veg tips for a winter container?

[bigpepperplant]

Hi, thinking ahead to the autumn, I'd like to plant up a couple of pots with a combination of vegetables or salad that can overwinter outside so I can pick the odd thing in the cold months. So far, I've thought of carrots, leeks, garlic, hardy lettuces, corn salad, kale. I wondered if anyone had any other brilliant thoughts? many thanks in advance

[Jennifer]

How about winter radishes? They grow quite large and are good sliced into salads.

[pillbug]

You can`t have too much parsley just outside the back door.

[retropants]

perpetual spinach should keep going, provided it doesn't get too cold. possibly not too late to sow it!

[John]

Hello Bigpepper
Have you thought of trying some of the oriental vegetables? If you like salad stuff there is lots to choose from here. Despite their name most of them will stand well through the winter with little or no protection. They are quick growing. Some like Mibuna and Mizuna are 'cut and come again' types so you get several croppings.

As far as ordinary stuff goes, I think Chard would be a good one to try. Sown now it will give you leaves for picking in the Autumn and protected with a cloche it will give an occasional picking in the winter and then it will have a rush of growth in the Spring giving you greens when there is not much about. Never tried growing it in pots though - give it a try though if you have some spare open ground.

John

[bigpepperplant]

hi thanks for the advice, I'll definitely will try some of the oriental greens

[Compo]

You could try some carrots Autumn King. or some cut and come again salad, there are some excellent mixed seed packets.

You might also get away with some runner beans maybe the dwarf types or french beans will both grow up a wigwam of canes in your pot.

[ken]

You've got loads of good suggestions there, so I hesitate to add more. I'd just say that when thinking of oriental greens, consider komatsuna. We grew it last winter and were very impressed. As already mentioned, mizuna is also very good for salads - as is winter purslane.

[bigpepperplant]

komatsuna eh? sounds intriguing... do you cook it or eat it in salads?

[ken]

We cooked out komatsuna. In Grow Your Own Vegetables, Joy Larkom says that they are mainly grown for cooked greens, but young leaves and shredded mature leaves can be eaten in salads. Despite its common name of Mustard Spinach it is neither a mustard or a spinach, and is quite mild flavoured. My wife would endorse that: she's not one for spicey foods and was distinctly suspicious of komatsuna, but really liked it. It's also very hardy. We grew about 21 plants, and picked the leaves through the winter as we wanted them. We got a little bit of slug damage and, at the very end, some pigeon damage which could have been avoided by putting a net over the plants.

[John]

Hello again BigPepper
Have you got the new KG mag yet? There is an excellent article by Sue Stickland starting on p38 all about growing oriental greens for winter salads and a seed offer on p 86.
I'd add Red Russian kale to my list. The young leaves are excellent either when eaten raw or cooked. Looks pretty when it growing too!!!
John

[bigpepperplant]

got it, will have a look, thanks. Yes I have quite a lot of Red Russian kale on the go which is looking good. I'll try them soon. Re oriental vegetables I was rather put off when I grew purple choy sum and found it to be rather like eating shoelaces dipped in nail varnish remover, but I should probably get over my prejudices. Certainly, I've always found mizuna very mild and lovely.