Hardy veg

[Birdie Wife]

Hi everyone,

I've just joined the 'Vine, and I'll love to hear from anyone who can recommend some particularly hardy, yet tasty varieties, suitable for my location! I've got japanese onions, garlic, leeks, outdoor toms, kale, purple sprouting broccoli, broad beans, peas and tatties.

Can't wait for the ground to warm up so I can get started! Well, at, thaw out...

Cheers

[Jaxom]

Welcome to the Vine Birdie Wife. We have Grapes who live the length and breath of the UK. Some of the Grapes have years of experience and I am sure they will soon suggest some hardy vegetables for you to try. I am rather new to growing vegetables as well so will also be watching this spot to see what others advise.
Jax

[sandersj89]

I would definately add cabbage such as January King or Tundra to your list, they stand very well even in hard weather. Same with sprouts and a frost improoves their flavour.

Speaking of frosts Parsnips would be worth a look at as well.

I notice you have not included carrots, I would try some and maincrop can be lifted and stored before the worst of the weather arrives. Same with parsnips too.

You may need a little protection from cloche or fleece to get things going though.

HTH

Jerry

[andrewo]

Not hardy but well worth the taste, blauhilde climbing french beans (lovely in nicoise salad or paella) and the potatoes, pink fur apple or anya.

[sewer rat]

Hi Birdie Wife & welcome to the 'Vine.
I'm not quite as far north as you but here in Easter Ross, most things will grow quite happily. What is your main difficulty is it the cold or is it the wind ?
Do you grow all your veg in the open or do you have a polytunnel or greenhouse ? Glad you've joined us - now there is someone in between me and Jennie on Shetland.
Rat

[JennieAtkinson]

Welcome from another member in the snowy north!

There are lots of varieties of french beans to try - dwarf and climbing, although I found I had more success outside with dwarf ones. (The climbers poke their heads up too high and get blasted with wind and cold!)

[Lesley Jay]

Jerry I grew Tundra cabbage last year and although they were a nice big cabbage they couldn't stand the severe winter weather that we have just had. I will try them again this year and hopefully (fingers crossed) we will not get such a bad winter.

[JennieAtkinson]

If they struggle in Cheshire, I don't hold out much hope for them up here Lesley! But would be interesting to see how you get on.

Your severe weather - does that include hefty frosts? At least we don't get really low temperatures, being so close to the sea. I think the coldest we have been is -3 this winter, but someone said today the wind chill put the temperature at -18, certainly felt like it!

[Nicos]

well named then LJ?...I'd ask for a refund

[Lesley Jay]

They grew great all through the summer and autumn and we were looking forward to cabbage freshly picked all winter but the winter weather saw them off. Maybe they might have survived a bit of frost but the freezing weather stayed for weeks. It must have been -7 to -9 and the green house went down below freezing with the heater on. But I will try them again.

[Jaxom]

Maybe they might have survived a bit of frost but the freezing weather stayed for weeks. It must have been -7 to -9 and the green house went down below freezing with the heater on. But I will try them again.

Lesley, it sounds as though you are in a frost pocket? Here in Cardiff we have had little in the way of frost or snow. Rain in October and November was our biggest problem. Our lawns turned to so much mush that a lot of the grass died off. Large parts of the lawns will need new seed in a month or so.
Jax

[Lesley Jay]

We might be in a frost pocket but I know we are definately in a rain pocket!

[sandersj89]

Tundra stould well for us this year, better than Jan King but part of the reason is that Jan King seems a bit more prone to Club Root which both my plots have unfortunately!

Jerry

[Lesley Jay]

Jerry the picture of Tundra in the seed catalogue shows it standing in snow so it must be a good winter cabbage and like I said I will be growing it again this year. It must just be the really bad winter that we had. The weather forecasters did say it was the worst winter for a decade.

[JennieAtkinson]

Has anyone tried winter cabbages in the polytunnel?