Topic: I'm the only one planting Winter veg on my site!

[Crystalmoon]

Hi all, I had a walk around my allotment site yesterday & I seem to be the only person planting Winter veg....this seems really odd to me as at my previous site everyone grew through the Winter....I am beginning to think the site may flood badly in the Winter as I can't think of any other reason why nobody is planting things out. Or do you think I have planted my things too early? I put purple sprouting broc & Calvero Nero in a few months ago, I can start to harvest the Nero soon. I've just planted out cabbages, calebrase & kale. As soon as I bump into another person at the site that isn't a newbie like me I will ask about flooding.
Has anyone else started planting out Winter crops?

[pumkinlover]

My sprouts and Acne cabbages are growing away. That said our site can be dug no matter how much rain you have had it drains well.
I would have expected that you should have been advised if the site floods.

[johhnyco15]

next week end is the annual  pumpkin show after that ill planting away at the mo im holding them back in pots waiting to put them in

[winecap]

Quite a few people on our site only really grow through the summer. They usually disappear about now and don't come back until the spring. Lots of the plots are bare soil right through winter. It always seems strange to me.

[ancellsfarmer]

Target mission challenge is to harvest something every visit, at least once per week.

[Borlotti]

I am not planting nothing, (I know bad English), I am just trying to tidy up, get rid of the weeds, mainly grass and maybe dig over the few beds that are still beds and have not gone back to jungle.  Lovely sunny day today, so did get some work done, in between the long chats.
Still picking runner beans, french beans, tomatoes, spinach, cooking apples, eating apples, pears, cut raspberries back so just a bit of cutting down and tidying up.  All in all not a bad year.

[galina]

Target mission challenge is to harvest something every visit, at least once per week.

Not difficult.  Not with kales, leeks and relatives, cabbages, chard and Brussels, as well as cloched or greenhouse salad stuff like endive, sometimes real lettuce if it is mild, rocket, lamb's lettuce and landcress.  My celery is by now perennial and gets through winter weather just fine.  I always transplant a couple into the greenhouse for insurance, but they have so far survived outdoors just fine.  There is witloof chicory too, which gives nice salad plants from transplanted roots grown indoors or in the greenhouse. 

Of course then there is the stored veg like winter squash, onions, garlic, shallots and also the veg in the freezer like beans, peas, tomatoes, broad beans and tomato sauce in jars plus fruit in jars and in the freezer plus stored potatoes and apples - all goes together for a good winter menu.  Last year we had wonderful celeriacs for a long time because it was so mild for most of winter and several cuts of fennel too.  I have overwintering spring onions too and perennial onions.  If you had started a little earlier then turnips and winter radish would be on the menu too, as would beetroot.  But turnip is easy to overwinter and the foliage is nice to eat, even if it has been too late in the year for full roots.  So are the oriental vegetables and mooli radishes.  My black winter radishes (which get eaten cooked mostly like turnips) keep over winter under cloches.  Good luck with your aspirations and wonder what your plans are. 

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks for all your replies...like you ancellsfarmer I plan to harvest at least once a week through the Winter if at all possible.
Galina you have given me some ideas about other things I can grow this Winter thank you.
I have had leeks in the ground for ages but there seriously isn't one other plot on my site with any leeks in so perhaps its like you say winecap maybe they just dig over the soil & leave it until the Spring.
I hope you do well in the pumpkin show Johhny. Borlotti I hope your plot clearing goes really well & you beat the battle with the weeds. xJane