over wintering

[Reks]

Hi All,
I was working on a plan for autumn and winter as this is my 1st year with an allotment. I heard about over wintering. Is it just growing plants under a cloche to extend their growing season?

I have 2 cloches I bought this year and was wondering what I could grow underneath it. Can I grow Broadbeans, onions, garlic, spinach? Would these be planted in October (I live in Reading). What do fellow allotmenters do for winter, how soon do you plan to start getting ready.

Also do I need special autum varieties or can I sow normal varities. And what can be grown without cloches - autumn/winter cabbage or should it be spring cabbages and caulis?

[Two_Sheds]

I don't use cloches, cos they just get blown away.

I have kale, sprouts, all the usual winter brassicas outside over winter. Also broadbeans, winter lettuce (Rusty I like best)
Chard can sit outside (it's better than spinach, but eaten in a similar way)
I'll be sowing radishes in October too, and winter lisbon spring onion.

Nothing really grows, it just sits there waiting to take off in early spring.

[Reks]

Thanks Two Sheds for clarifying that nothing really grows in winter. So with broad beans u just sow the seeds and leave them to germinate in spring?

[Two_Sheds]

Sow broad beans in late October or November. They want a bit of growth, but not too much before winter sets in. About 4 inches high is good. The roots will be establishing, and the foliage will take off in springtime.

[Reks]

Thanks, I will surely do that as I love broad beans.

Speaking of borad beans, I read somewhere on this forum that one is ok to sow broad beans until end July. So I have put some for soaking. I was told in may that I was too late to plant broad beans so I did not bother and bought 6 plants. Now as I investigate it appears that I could grow broad beans a bit late too. Have u every tired planting broad beans in june/july?

[Reks]

Thanks, I will surely do that as I love broad beans.

Speaking of borad beans, I read somewhere on this forum that one is ok to sow broad beans until end July. So I have put some for soaking. I was told in may that I was too late to plant broad beans so I did not bother and bought 6 plants. Now as I investigate it appears that I could grow broad beans a bit late too. Have u ever tired planting broad beans in june/july?

[Two_Sheds]

Broad beans get terrible blackfly after May/June, so it might not be worth the bother. They also don't especially like hot weather.

give it a try though

[Reks]

ok, thanks. Will let you know how it goes

[WeeGarden]

Sorry, stupid question...

If nothing grows in Winter, what and when do I sow for eating in Winter?

[Pumpkin Becki]

Hi WeeGarden, some if not most of it should be in the ground already - things like kale, purple sprouting broccoli, brussel sprouts. My kale went in a month ago and is going great guns, I've only just sewn purple sprouting broccoli hopefully it'll be okay, and I notice you can still get pot plant of lots of brassicas at B&Q at the moment, so you might still be able to snap some up. Winter crops caught me out my first year too!

[OllieMartin]

I'm slightly confused.

Becki, you say most of it should be in the ground already, but my plot is still full of the plants that aren't yet ready to harvest. I'm expecting most of it to be ready by October at the latest. So what do I do then? Surely I can't start planting in October.

The only veg I've got that I'm expecting to last the winter is my broccoli.

[Two_Sheds]

you say most of it should be in the ground already, but my plot is still full of the plants that aren't yet ready to harvest.

you need more room then m'dear!
Winter crops are in the ground a long time (about 9 months), starting in April/May. They take up a lot of room too, so a lot of folk interplant them with salad crops to save space.

[OllieMartin]

I only started this gardening lark in April/May, so sowed my summer crop then. I figure most of it will be out of the ground by the end of October and I'll just leave the plots fallow til next spring. Let the frosts break the soil up.

It's only the broccoli that I'm expecting to survive the winter.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Hi Ollie, when your summer crops are out of the ground you'll still be able to sew things like perpetual spinach, chard and broad beans (esp Aquadulce Claudia). The broad beans won't do anything until the spring, but they'll give you a crop a few weeks earlier than spring sewn ones. The spinach and chard should give you some leaves into November, then they go a bit dormant and kick back into life around March/April and you'll be able to harvest loads before they bolt in May/June.

You've made an excellent start to you plot, you should be chuffed to bits.

[OllieMartin]

Oh I definately am cuffed with it. It's gone so much better than I expected.

Just don't want to miss the boat on potential winter crops. Will definately try the spinach and chard (Not a huge fan of broad beans, plus I'm on a diet that restricts me from eating them anyway!). Should I start the spinach and chard in modules or just sow it once the ground's ready?