Growing a winter garden

[calendula]

important winter crops for me are parsnips, kales, caulis, cabbages (especially savoys) and in the greenhouse in boxes (mainly to protect and keep slug free and clean) loads of pak choi, chinese lettuces and loads of salads such as mizuna, mustards, rocket etc - I always aim to harvest all year round 

[Jeannine]

Good stuff, great advice and still time to plant somethings.

Goodlife..I have juniper seeds, isn't that what gin is made from,


I am searching seed packets  for late plantings.I have many of what have been mentioned ,better get cracking.

I have brussel seedlings to go out, plus some winter caulis and oriental stuff,leeks are in, just need to find a space now. Might use my disabled raised bed,and cut down on the winter squash currently in it.

Salad stuff I grow in a tub.So can be on the balcony if needs be.

I do have the book Eliot Coleman on winter gadening must take a closer read.

Can someone suggest a kale that is not too strong, I am trying very hard to get on with it but struggle with the flavour.

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

Code:

Goodlife..I have juniper seeds, isn't that what gin is made from

Hmmm..at leats part of it.. Have you got any gin seeds in that magic box of yours...that would be much easier than starting from scratch..?

Code:

Can someone suggest a kale that is not too strong

Scarlet is good one..and if you only eat the small leaves or the frilly ends on the older ones you should be in safe side... ..Oh and the red russian too...flat one..I eat the new spring leaves fresh..like salad leaves..
Actually I think some salad leaf mixes do use red russian in them. The leaf is light, dusky green with bit of pink....pretty pink..

[goodlife]

that reminded me...I found another bag of seeds in my box....Pentland Brig Kale..well label says Borecole..so same thing..never tried that one before..
It does say in packet 'very winter hardy'..so those are now in compost and ready to take over the world..

[earlypea]

Can someone suggest a kale that is not too strong, I am trying very hard to get on with it but struggle with the flavour.

For me, and I think for many, the Tuscan Kale is by far the nicest, but even with that I wouldn't touch it until the weather's cold.  At its best I much prefer it over cabbage, it develops a nutty flavour and the texture is lovely too.

Red Ursa has also become a bit of an essential, but I only plant it to eat for the late spring.  Find the leaves unpalateable in autumn, but delightful around April with a true spring cabbage taste and massive spurts of leaves - normally filling a bit of a gap post other spring surges in cabbages and spinaches.  

This year, because of that I'm planning to try Purple Peacock which is a cross between broccoli and red russian so dual purpose, you can eat the leaves and allegedly they taste quite sweet.  I've heard this can happen when you cross kale with brussels too.

One year I planted a load of corn salad which was in full flight in January (if I remember right), but I couldn't bring myself to eat it because it looked stunning, like an elf's garden and so bright, green and shiny contrasted with all the winter gloom.  Also it would take a hell of a lot to make a dishful which is a downside.  Does anyone successful actually grow it to eat?

[goodlife]

 

Code:

Does anyone successful actually grow it to eat?

Yes.. ..hmmm..sort of...I found one has germinated from the seed that was left behind...or only got into surface for ideal conditions..well I felt sorry for the little thing..and left it to be..and now it has grown really beautiful specimen..
But I know what you mean for not wanting to eat them/it..so I'm going the let it seed and see if it does naturally better than I would do by sowing it for purpose.. Life is just one big experiment..

[earlypea]

Actually, I do sometimes eat the Tuscan early autumn and it's very pleasant; not sure whether that's because it's the early growth (don't sow it til now or July) or the size of the leaves, but later when it's still warm and the leaves are larger it takes a lot of cooking.  Maybe I don't crop it right.

[Jeannine]

I have been going through Winter Harvest books fr my area which is very similar to the UK.I have found varieties of the following that can still be plantes late June , lots in July and nAugust and some as late as October.

Broadies,Carrots,Parsnips,Cauli,Collards,Beets,Garlic, some of the sprouting broc but not all,Kale,Cabbages,Kohlrabi,Lettuce,Endive,  Mesclun mixes,Radichio,Onions,lots of Oriental veggies,Peas for late harvest but not thru winter,Radish,Spinach,Chard,Turnips, Swede.Spring onions.


So all in all lots!!! Some varieties are specifically for over wintering and different to Spring sown.

I feel a thrill coming on
XX Jeannine

[grannyjanny]

Jeannine my OH is very conservative with his taste. Thought he was doing well when he had spag bol soon after we were married (43 years ago). His sister who is 76 has never tasted savoury rice or pasta . I cooked kale in the fat from chopped up bacon & let the bacon get quite crisp, you could add onions & garlic but didn't risk it for OH. Anyway he loved it . He now enjoys it with gravy too.

[grannyjanny]

Me again. Is there a dwarf Tuscan kale. OH doesn't want to have to build a huge structure like he did last year. He doesn't like the water pipe jobs .

[goodlife]

Oh..I haven't heard any dwarf ones...I think they are all about same 50-60 cm tall.. T&M has one called dwarf green curled..but it is not 'tuscany type' and they do not specify what height their dwarf type grows to..
I have found that 'my' pigeons don't touch kale..only cabbage, cauli and broccoli...

[grannyjanny]

My cavalo nero is about 1mtr he says, I say a bit more  .

[goodlife]

Keep you cavalo off from steroids... ....and grow it just normal way..

Gosh..did you manure the ground last year to get it to that size? You only need one plant per family and winter veg is sorted...

[grannyjanny]

It was double dug & manured last March & planted with potatoes then followed on with brassicas. White sprouting broccoli was the same height as PSB lost the will to live with the Winter weather.

[earlypea]

I sowed mine late last year and then put them in poor soil - do the same and it'll give you the dwarf variety you want.  Tastes the same. 

[grannyjanny]

Thanks earlypea. I'll try that approach but the soil won't be poor.

[earlypea]

Actually, come to think of it it had been manured in the Autumn, maybe it was just the late sowing. (6th July sowing and planted out 26th my diary says)

[Jeannine]

Hi, I only have two types of kale right now??

Rose Nagoya Flowering kale  ..no idea about this, it sounds like a flower!!

Black Curled Vates, came this year from an heirloon seedsman here as a gift..need to look that one up to.

XX Jeannine

[artichoke]

"Komatsuna is a typical Japanese leafy vegetable. It is often called Japanese Mustard Spinach in the US supermarkets"

I found this good sown in July, growing away strongly into the autumn, and very tender and speedy, huge green leaves. Sorry if it has been mentioned already - the various names are quite confusing.

[artichoke]

....and I forgot to mention sorrel. Mine short row stood the terrible winter, and moved really fast in early spring. I chop it into salads for its lemony tang, and wilt it to put into omelettes with herbs and anything else handy (goes a horrid colour but tastes lovely, and very tender). It's flowering and going over at the moment (still lots of leaves), but I am about to sow more.