Planning for autumn

[Demeter]

I've just started clearing my new allotment today and I am looking forward to planting / sowing for the autumn.

I plan to clear a small area ASAP and stick in some kale and peas that I already have on the go, just so that I've got something growing while I work on the rest. And I hope to clear a good bit more over the next couple of months or so, ready for autumn sowing / planting (I'm *trying* not to be too ambitious!) The rest I will leave covered until spring and finish then.

So I would like to put in the following in autumn, for overwintering:

• Broad beans
• Garlic
• Onions

Any advice on the best time to do this? (I'm trying to write an actual plan ) And any advice on HOW to do it will also be gratefully received! I've never overwintered anything before

I also want to put in some fruit canes, but uncertain whether to do it in autumn or spring. My little girl would like to plant raspberries and strawberries and I've got strawberry seeds to sow in autumn (in the greenhouse) so that's all sorted. But - any advice on raspberries please?!

Apart from that, I'd be interested to hear what others do in autumn generally as I'm certainly open to inspiration

Thank you!!

[sarahspatch]

Hi,
I put my onions and shallot sets in the ground early October, and Garlic in November.
I've not grown broad beans before so can't help there though!
I always put more onion sets in in the spring as back up too, and you tend to get more varieties to choose from.
You can still sow salad leaves now, and oriental greens are supposedly better sown in August/september, though I've been sowing those for a while.
Winter radish (the fab-sounding Mooli) can be grown over winter too I believe, but have yet to try growing them!
Good Luck!

[rustylady]

Check out the garden centres, Woolworths and the Pound Shops for raspberry canes round about September/October. That's a good time to plant them. As for strawberries, I would plant runners rather than growing seed. You'll probably find that your allotment neighbours will offer you plenty of cuttings etc.

[lynda66]

someone posted these the other day, it looks pretty useful

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_...eg_planner.asp

Gardeners Calendar - Garden planting guides covering vegetables

Royal Horticultural Society - Gardening Advice: Calendar

hope they help

Lynda xx

[tootles]

I've never overwintered either. This year I shall be having a go at two types of purple sprouting broccoli (one later than t'other) winter hardy cauli and cabbage. These I intend to start off in modules and plant out when the spuds are up. I also have some broad beans which I will sow straight in to the ground when the 2nd earlies are finished. Plenty of manure and fingers crossed!!!!
Hopefully they won't need covering but will just do their thing under the snow....... (or thats what it says on the packet)

[SlugLobber]

Coo, thanks for that, Lynda! Good to know I can still sow quite a lot of stuff this late on. Have made a shopping list from those links.

I'm another over-wintering virgin. Not even certain what it means, but I'm certainly going to try it

[bluemoon]

Broad beans can go in in early November, as can certain varieties of early peas. Don't forget that in winter, when food is scarce, birds will eat things which they wouldn't dream of touching in Summer when there's more stuff about, so everything will need protection. Slugs and snails still make the occasional foray into your patch on mild days too.

[Two_Sheds]

Broad Beans: sow a suitable autumn variety, like Aquedulce. Don't sow them too early ... any lush green growth will be susceptible to slugs, gales & general bad weather. you want a good root system underground, but not too much topgrowth.

I sow mine in November. No cloches ~ treat 'em mean.

[vicky]

I grew the lettuce sub artic (free with a GYO issue) and it did incredibly well, perfect heads of lettuce in feb with no pests!
Corn salad will over winter
white icicle radishes
parsley
Brassicas (buy plants from garden centres, don't try with seed this late)
pak choi does better sown when the weather is cool - as do most ordinary lettuces
Leeks
spring onions will over winter too, you get a head start on the following year
and I'm still sowing carrots, radishes, salad leaves, beetroots as there's time for them to grow, plus a lot depends on how mild the winter is, I tend to keep sowing and cross my fingers, after all if they don't mature you haven't lost much, but if they do you can do lots of showing off at the christmas dinner!

[Demeter]

Thanks everyone - lots of good information and ideas
(Although how many I can take up does depend on how much space I can clear!)

Plus, I found my Allotment Gardening book (Susan Berger) that I was looking for for ages yesterday - it has a fab month-by-month section of what you can plant when