Empty bed

[Gogledd]

Hi everyone I've now got an empty bed with nothing in it at all, any recommendations on what I can grow in there now? I was going to call it quits and leave it over winter and start again next year but is there anything I can start in there now, up until last week it had unsuccessful rainbow chard and pak choi which I never got round to clearing, any help would be great!


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[Alison]

Assume you have plans for it in the spring? Assuming so then I'd go for winter salad crops, there's loads of hardy ones you can sow which brighten up your winter meals.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Or you can go for winter brassicas - the garden centres are selling plug plants of caulis, cabbages etc.

[Gogledd]

sounds good to me, can j sew carrots now or is it too late? Thinking of maybe things for winter/xmas


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[Kristen]

If you draw a blank on crops that you can harvest over winter (I don't there is much that can be sown now that will perform over winter, but I'm on heavy clay which isn't ideal ...) then Green Manure would help the soil for next Spring's crops.

[Scarlet]

Garlic, giant garlic or have a go at broad beans?

[Scarlet]

sounds good to me, can j sew carrots now or is it too late? Thinking of maybe things for winter/xmas


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Theres not much that you can sow now and expect to get a crop by Christmas. Most things that are sown in Autumn are to be overwintered and so have a head start come spring.

You will be able to pick a few leaves off lettuce etc. especially if you have them covered. Most of the veg that you have at Xmas will have been in the ground a long time. Parsnips, swede etc

[Gogledd]

Thanks for the reply looks like I've missed it this year but i will have home grown veg on the xmas menu next year!!


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[Scarlet]

If the bed is empty and ready to go now, rather than leave it empty it would be worth getting in your garlic soon or some cabbage plants, green manures etc as already suggested. The GC are full of them at them at the Moment. Next year you can have them sown by seed in modules and ready and waiting in the wings for when you need them.

[Dorothy rouse]

Onion sets, they can go in end September and garlic also.

[arpoet]

I like a couple of areas left fallow for the winter. Covered with manure and cardboard it will be ready for spring planting.

[Penellype]

With regard to carrots, some varieties can be sown now (I use nantes frubund fastcrop, T&M), but you won't get a crop from them this year. They will be ready early next year though, providing they survive the slugs over the winter.

[Alison]

I like a couple of areas left fallow for the winter. Covered with manure and cardboard it will be ready for spring planting.

I'm exactly the opposite, hate there being spaces between crops as it seems such a waste

[Feral007]

The kale I put in late autumn has been fantastic over winter, and being purple and green and frilly it really brightened up anything. Was good with the winter lettuce, which self seeded and just kept on giving, for salads, but the kale was good in stir fries as well. Our rainbow chard goes all year, except mid summer when it bolts to seed if you turn your back on it.
The cabbages are just hanging in there, but now we've got some hot days I'm expecting them to take off, and I'll be pleased to have some nice big ones so early in the season.

I like having a few plants in over winter, even though there isn't the choice of summer, it's still great to just pop out and see what there is, and throw it into the pot or the salad bowl.

Whoops nearly forgot the few leeks that hunkered down over winter, so will have some leek and potato soup early on. The potatoes that got missed last autumn are now coming up early so it's great fun seeing what there is.

[Kristen]

With regard to carrots, some varieties can be sown now (I use nantes frubund fastcrop, T&M), but you won't get a crop from them this year. They will be ready early next year though, providing they survive the slugs over the winter.

Have you had any joy with them? I remember Nantes frubund being The New Thing a while back - 5 years maybe? and lots of people trying them. Even the folk growing them in tunnels / containers with specially prepared soil etc. got disappointing results. Based on their experience I've never bothered, but if folk have had success I'd definitely like to try.