What can I sow now?

[everdream78]

Just wondering if there's anything I could be planting now for an early crop next spring? Seems a shame to leave most of the plot empty

[Flummery]

You can plant an over-wintering garlic now and I don't think you're too late for japanese onions either. In November you could give broad bean aquadulce claudia a go. In a decent year most will get through and they'll give you a crop a few weeks earlier than spring sown ones. You could also try some daffs and cut yourself some bunches of flowers in spring!

[everdream78]

Thanks for that Flummery - should I start the broad beans off in the mini-greenhouse or just straight into the ground?

[Dobby]

Someone on our plot has started his broad bean of you could try spring cabbadge
Im going to start my broads of in a cold green house, that way the rabbits and mice dont get them first

[lainey lou]

How's about prepping up a fruit bed, gonna be putting in some rhubarb, rasps, goosegogs and currents myself.

[Flummery]

As Dobby says, it depends on you growing conditions as to whether you start broadies out under cover. They're pretty tough and not having his rabbit problems, I just bung them in the ground.

[Cutecumber]

Remember to think about what you will be sowing or planting in that place in the spring or summer. Many of the crops you could sow now would still be in place in early to mid spring, so you need to co-ordinate the timing carefully. Over-wintering crops are sometimes not finished until April or May - check your varieties.

If you have loads of beds, this is not a problem, of course - you can be wildly reckless!

[Skotch]

Hi everdream

Last weekend we sowed Winter Tares onto a number of beds on the Lottie as a green manure. Hopefully, they will germinate before it gets too cold and then we can cut them down and dig them in ready to plant on a few weeks afterwards.

Skotch

[rustylady]

Always germinate my beans (broad, french and runner) in the cold greenhouse in cells - lose most of them if I sow direct on the lottie. Mice, birds etc seem to see them as a free takeaway (I'm sure they sit and watch me sow them and think to themselves "Hey here comes supper")

[bubblewrap]

Sowed broad beans & beat spinach couple of weeks or so ago in mini greenhouse
The broad beans are nearly ready for planting out.
the spinach will be ready for planting in about two weeks
I did my broad beans at the same time last year & started harvesting in May