Empty bed after potatoes

[Bal]

Hi is there anything I can sow now to go in the potato bed when I harvest them. They are main crop potatoes, but I can't remember when I planted them. I was just going to wait until the tops died of as advised by you wonderful people

[Snadger]

I have leeks standing by in a nursery bed!

I am sowing french beans in modules today myself so there's an option for you? Spring cabbage can be sown a bit later for a winter crop?

[Jungle Jane]

Peas are good for fixing the soil after potatoes. Carrots,turnips,swede,beetroot,spinach & lettuce can also be sown now.

[Penellype]

If you wait until after the longest day, chinese greens like pak choi and mizuna will stand over the winter, or you could use the bed for broccoli.

[Jay-ell]

Could you use the beds for overwintering onions? You wouldn't need to sow them now so you can save some space in your trays for everything else.

[Kirk]

Like Snadger suggests try leeks, I picked up a box of 20 strong looking leeks at the weekend for £2 and have just put them in.

Not that many things to choose from and these Leeks were all that the market stall had, but at that price and with space they were a good match. A GC may have more selection.

What really annoys me is they are bigger as ready to plant out then most of mine grew to in the whole of last year.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Spring cabbage or curly kale are options too.

[Bal]

Great thanks everyone. Have got broccoli, swede and kale seeds so will start them off now. Have never grown leeks. Don't you have to keep banking them up to blanch them

[Bigmallly]

Like Snadge, I have a trough of Leeks awaiting a bed...........Bal, what you do is make a hole with a dibber/piece o' wood, drop the leek into the hole & water in. Some folk including myself trim the roots prior to planting. Makes the planting process a bit easier. You don't need to earth them up.

[Bal]

Thanks Bigmally, I will have a go. If I can get some tomorrow can the live in their pots until the potatoes come out?

[Bigmallly]

Yes, leave them in the pot till they get to pencil thickness then plant them out. It may be a few months before they reach that size so be patient. Leeks have a long growing season.

[Bal]

Great. Thanks. Good excuse to go to a GC tomorrow. I'm under a ban at the moment but this will be allowed, and if other things end up leaping into my trolley of their own volition it's not my fault!

[Bigmallly]

My dibber comprises of a tapered branch fitted onto a spade handle which I unfortunately broke.......... The bonus is I can make 40/50 holes in a couple of minutes without bending down, then it's just a matter of dropping the Leeks in the holes & watering them in.

[Bal]

Got the leeks and have potted them up into individual pots (bargain 28leeks thicker than a pencil lead for £3 ) the fact that a few other things leapt into the trolley with them is neither here nor there. Managed to divert OH's attention by buying him a Venus fly trap. He's always wanted one.