My winter favourites

Having only obtained our allotment and having to spend a lot of time clearing soil I feel it is highly unlikely that we are going to get many crops from out allotment this summer.  With the current drought continuing and seed drills Turing to dust in a matter of half an hour I have decided to turn my attentions to crops which can be sown/planted in late August to September. 

Potato’s 

For me there is no better way of showing off than going to the allotment on Christmas eve and digging up the spuds for the Christmas dinner.  In late August you can plant varieties such as Maris piper and Emerald.  If the weather continues to be very dry during August, you will have to water but hopefully once September arrives there will be enough rain to keep them happy.  

Winter lettuce

Lettuce is far harder than it looks and will survive harsh frost and heavy rain.  Sow now and you can often be eating your winter lettuce in early April.

Spinach 

Spinach is one of the mainstays of my veg garden. As with lettuce it’s a seriously hardy veg and sown now can give you fresh spinach into the new year and sometimes beyond.  I find spinach invaluable for getting us through that baron period over winter.

Spring onion

Spring onions are hard to germinate in temperatures over 20 degrees Celsius  making an autumn sowing ideal.  They will overwinter well and be ready for a nice salad in early to mid-April.

Garlic

No kitchen should be without a good supply of fresh garlic.  Garlic is best planted in October/November as it requires a cooling period.  Garlic has reached maturity when the foliage begins to turn yellow.  I love garlic for the way it keeps.  Dry it in the sun and store it in nets and you can enjoy it until the next harvest.

Broad beans

Broad beans are better sown in October/November than they are in spring.  I find that the spring sown beans are very susceptible to black bean aphid which doesn’t seem to affect beans sown in late autumn.  Broad beans are not as hardy as some of the variety’s mentioned and may need a little help to stay warm.  I find agricultural fleeces is ideal to help them through the coldest times.

Thoughts on Winter veg

In find it best to have a specific area for my winter veg.  by confining it to a close area it means that you can dig and manure the remainder of your land and leave it over winter to rest.  If your winter crops are spread around it may mean you walking on your soil which may be waterlogged.  This can damage the soil structure.  Another advantage although more common sense that science is that by planning rows of winter veg together they afford each other some protections from the harsh winds of winter.  Once the winter veg bed has finished I find that be best way to keep the soil healthy is to clear out any old crops and sow a green fertiliser which can be dug in later.  I always ensure the I mover the winter veg bed each year. 

Although there are other fruit and veg that will grow over winter I find that for late planting these are the best.  As always I’m always interested to hear your thoughts and experiences.