Kitchen Garden Forum

Hello
Would any of you care to give any experience stoke opinion about winter veg? your faves least faves, problems,and anything a little out of the norm you overwinter?
Apart from leeks/sprouts I'm going in for winter onions in a big way,anything to keep me active when the short days which I hate arrive fully,hope to hear from you,loads of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the best-Bold

Hi BoldV

I'm growing Redbor kale for the first time and also have Tuscan kale, winter Savoy cabbage and Bright Lights chard.

I've got a good crop of carrots, parsnips, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes and beetroot to keep me going too.

The garlic will be going in during September and I'm about to sow the onions; shallots go into pots in the greenhouse in late December.

Got some nice savoy cabbages, sprouts (i'm trying again) calabrese, purple sprouting broccoli and will be getting some garlic and over wintering onions.

Dear Boldverg, as well as Chantals suggestions i also grow Broadbeans, peas, spring cabbage and winter cauliflowers.
I'm afraid i don't grow anything out of the norm.

ooops....forgot the caulis. Don't do broad beans cos I can't stand them. One of the few things I won't eat.

I grow all the usual plus celeriac, swede, parsnips, kale,purple sprouting etc. but most winter crops need a long growing period and need to be started off late spring/early summer. I don't think there is much you can plant now without some protection other than onions and broadbeans maybe spring cabbage.

Beryl.

I saw adverts for winter brassicas on the web today, which you could plant now and get a good supply all winter. You can make an asparagus bed in the autumn (Thompson&Morgan have some) and strawberry beds. I started last year at this time with onions, shallots and garlic, and they were the best crops of the year. I tried spring cabbage -no luck(my own fault-got the timing all wrong)and peas- the warm autumn made them flower and then they all went mouldy! I like the look of bright lights chard, but I've never eaten it so don't know if I'll grow some. Exotic salad leaves can still be sown now-but you might need a cloche to get a harvest over winter. Oh, don't forget fruit- autumn is good time to plant all sorts of fruit trees and bushes. Let us know what you try!