Winter vegetables

[madhatterlizzy]

Can anyone give me ideas on what vegetables I can grow for winter? I have a roof top garden so everything has to be grown in containers, but I do have a plastic greenhouse,
new to gardening so help is needed - thanks

[Helgalush]

Hi,

I asked a similar question too recently and here is a link to the thread: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ion_58956.html

Hope its helpful for you. I grow pretty much everything in containers too (with the exception of one very small raised bed). I'm hoping the advantage of containers in autumn/winter is that we can move them to more sheltered areas of the garden.

I've just bought some seeds recently specifically for things that can be grown later (eg August for autumn picking or to survive the winter until spring). Check the seed websites/catalogues and they should tell you on the webpage when things can be sown.

[Snadger]

A lot of the so called winter vegetables like leeks, kale, sprouts and PSB are mainly sown in the spring, so you've missed the boat for these. Some that you can still sow are spring cabbage,broad beans and onions for SPRING/early summer cropping next year.

[oldie]

Some of the oriental stuff like mizuna is quite winter hardy also winter lettuces, claytonia and spring onions can be sown from now.

[northepaul]

I was going to say that!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Cabbage Hero proved a success for me last year I grew 50 odd plants very close together and used the thinnings as spring greens. At one stage they were frozen solid in their planter but it seemed to make no diifference, once the weather warmed up they were of like little rockets.

Colin

[1066]

Hi, I grow a fair few bits for winter, you need to look out for particular varieties. I've grown stuff in the ground and in pots, with minimum or no cover.

I've grown salads (look for winter hardy types like Tom Thumb, Reines Des Glaces, Arctic, Sylvesta, Brun D'Hiver, Merveille de 4 saison) , and over-wintered winter radish (black spanish round and mooli), pak choi, choy sum, endive, radicchio, Mache, spring onions (White Lisbon). All of these you can still sow now. And last year most of these survived the snow with or without much cover.

The one thing about lots of salads is that I tend to eat them all / run out by the end of the year, so I'm trying to sow more this year, to see what else makes it through into January

Some salads I did in mushroom boxes just chugged along slowly in the depths of mid winter but picked up once the days started getting longer. They were covered with one of those cheapo plastic covers, and I was eating those in Feb and March.

As I say I just need to figure out January......

Hope this helps

[Florence Fennel]

I'm putting in cabbage and sprout plants about now and some spinach.

[salilah]

Chard is a possible - it may look a bit sad if you get a cold winter, but it really boosts up in Spring
Chicory is great - provided you like it! - I find this grows amazingly and can overwinter and put a really good head up in Spring - but OH doesn't like it, so we don't tend to do it (much)

[madhatterlizzy]

winter vegetables

many thanks everyone for ideas - I already have carrots and leeks galore so I'm ok for those but the others will definately try especially winter salad, spinach, cabbage and sprouts. Does anyone know if it is possible to grow cauliflower and brocolli in containers?

[Two_Sheds]

Brassicas need really firm soil, so aren't ideal for containers. Ask PotsTubsDustbins, I expect he's got some on the go

[Helgalush]

I've got a red cabbage in a container and its doing really well so far. I intend to grow some other brassicas in tubs but have looked out for smaller varieties.

More.Veg has a "What To Sow Now" guide on its homepage.

[Gemmalaveen]

I grow nearly exclusively in containers too. I grew purple sprouting brocolli in containers last year and they did quite well. I bought them as plug plants and planted them out in fresh compost in the containers I had used earlier in the season for courgettes and tomatoes (so quite big). I also grew a few kale plants and they did much better... this year I am going for kale only plus the winter salads mentioned in earlier replies.

[Jono]

Perpetual spinach would be a good one. Sow some now and it should see you right all through the winter. Its a cut and come again chard, so will keep growing and although I've never grown it in containers, I reckon it would work really well.

[BroadRipple]

Hello madhatterlizzy and all - mine mostly in containers too so I know the problem...cabbages etc. great idea but not realistic. But...KALE! I know it's been said before (including by me) but it's fantastic - as long as you don't boil it but braise/stirfry/steam/whatever it, avoiding water, adding bit of garlic, rosemary, lemon peel, tomato, bacon, chilli, whatever you have, it's delicious. And looks beautiful (big issue in containers). And can cope with containers, I've found.
I like Pentland Brig, Cavolo Nero, experimenting with Spigarello and Scarlet, on lookout for others. Kale is the future!