Advice and Ideas

[vegancatlady]

Hi guys,

I am going to view some available plots this weekend in Harrow...
Assuming I can tidy it up ready to plant a few things by mid September, what would you advise I start to grow first?
Anything particularly great to plant in September and grow over the winter?

Are things like Onions and garlic a good bet?
Also thinking of Spinach...yum!

Many thanks!

[dim]

this is what I will be planting in October for myself, aswell as my clients (I'm a landscaper/gardener)

mixed salad leaves

Kohl Rabi purple danube

chicory

Mizuna

broad beans aquadulce

red cabbage red acre

garlic

I may try perpetual spinach aswell

[KevinM67]

Without wanting to sound like the "Prophet of Doom" - it may be wise to see what the plots are like before thinking of growing stuff.

From personal experience, I did try and clear a little area to start growing stuff - however, I was totally overwhelmed by trying to cut down/clear/de-weed the rest of the plot that it was a bit of a battle to concentrate on growing.

I hope your potential plot is in a better state.

Again, before planting - I would give serious thought to "planning" your plot and try and envisage where various stuff will go (not just crops, but compost bins, shed, etc.)

Autumn/Winter is also an ideal time to plant some fruits - and, again planning is key. Therefore, consideration may be required before planting raspberry canes, etc.

I hope this post doesn't come over as being "too preachy".

[Penellype]

You can certainly plant onions and spinach at this time of year, although personally I find autumn planted spinach is very hit and miss. You may be better with something like spinach beet which is a bit more robust. You can also plant spring cabbage, oriental greens including mizuna and pak choi, and winter radishes such as mooli.

I agree it is a good idea to assess and plan your plot. In particular if you are thinking of planting perennial things such as fruit bushes, asparagus, rhubarb and so on I would advise maybe leaving it a year to give yourself a chance to remove any perennial weeds. These will be impossible to deal with once your permanent plants are in. You may find you inherit some plants with the plot anyway.