What will you sow?

[Sara]

Hi everyone,

Could you give me a bit of advice? I usually start all my herbs off in spring but I've just sown a few extras in pots on my windowsill.

This has got me thinking about the best crops for the next few months. Have you decided what to sow this autumn? Do you want to overwinter peas and beans or are you hoping for success with hardy salad crops? I'd love to hear your favourite autumn-sown varieties.


Your replies may be edited and published in GYO's October issue.

[chris]

I've recently sown some more beetroot, carrot and salad crops (though, I'm not really a salad eater over winter - perhaps in sandwiches but that's about it).

I've also sown some Pak Choi, and Mustard as my previous lot sown in May/June bolted - even if they don't grow to full size, I'll use the smaller leaves in salads.

[Nicos]

Chives- I'm about to start them off for next year.
They die back in the winter but grow as fast as grass in the Spring- and will last many years when transplanted into their final position.
Fantastic gift to any GYO friend

[crazii_c]

ive just sown some more carrots and turnips. i am yet to sow some winter gems, lambs lettuce and land cress for winter salads. ive also just planted my Kale, PSB and Swiss Chard in their final positions ready for winter.

[blue411]

Im going to be planting kale and chard (actually my chard is already romping away), so that when im having my lovely winter stews i will have fresh greens to go with it.

[vicky]

Onion sets and garlic cloves go in in the autumn. I do a sowing of overwintering lettuce - it's ready to eat about march usually. Corn salad is tastes lovely and buttery and can be picked during the winter if it's given protection under a mini tunnel. It's my first year with a greenhouse so I will experiment with other salad crops too (mizuna, mustards, spinach and pak choi) - I'll sow into modules then plant into the spent growbags from the cukes and toms after they die off.
Broad beans I'm not sure about - last autumn I sowed a row of super aquadulce but the weather was so bad they were overtaken by a spring sowing of Witkien...I daresay I'll sow an autum batch too but maybe try a different variety - The Sutton maybe?

[susieq100]

Onion sets, garlic and shallots usually go in during the end of October/start of November. I might experiment with some Autumn sown broad beans and peas this year. I planted beetroot, perpetual spinach and my last batch of dwarf frenchies yesterday. I've still got some leeks that have not been transplanted yet, but I will put them in flower buckets as they are going to be Christmas presents - like windowsill herbs only much, much bigger!

[salilah]

For me, not broad beans, as I like sowing these early rather than overwinter. Also, sadly, never yet managed to get a good crop of garlic

However...

With a new greenhouse, I've become quite excited at the idea of growing more stuff inside - I've bought "The Winter Harvest Handbook" by Eliot Coleman, and I reckon if he can grow throughout the winter in deep Maine (-25C) then I can do OK in East Anglia!

So - plans include:
- various lettuce leaves, rocket, chard, purslane, lambs lettuce in the raised bed in the greenhouse (going in after the tomatoes are finished, so they will be in modules or even pots for a while)
- following on from a previous GYO article (I think), trying things like cabbage, kale, carrots in Morrisons buckets (not yet sown) on the floor under the staging
- not sure what in buckets on the staging - more rocket, salad possibly in buckets

I also plan (if I get time) to do a double-layer mini-poly-tunnel on a couple of raised beds (as per the book) - polytunnel outside cover, and fleece inside cover, with spinach which apparently does grow over winter, and some other things...

I liked the comment in the book that you don't get a longer growing season under cover over winter, but you do get a longer harvesting time - so my focus is to get stuff ready when I can, so that it is still young but a good size before winter comes in!

OK all an experiment this year - I'll report back (if it works!)
cheers
Salilah

[gojiberry]

Ive just sown some Caliente mustard to hopefully overwinter and dig in in the spring. I also have loads of broad bean seeds and am going to sow them quite thickly to overwinter and be dug in in the spring before they flower. If the plants look good come spring then I will leave a few to give a few early beans. Onions and garlic to go in round Oct time. Spring greens being sown this week.

Ian

[frogga]

Just sown some spring cabbage, tomorrow im planting another row of spinach for overwintering, and thinking of experimenting with some late parsnips to enjoy in the spring.

[Winged one]

I usually sow some peas (meteor) and broad beans (aqua dulce claudia) for early crops in spring. And I put in garlic when I remember.

I have 3 large pots of leek babies to plant out shortly as well.

Otherwise, I never remember to put things in at this time of year. I'd love to have more, but I don't get to the plot enough.

[Sara]

Thanks for the wonderful tips, everyone. Keep them coming!

Which garlic and shallot varieties are you planning to try?

[susieq100]

The shallots that I planted last Autumn were Jermor and Shallot Grise - both banana shaped ones and one of them has a pink tinge to the flesh which is very attractive in pickles - piccalilli, pickled onions. Both did well despite the long dry spell where I did not water them AT ALL ... too many and too little water available. They both have quite a strong flavour. I am really pleased with them and will grow both again.

[SueA]

I've recently sown some salad leaves in the bag I grew some Lady Christl potatoes in, these keep going until the frosts & then I sow some in the veg. bed under a polythene 'mini tunnel'. I also sow shallots in the veg. bed, I've grown 'Jermor' in the past but am looking for a different variety this year as they didn't grow very big last time I tried them. I'm thinking of sowing a few pots of turnips also to get a few quick crops from them.

[chris]

I tried 'Casablanca' Garlic from B&Q (planted the cloves back in March this year). Did have some sizeable bulbs harvested over the past couple of months, they were just beginning to split into the individual cloves too but made a really tasty addition to our cooking. Found them quite mild, yet really flavoursome.