Am I alone in wanting to clear everything?

[Two_Sheds]

Allotment committees are partly to blame for the brown desert scenario as they think it looks tidy ...The only thing thats worse, is covering with black plastic

Yep, have to agree with you.

[Two_Sheds]

there's loads in the garden centres, seeds,sets,brassicas etc.

and loads on eBay too (although I wouldn't be buying any young pumpkin plants at this time of year!: plants -seed, Vegetables Fruits, Hedging, Trees items at low prices on eBay.co.uk

[zazen999]

Some of those prices are shocking.

6 onion 'plants' for £6. That's 6 onions for £6.

Outrageous.

[Two_Sheds]

6 onion 'plants' for £6. That's 6 onions for £6.

lol, I missed that one!
I'm looking at 3 x arum lilies for under 3 quid myself.

and I've just asked the guy selling "cucumbers to plant out now", if they are winter hardy ones.

[Sonata]

I would never dare leave much bare earth - I know what the local cats would do to it!

I am itching to dig up my carrots and things and sow my overwintering greens though. Also my runners keep going and going and going and my brassicas need to go in there! I've still got more flowers coming on my beans.

[zazen999]

What overwintering greens are you on about sowing Sonata? Can't they be sown in modules and be planted out once the beds are vacant?

[womble]

How can a true vegetable gardener look at a brown desert throughout the winter?

You may as well pave the lot and be done with it!

There is some judgement on here, not everyones requirement or situation is the same.
What can you grow over winter?
Brassicas? I grow alot, but I don't want half the patch covered with them as that will upset my rotation, I know you practice a 1 year free of any crop rotation, but that doesn't mean everyone does.
Beans and peas, tried it, useless overwinter, much better for me to wait until spring.
Onions, I've white rot, so don't overwinter alliums, it's a waste of time.
Perpetual spinach, or chard, like it, but we can only eat so much

[HayleyB]

I confess I'm itching for my beans to finish cause I desperately need the space for my beloved onions, I've even got leeks somewhere under the mass of borlottis and runners on one bed the other bed is half sorted where my dwarf yellows finally stopped the leeks I eventually interplanted there have room now and I will get some onions amongst them fortunately...

[geoff]

No, you're not the only one; I know the books and magazines tell you to grow and plant this, that, and the other over winter, but I'm a relative beginner at this lark, and not that organised. Besides, I seem to have spent a lot of time at the allotment this summer, and also worked a lot of overtime to cover holidays at work
I have other hobbies and interests and would like to get some backpacking done while there's still a bit of decent weather

I am clearing all the ragged old veg beds, digging them over, and mulching with whatever compost I can get hold of, topped with cardboard and newspaper. It can stay like that till the spring. The only thing I'll be planting is garlic. I asked my greengrocer nicely, and he gave me a huge bagful of broken and scruffy bulbs he couldn't sell

There are still jobs to be done though; burning rubbish, tidying the shed, and planning sessions accompanied by several cups of tea. I divided the plot into quarters this summer, so I'm trying to work out a 4 - year rotation plan

[Two_Sheds]

I am clearing all the ragged old veg beds, digging them over, and mulching with whatever compost I can get hold of, topped with cardboard and newspaper.

Same yourself the digging ... it isn't 'necessary', and it will simply bring a whole rash of weed seeds to the surface.

And I put the cardboard under the compost, so it's held down.

[Littlemouse]

Ouch! I feel a little slapped down by Snadger's comment 'how can a true vegetable gardener look at a brown desert throughout the winter' comment - it is my first summer of growing and I am learning.

Anyway, my vegetable patch consists of 4 small raised 3' x 6' beds so 'desertification' will be limited and I'm heading off for a garden centre now!

Re bare earth and kitty latrines: by happy chance, in a moment of madness (but never used for intended purpose), I bought for a pittance 8 galvanised trellis panels each 6' x 18" - 2 over these laid over the beds neatly foil any cat's toilet intentions!

Off shopping now before I feel I have to justify anything else!

[Two_Sheds]

I appreciate this is probably bordering on sacrilegious ... but, I look at my small, untidy and rambling veg beds and think that I'd ... just enjoy looking at them in a bare state until next Spring.

Ouch! I feel a little slapped down by Snadger's comment 'how can a true vegetable gardener look at a brown desert throughout the winter'

You did ask!
I feel the same way as Snadger, but didn't put it as passionately as he did.
He means (?) that a true gardener is up there all weathers, utilising the land all year round, not treating the garden as a fair-weather hobby. It's an old-fashioned idea that you have to leave the land 'fallow' for the winter.
He wasn't been judgemental, and neither am I.

[Sonata]

What overwintering greens are you on about sowing Sonata? Can't they be sown in modules and be planted out once the beds are vacant?

Chinese cabbage, pak choi, komatsuna, spinach and leaf beets? I was thinking of sowing the chinese cabbage and pak choi in used loo rolls as they don't like being transplanted (although I've only found that to be a problem in the hot weather).

[Two_Sheds]

Chinese cabbage, pak choi, komatsuna, spinach and leaf beets?

all those, plus radish, winter lettuce and next month broad beans. Even if you don't eat them all, they keep the ground covered, provide compost material etc etc.

I am sowing lots of broad beans as a winter cover this year, because I have so many seeds leftover from the summer.
Also, I'm going to have a crack at Broad Bean Wine.

[womble]

Also, I'm going to have a crack at Broad Bean Wine.

I bet this is lovely, but tbh it sounds revolting