important commercial sprout in the United States.