Topic: winter crops

[sarah]

this year i want to make as much use of my half plot as possible. last year i had a lot of wasted space after crops such as potatos and beans, so this year i want to be prepared with plenty of things to follow on with.  so far i have planned for leeks (to follow early spuds);  purple sprouting , brussell sprouts and black kale (so i am ok on the brassica front!).
what other ideas do youhave for crops to keep me in veg over the winter that i should be sowing now or in the near future? i am not keen on oriental salad stuffs.   o i have parsnips in. 

[asbean]

You can get seeds to sow late - July/July/August.  We did Marshalls spinach, french beans and peas which we harvested till October.  We would have had spring hero cabbages (Mr Fothergills) but for a cat fight destroyed all my seedlings that were waiting to be put in.  Will try again this year.  I agree about the open spaces, it seems a waste, there is also the option of sowing green manure (eg phacelia), let it over-winter and dig it in in the spring.

[asbean]

And I forgot, Marshalls did winter salad plants, I bought 40, put them under corrugated plastic sheets bent to make a sort of tunnel, hardly watered them, they lasted all winter.

[Pigface51]

Last years overwinetr crops for me were a huge number of onions & garlic (all coming together ready for picking soon), curly kale, leaf beat (a.k.a. perpetual spinach) & purple sprouting.

I'm planning this year, on the beds after the spuds for onions, garlic, curly kale, perpetual spinach, swiss chard, broad bean & purple sprouting.

...certainly the curly kale & Perp.Spinach did exceedingly well, and from Feb onwards the onions, Garlic & Purple sprouting did good too.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

we sowed turnips, carrots, beetroot, spring onion in August (2nd week) and they were fine. Would have been better sown 3-4 weeks earlier, but we were waiting for the rain. turnips were perfect, but the others were on the small side
T&M this year apparently have an overwintering carrot

Radicchio is a good winter salad. I have seeds if you want

Lamb's lettuce is a another, if you like it

[markfield rover]

We planted jerusalem artichokes this time last year and harvested Jan/March.
spring onions and corinder which grew all last winter.

[Barnowl]

Sowed Merveille de Quatre Saisons and Bronze Arrow lettuce in September last year.  Harvested last one last w.e. 

Some left in seedbed under enviromesh and some transplanted to an open ended cloche.

[saddad]

Just eating the last of the endive... and agree on those lettuce. We sowed Winter Radish, Swede and Carrots at the end of the August and were still eating them in March! Vetch over winters well as a green manure...

oh and Purple Cape Cauli!
 ;D

[Jeannine]

I am trying to get around to planting for a winter garden too. I have a basket of seeds but can't quite get my head around it all.

In my winter seeds basket I have:

White and black salsify
Spring onions,White Lisbon winter hardy
Romanesco and Franchis green Macerata cauli
Cabbage January King,Spring Hero,Offenham,Tundra,April,Durham Early,
   January King,Ormskirk,Flower of Spring
Sultan Leeks
Cauliflower Galleon,Snow March,Belot, Autumn Giant,Maystar
Kale Nero
Celariac,Alabaster
Sprouting Broccollis,Purple Red Arrow.Bordeaux,Claret,NIne Star,Rudolph,
       White sprouting,Late PSB,
Leek Giant Winter,Musselburgh
Onions Senshuyu,Walla Walla
Lettuce,Winter Density,Little Gem
Brussell Sprouts ,Fillbasket,Agincourt
Claytonia
Chicory, Witloof
Carrot, Eskimo

and some oriental greens in another box

I know, I know, I have far too many, if there is something that is no good in my list I would appreciate the eduaction as I am winging it here, and if there is something I should have please can you tell me

XX Thank you  Jeannine

[markfield rover]

 As above' walla Walla' onions are brilliant and can be eaten like an apple.
also interesting to 'google' .

[cambourne7]

I have a simular list, i have 1/2 my celariac and all my sprouts started and I plan to replace early summer crops with winter and over wintering ones to save space.

[Jeannine]

Markfield , the Walla Walla is the only one I know well, I have grown this one for years and years, our holiday home was just a few miles from the original farm in Washington State  they were  our neighbours, we got all our wally's from there  at the source,be it seed,or plants or actual onions. I still have my seeds sent from the same place.  They used to tease me that I would never be able to grow them the same because of the micro climate they were in. They were right too.Boy do I miss the shopping trip though !! XX Jeannine

[markfield rover]

If you blink you will miss it ,but there is about a two week season when the shops( Waitrose\Tesco)sell a similar onion,
mind,about 80 new pence each! Delicious

[Jeannine]

Oh thank you, I will try and remember,it won't be the same as the trip to Hells Canyon in Wallowa county but if I close my eyes and bite it may be a good trip. The Wally's come and go quite quickly  in Washington too and they are not good keepers, the over wintered ones are much sweeter than the summer sown. I shall continue to  do my best but the soil and the climate here are not really much good for them and they struggle but still it is good to keep annual traditions going I think. Thank you for the help XX Jeannine

[emmy1978]

As above' walla Walla' onions are brilliant and can be eaten like an apple.
also interesting to 'google' .

My mates dad used to say " D'ya want some advice?" to which you were supposed to say "yes" he would then say "Buy onions instead of apples, they're cheaper."
 ;D
Meant to say also - sneaky Sarah, I've been wondering the same thing with my plot!! I have late carrots but that's about it!

[carolinej]

the soil and the climate here are not really much good for them

  :'( :'( :'(

I am growing them and was really looking forward to munching on them. Do you think it would be an idea to grow some overwinter in the unheated green house, or all summer in there?

I have to find a way!

cj :)

[sarah]

thanks for your ideas everyone, thats a good list jeannine and i remembered earlier that i have some celeriac in, so maybe i am not doing too bad for winter stuff really all things considered. i think i should try and source some cheap (i.e free) transparent corrugated  plastic to make long cloches out of and grow lettuces and carrots through the winter too.

those walla walla onions sound mad i cant imagine taking a big bite out of an onion!, its interesting to hear about the different things you have grown in canada.

thanks for the offer of radichio rubarbcrusher i will pass though as not keen on it. i love that advert though with the opera singing salads .

salsify; whats that like? have seen it but cant really imagine what it tastes like.
 

[Jeannine]

Sarah take another look at my list, I can send you a pack of what you are short,you don't need a lot in number but more varieties would be good, take as many as yi wish and I will send you a few seeds of each  XX Jeannine

[sarah]

thanks jeannine thats very kind i might try some salsify if you have some spare. i will PM you. x