The long winter months...

[Plumed90]

Hi guys!

I know there's not much to plant in the ground now other than the garlics which will go in as soon as they've been delivered.

I was wondering if you could post your suggestions for what can be started now to give a head start when spring comes. I have a small cold frame with 4 shelves so anything sowed now will be stored in the until spring.

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions!

[veggiechicken]

Broad beans and peas can be sown outside now - and onion sets.

[Bill Door]

Waiting for house to be finished, now December!!, and allocation of allotments (yes new on site). Will be very lucky to get one. Garden is the usual pocket size and the allotments arn't much bigger.

SO just in case I have started elephant and ordinary garlic in modules. Have shallots ready to go in modules in December (after we have moved i think). Will sow my "free" onion seeds in January

Gooseberry, blackcurrant and logan/tay berry plants are waiting to be planted out in February. Cordon apples ordered (my niece bless her). Have researched step-over apples and pears and prepared a wanted list.

Other than that I have been doing stretching exercises (for my back), oiling tools and sharpening my hoe (to kill docks on the horses paddocks) so I can get plenty of well rotted manure.

Been in rented accommodation for more than 6 months so am chomping at the bit!

Bill

[Jungle Jane]

You could sow some Evesham special Brussels sprouts,they grow nicely in a cold frame over winter to plant out in March. If you sow them in little pots & then pot them on before December you'll have some nice big plants that can be planted out anytime in the spring. Winter gem lettuce grows well in a cold frame & in pots on the patio over winter,there's probably other varieties too.

[Alison]

Winter is the best time for planting fruit trees, better value bare root too

[Plumed90]

Hi Alison,

Any advice on breeds of small apple trees with either cooking or eating varieties? Don't want anything too big that it will take over my plot!

[Alison]

The root stock will determine how big it grows so you've a pretty good selection on varieties. Have a look at the website for a good nursery and they'll explain it far better than I can. I use Blackmoor by preference. They've very good and usually sell off a lot of bare root trees at the end of winter at a discount

[Penellype]

Hi Alison,

Any advice on breeds of small apple trees with either cooking or eating varieties? Don't want anything too big that it will take over my plot!

Look for M27 rootstock if you want a very small tree. This is the one that is used for patio plants that will grow in containers, and also for the stepover trees. I have a James Grieve on M27 which produces about 15 apples a year.

There is a good description of what you can expect from the different rootstocks here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=359

[BUFFS]

i will use the winter to trim some taproot off my peach and apricot and get my new peach /nectarine/ apricot dwarfs into pots before the weather gets too cold, now had a week of dry weather and that's a first for this year..

[Jimmy]

Re title "The long winter months..."
Most months are approx the same length 30/31 days. The shortest is Feb which I think is a winter month.
Or am I just being picky ?
Jimmy

[BUFFS]

Re title "The long winter months..."
Most months are approx the same length 30/31 days. The shortest is Feb which I think is a winter month.
Or am I just being picky ?
Jimmy

just proving you are able to count without taking your wellies off like the rest of us..

[Jungle Jane]

When I read the long winter months,I thought yes they are long, then you could say the long summer months too,it would be different if the title was "the longer than other seasons winter months"? It's good to pick up on important matters it's not picky

[Jay-ell]

If months are made up of 30/31 days (ignoring February) and days are shorter in Winter than Summer does that mean that months in Winter are shorter than months in Summer?

[Jimmy]

If months are made up of 30/31 days (ignoring February) and days are shorter in Winter than Summer does that mean that months in Winter are shorter than months in Summer?

As far as I know the days are all 24 hours long apart from when the clocks change for day light saving. Then it goes a bit screwy. When the clocks go back an hour the day must be 25 hours and when forward 23 hours. Never did quite get my head around that one. So on those days there must be a time that exists twice and a time the does not exist at all.

Jimmy

[hamamelis]

As far as I know the days are all 24 hours long apart from when the clocks change for day light saving. Then it goes a bit screwy. When the clocks go back an hour the day must be 25 hours and when forward 23 hours. Never did quite get my head around that one. So on those days there must be a time that exists twice and a time the does not exist at all.

Jimmy

In Autumn we get 01:00 'til 01:59 twice- sticks in my head 'cos I remember being in a nightclub as a teenager, trying to argue that the place shouldn't be shutting yet, because it never reached closing time, (which was advertised as 02:00 am)

Anyway, regarding the original topic, it's about time to sow overwintering broad beans, though they don't need to be in a cold frame, they can go straight in the ground (though I always chit mine first 'cos lots of things like eating them).