What to sow in August/September

[janjones]

I have been a fair weather gardener until this year. The swallows nesting in the shed have prevented me from doing much, I didn't want to disturb them. I am now looking to try my hand at winter gardening if possible. My problem is space and the need for container gardening. The cabbage I started all bolted along with the sprouts and broccoli, I'm wondering if I should try these again but at this time of year? Also the garlic I planted in January only have the one clove I planted, don't know what happened there?
On a brighter note, I tried florence fennel for the first time this year and like it, I was happy to receive a free packet of seeds from KG and now have about 6 growing nicely in a large container, my question is, when do I know when to harvest them? sorry, lots of questions.
Jan

[tigerburnie]

If you are trying to grow brassicas in containers I think you will struggle, something smaller like a Romanesco or a white summer cabbage might work. Winter growing in containers is fraught with the problem that if you get frosts, the root ball suffers and plants die. Basically nothing actually grows in winter mainly due to lack of light as well as warmth, if you don't provide that artificially, then plants will basically hibernate until spring. Farmers sow crops in autumn like some barley or wheat, which then has a head start when it starts growing in the spring. Crops can over winter and be harvested like sprouts, but they are not actually growing during the winter months

[Westi]

Hi Jan,

Do you have a conservatory or porch? You could try putting some in there?

I obviously grow a lot outdoors as living in a warmer area that you; (mostly) - but all protected from birds or wild winds! I also grow in £ shop potato sacks down the back, I grow late carrots, Chinese mooli, Pak Choi, leeks, winter lettuce, spring onions. I have these side by side touching & bubble wrap around the sacks (a favourite add in to most online deliveries) & put sticks in the top & cover with mesh. You could also try sowing in bags of compost stood upright so a deeper root run for spring greens & other brassica's. These can be disguised by putting other pots in front & end of season just empty half & mix in some compost to what in the bottom & what taken out & ready to go again. You should get 2 yrs out of them.

You so sound like you need an allotment plot! Any near you to put your name on the list?

[Primrose]

If you can get hold of one of those empty large water bottles that are in office water fountains and cut the base off, they make marvellous protective cloches for large round containers, with a stick though the hole to lodge it in place in heavy winds.
You could then try growing a few plants of Swiss Chard. It's a fairly tough winter leafy vegetable and you can snip the young leaves off and use for salads.
But generally winter growing in containers isn't successful for the reasons listed.
How about trying pea shoots on a window ledge? Don't waste money on peas from a garden centre. Buy an ordinary pack of dried soup peas and germinate them on a small layer (one inch max) of garden compost in a plastic supermarket veg or fruit punnet with no holes in the base. The shoots make a tasty salad.

[janjones]

Hi Westi, I severely damaged my spine in 1991 horse riding and suffer with mobility, I would have loved an allotment but reality is I wouldn't manage a large garden let alone an allotment. I am content with my little plot of heaven and containers, much easier for me.
I have an outside boiler and managed to germinate some tomato seeds placed on top of it a few years ago, in a plastic box lined with bubble wrap. I like to experiment and this year I made my own strawberry planter out of an empty cat biscuit bag, putting a few slits in the side, I had hands full of strawberries from it for about 3 weeks, I've now placed pots of compost around it to for the runners and have 2 more empty 10kg bags for next year. Primrose I love your ideas, I have the dried peas, I call them my baking peas, to line pastry for blind baking.
Jan

[Primrose]

Wrll, obviously don't try & germinate the dried peas which been baked !

If you have a patio window and have a long waterproof container you could try sowing some hardier varieties of lettuce. I tried doing this in my mini plastic "blow away" greenhouse but winter temperatures were still too low for the seedlings to survive but indoor plants might fare better. Of course light levels would mean slow growth though.

[Primrose]

Jan - I've mentioned this on the forum previously but have come across a way of having to avoid continually buy new compost for my containers every year. In autumn after removing my summer plants when the compost is bare, I dig in lawn cuttings and kitchen compost peelings and let them rot down in situ over the winter.

They add nourishment to the compost, will have completely disappeared by Spring and keep it in good condition. This happens despite my sometimes putting in winter flowers like pansies to add a little cheer when all else in the garden is bare. It also saves having to manhandle heavy bags of compost to replenish the containers, to which we also add chicken manure pellets & a sprinkle of Blood, fish& bone fertiliser in Spring. . (Age & disability an issue in this household too!)

[janjones]

Hi Primrose, I bought some peat free compost last year which was awful, I would have needed a continuous drip to keep it damp. This year I mixed the peat free with some old compost I had which did contain peat and it's worked really well for me. I am recycling the compost, I have bags of farm yard manure to top off the compost bags in the next month or two, and add fish, blood and bone at planting time. I also have a compost bin which I will mix in next year. I am now wondering farm yard manure or chicken manure pellets, which would be best?
Jan

[retropants]

Considering the size of my savoy cabbages already, I'd highly recommend poultry manure pellets! I just added a small handful to each planting hole and mixed in well. They are almost football sized.

[Primrose]

i,d go for matured manure every time if I could get it but it,s like gold dust round here, particularly in small quantities. Chicken manure pellets are a very good substitute and probably easier to handle. I buy mine in a jumbo plastic tub and they last for ages. You just have to ensure they,re stored in a dry place with the lid kept tightly closed.