Planning for winter veggies

[veg4681]

What Winter veggies can one start thinking about growing in the next few months. I've never tried growing anything during the winter but I imagine my veggie plot will be pretty empty if I don't get my act together. I've only planned for cauli to sow in Autumn.

[rustylady]

You can probably still sow kale, also spring cabbages. If you can get hold of plants, put in some brussel sprouts or purple sprouting broccoli. If you sow quick maturing varieties such as Early Nantes you can sow carrots now and hopefully get a crop before winter sets in.

[Two_Sheds]

I always have some Chard on the go, Italian Black Kale too

[Snadger]

Jap onions, garlic, broad beans and peas can be added to the list of vegetables to overwinter!

[Sue]

And overwintering lettuce, ie Valdor, it's always welcome to be able to cut a lettuce early in April.
Sue

[Cutecumber]

One of the annoying things about planning for winter vegetables is that, for many of them, you need to start in the previous spring and early summer. Winter cabbages, sprouts, PS Broccoli all need a good head start before the autumn (which appears to have arrived, by the way!!)

If I had nothing in my plot now, my first choice to sow for the winter would be leaf beet or swiss chard. It's fabulous stuff.

The other thing to be aware of is when the harvesting time of your over-wintered crops will be. I try and sow some new season stuff very early in the spring and so I don't want all my pots/ ground taken up by brassicas which don't finish until April.

[kirsty b]

I've got some Kale in, also winter savoys and perpetual spinach.
Going to sow in the next couple of weeks, spring cabbages in modules, more kale and jap onions. Also doing overwintering onions and garlic, peas and broad beans.

[veg4681]

Thank you all for the list. Unfortunately I'm not too keen on Kale and Swiss Chard and I tend not to go for onions as I find them cheap in the shop and besides I really don't have the luxury of space on my veggie bed. May give garlic a go. It's true, I have missed out sowing the seeds in late spring to early summer for overwintering vegetables...wasn't aware you have to get a head start??

[Farmer_Gyles]

there have been several threads in the last few weeks about what to grow over the winter - and then i see another one yesterday about cauliflower (All the Year Round) that can be sown in autumn and kept in a coldframe (or greenhouse?) - but not mentioned here or in the other "overwintering" threads .... ???

[Snadger]

there have been several threads in the last few weeks about what to grow over the winter - and then i see another one yesterday about cauliflower (All the Year Round) that can be sown in autumn and kept in a coldframe (or greenhouse?) - but not mentioned here or in the other "overwintering" threads .... ???

All Year Round cauli's can be grown overwinter outdoors.......even in my neck of the woods!

[moggssue]

So can we plant AYR cauli seeds now and how long will they take to crop? I'm dubious about using up too much of my limited space with veg that won't be ready until April or so, but very keen on anything I can harvest jan-mar, thus hopefully giving me time to manure and sow in the spring.

[Snadger]

So can we plant AYR cauli seeds now and how long will they take to crop? I'm dubious about using up too much of my limited space with veg that won't be ready until April or so, but very keen on anything I can harvest jan-mar, thus hopefully giving me time to manure and sow in the spring.

Overwintering cauli's seem to have a similar growth pattern to Spring Cabbage for me! I don't think they would crop between Jan & March?
Sow/plant now for curds in April/May methinks. The variety you choose should give you details on the packet, if not, try another type that does!

Early PSB may give you an earlier crop, but take up a heck of a lot of room?

[Farmer_Gyles]

cheers snadger
i'm using 3 bed rotation - do i plant the caulis in this years brassica bed or next year's brassica bed?
anything else "common" or "popular" i can grow outside over the winter?
likewise if i sow broad beans and peas - do i put them in the same bed as this year's peas and beans, or next years?
any particular varieties to look out for?

[Snadger]

cheers snadger
i'm using 3 bed rotation - do i plant the caulis in this years brassica bed or next year's brassica bed?
anything else "common" or "popular" i can grow outside over the winter?
likewise if i sow broad beans and peas - do i put them in the same bed as this year's peas and beans, or next years?
any particular varieties to look out for?

There are different schools of thought on this question. Some use an annual rotation where others use a true (for want of a better word) crop rotation. I fall into the latter and would not dream of following a brassica with a brassica at any time! I'ts up to you really, unless you have a bed system, my way can get awfully complicated if taken to extremes!

If I remember rightly,the area for brassicas is limed to increase ph following legumes to capatalise on the fixated nitrogen left by the peas/beans. The area is mucked when the brassicas are finished and the roots are planted! If you are planting like for like on each area because it's in the same calendar year, when do you muck and lime?

As to what can be sown or planted now, the list is endless but Broad bean Aqualunce Claudia and Feltham First peas are a good bet. Any of the countless different varieties of Autumn(Japanese) onion sets will perform. Durham Early spring cabbage is very winter hardy as well!

[Forget-me-Not]

Winter Planting

Hi,

I've been reading this thread for winter guidance. As my main smallish veg plot is currently squeezed full of beans, sweetcorn,cabbages, brocoli, courgettes, leeks, some sorrel, variegated nasturtiums, taggetes and marigolds and a rampant pumpkin. (plus some lemon balm and lavender) I have just cleared another 1m by 2 metres plot, the old sweetpeas which were fab but got major greenfly are now gone. Leaving two trimmed down fox gloves, 2 rhubarb... bases, currently just cut down and a 1 foot holly tree belonging to daughter.

I've got some onions to go in and always grow garlic over winter, due to space left, what would happily go beside them? I would love to try some winter peas as I adore peas and my summer ones have been a bit weak this year. (elsewhere)

I'd like to leave the rhubarb in as its been fab this year and I think the fox gloves will return.... the plot got a lot of new home made compost at the beginning of the year, has a lot of worms and is in good condition, last year it had legumes I believe. (Notes got soggy and were thrown away.)

Thanks
Beth