Winter Varieties? Also onion question.

[Helgalush]

Sorry if this is a bit of a novice question.....If you want to grow veg to crop in winter, or grow through winter and crop in spring, do you need to select particular varieties that are designed to do this?

Or can you just grow what you already have and just keep sowing later in the year?

I've had a booklet through from Dobie's and its got lots of veggies in that you can grow during autumn and winter. I realise they may need special care/fleecing but do you need a hardy variety?

Its things like Carrots, Beetroot, Radishes, Turnips, Cabbages, Cauli's, Lettuces/Salad Leaves, Dwarf beans etc.

As a side question, how much space would you need for growing onions? I have never grown onions before, only spring onions because I only have space for my veg trug (3x3' raised bed) and container growing. Is it possible to grow onions in this kind of space, or am I best sticking to spring onions? Or would shallots work?

Thanks for any advice.

[Creemteez]

Hi Helgalush - nice bunnies!
As far as winter varieties of veg are concerned the seed packet usually gives you a fair idea as to when you can sow them. Carrot varieties like Early Nantes speak for themselves really and can be planted as early as January in a greenhouse or polytunnel or February under cloche protection - though nothing will germinate if the soil is frozen! Autumn King carrots are planted from July onwards and can stay in the ground right through the winter to be harvested as required - though, again - if the ground freezes you may need a pick axe to get them out!
"All Year Round" varieties of cabbage and cauliflower are just that - sow a few seeds through out the year and you should always have something to pick and eat.
I sow lettuces like "Winter Density" in September/October and plant them into troughs in the greenhouse for winter use and there are many varieties of cut and come again leaves that will give you a crop with a little protection.
As to your onion question, you could use your space to grow onions, but they are in the ground for a long time and you may find this limits what else you can grow - though you don't have to sow them on rows - you could grow them in clusters in between flowers. Shallots would probably do quite well in buckets and containers as long as they are kept well watered. Personally if my space was limited I don't think I'd grow onions as they are relatively cheap in the shops. Shallots, on the other hand, can be quite expensive - especially the fancy variety like banana shallots - so they might be worth having a go at!
S'up to you really! Good luck!

[Potstubsdustbins]

I think CTs answered you vareity question as to onions I grow about 50/60 a year all in containers of various sorts. The pics might give you some ideas.

Colin.

[rustylady]

What you need to bear in mind is that very little will actively grow in winter. Sure, you can sow or plant things that will grow during summer and autumn and stand ready for harvesting in winter, examples being carrots, leeks, cabbage, sprouts. Salad crops won't do anything much without the protection of a greenhouse, and even then in a hard winter you can't expect much in the way of results.

[Helgalush]

Thank you Creemteez for answering my naive questions with detail. Thats so helpful, thank you. I am much clearer now, and will check the packets of those seeds I already have to see what might grow and then I can think about ordering any extras I might want to see me through. This is great news for me because I was starting to feel a bit sad that in a few months my growing might be over again for another year (I have never tried to overwinter anything and last year - my first proper year growing - everything was done and dusted by July/August due to me not having read up on successional sowing! ).

This year everything is behind so to think I can extend my growing season is great.

I see what you mean about onions too - I think I will give shallots a go. I might try a couple of onions, just to see how I get on, and also because onions is the one thing I am guaranteed to forget on a supermarket shop, for some odd reason!

[Helgalush]

I think CTs answered you vareity question as to onions I grow about 50/60 a year all in containers of various sorts. The pics might give you some ideas.

Colin.

Oh sorry hadnt seen that others have also replied. That looks fantastic thank you. Its great that you can fit several onions in to a pot, thats inspired me to give a it a shot! Lovely, thanks!

[Helgalush]

What you need to bear in mind is that very little will actively grow in winter. Sure, you can sow or plant things that will grow during summer and autumn and stand ready for harvesting in winter, examples being carrots, leeks, cabbage, sprouts. Salad crops won't do anything much without the protection of a greenhouse, and even then in a hard winter you can't expect much in the way of results.

I'm with you, thank you for explaining.

As my garden is so small and growing space is limited, I would probably only try a limited selection and therefore if it failed then I havent lost too much, if that makes sense. Perhaps I will do an experiment with one or two varieties this year just to see.

[Creemteez]

I think CTs answered you vareity question as to onions I grow about 50/60 a year all in containers of various sorts. The pics might give you some ideas.

Colin.

Soo-o-o jealous of your onions, PTD! My Red Baron sets all bolted to a man this year. Gonna try them from seed next year as someone recommended on another thread.

And H - there is no such thing as a daft question on here - we're all on a learning curve!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Helga,

If you have little growing room one thing to point out is spacing. On most seed packets the producers will give optimum plant spacings, these spacings are for plants grown in the ground.
If you are growing in containers and are prepared to make a little extra effort these spacings can be greatly reduced. As an example I grow calabrese, optimum spacing 2ft between plants in all directions I grow 9 to the square metre, yes I have to water them more often but they thrive.

Another piece of advice would be to send for everone's seed catalogue and see which varieties would suit you best. Again the calabrese I grow produces one main curd followed by many smaller curds so in essence I get double bubble for my work. My two square metres yields the equivalent of 36 curds.

Colin

[Potstubsdustbins]

CTs,

I cheat I use heat treated onion sets, this helps reduce bolting to a great extent.

Colin

[Helgalush]

Thank you, thats really helpful again. I was just reading about spacing in Hessayon's Veg & Herb Expert. For some things I have used small/baby varieties and in the book he was saying that there is that way of doing it, or else you can cram things in a bit more and harvest some earlier. I have tried cauliflowers and other brassicas for the first time this year. I didnt realise I had bought 16 plug plants until they arrived so as you can imagine I have really had to squeeze those in! I'm not hopeful at all about those - they look healthy at the moment mind - but we'll see!

Im so grateful for everyone's advice and that I can happily ask what may seem like silly questions but I always think "if you dont ask, you wont know"!

[Helgalush]

CTs,

I cheat I use heat treated onion sets, this helps reduce bolting to a great extent.

Colin

Where do you get those from, if I may ask?

[Two_Sheds]

^ proper seed catalogues, not the likes of Wilkos

[Potstubsdustbins]

2Sheds is right Mine come from Marshalls but I know Dobies & Suttons also do them.

If you google any of the above you will be able to order a free catalogue. Well worth the effort.


Colin

[Helgalush]

Great thank you. Will look at all 3, thanks!