Topic: Late crops - Spinach - give it a whirl?

[CotswoldLass]

Planted some Spinch today - worth a punt at this time or, well, what do you think?
Anyone else planting late? any other ideas?
Got so used to wonderful fresh veg over the last few months, seems worth giving it a try. Unfortunately my big freezer plan fell flat - peas were a disaster sadly.

Love to hear views! CLx

[john_miller]

Even if you don't get anything this year it will overwinter to give you some fresh early greens next year.

[campanula]

yep, still planting spring onions, lettuces, spinach, turnips and will be about to do peas, broad beans, onion, shallots and garlic. This is always one of my fave times of year when i get all my hardy annuals in for cutting next year - in fact, i see it as the real start of the gardening year. go for it!

[gilgamesh]

Some of the cut & come again stuff will also stand being planted late - Texsel for sure, Komatsuna I think. Try the Chinese "Beauty Heart" type radishes (bit savage eaten whole, so grate them).

Don't forget that you should also be getting the ground ready for overwintering peas (round-seeded varieties) and broad beans to go in in a month or so.

[Sarah-b]

Bit off topic, but campanula - what hardy annuals do you put in now?

[busy_lizzie]

Would like to put in some carrots over winter, but I wondered whether I would have to get a special overwintering variety.  Same goes with lettuce and turnips - do I need a special seed or will the usual seed from this season do? ??? busy_lizzie

[CotswoldLass]

Well thanks! Will certainly put in some lettuce. Digging over beds at the mo so planning ahead.
Have always started Broad Beans and Peas in the Spring here....should be starting earlier then?
CLx

[gilgamesh]

Re Turnips. I've always worked on the basis that start of August is about the end for planting more turnips, but swedes will stand going in later. If you have turnips already in the ground, leaving them in (a little straw on top helps reduce frost damage) and let them start into growth in the Hungry Gap for useful spring greens.

Broad Beans - SOME varieties (Aquadulce Claudia to name my fave) can be planted Oct-Nov, overwintered, and will crop before the bl**kf*y get up to their tricks next year.

Peas - again only SOME varieties, round-seeded ones, will overwinter in the same way. They aren't as sweet as the marrowfat/wrinkled seeded varieties, but they'll come in when no-one else has any peas. I use Meteor - but the planting info on the seed packet will tell you which are suitable.

HTH