Since coming back to the Uk 6 years ago I haven't planted a winter garden and would like to this year I am not familiar with many of the varieties here,and even over there I traded plants with a neighbour so I was never very sure when she started them. The growing season is different too so I need help.
This what I have come up, can anyone help me with sowing times,planting out etc and any info at all you can give me.
Purple Sprouting Brocc.
White " "
Kales, but I am confused about types.
Cabbages, I know a wee bit, not much.
Cauli, I know diddly about,
9 Star Perrenial Brocc I also know diddly about
Raab ditto
Kohl rabi , know about atumn harvest only
Leeks, a bit hot and miss, don't know the types well
Carrots,I used to grow an over wintering one but have forgotten it
Beets ditto
Winter lettuce ditto.
There may be other things I haven't mentioned because I don't know.
I have seeds for just a few of above and would appreciate variety names so I can go shopping please.
I apologise in advance as this is a big ask so would appreciate any help you can give me.
Thank you XX
Jeannine
Jeannine,
I think I have some of those at home in my seed box and I'm pretty sure they're spares - would you like me to send them to you to start you off? I'll have a look over the weekend and let you know the types so you can decide...
:)
Just to start you off -winter lettuce(well to crop early spring)-Hilde and Winter density-sow late Autumn.
PSB-again for spring harvest-look for early psb and late psb.
For late broccoli/calabrese look for `Di Chico`(sp?)
For `winter` crops try Misticaza ,sugar loaf chicory,whitloof chicory for forcing,lambs lettuce,rocket and don`t forget the pea shoots
Hi Jeannine,
Think you can get varieties of winter spinach too??
And what about silverbeet? Is that what it is called there? White stalks and dark green leaves. It is very hardy.
Something they like in France is what we call "Celeri rave" think it is rot celery, or celeriac? Has celery leaves but is a root veg that forms a large brown root with white flesh. very tasty, hardy, you can eat it grated in salad or cooked, tastes like mild celery.
My local famer grows winter salads too, curly endive, "scarole" and lamb's lettuce.
Swede? Brussel sprouts! Delicious! and I believe you can crop potatoes till early winter (december).
Haven't thought about winter yet!!! still struggling with spring :D
Thanks for raising this topic, Jeannine, I am determined to get the most out of my little plot & want to plant stuff for winter but I too am unsure what to plant or when to plant it. I haven't got much space so will have to bring things on in pots to go in when summer crops come out. Also I want to make use of my unheated greenhouse so need to be thinking about what can go in there. I shall follow this thread with interest & hopefully be able to decide.
Incidentally, I am writing this in Brussels where we are for a few days. The weather is HOT, we have both got sunburnt & can't sit on the balcony any longer as we were frying!
Purple Sprouting Brocc.
White " "
As I mentioned in another thread I don't grow them now but I found the choice was a bit limited in any case so take your pick!!
Kales,
Curly green or Redbor should fit the bill
Cabbages,
Tundra as a Cabbage and Wintessa as a Savoy
April or Spring Hero for a Spring Cabbage
Cauli,
Any of the Walchern varieties and Belot
Leeks, Musselburgh
The rest I don't know much about don't grow them!
Good start for me, some things jogged my memory. I used to grow winter density lettuce(don't have) but I do have lambs lettuce,rocket, chicory and I think I have Spring Hero as well..
Musselburgh rings a bell as well...don't have
The PSP I have is early.
I think I used to grow Tyee spinach late..don't have
I used to grow Tundra too...don't have
Is silverbeet what we would call Chard? Have lots of that
I think the beetroot was Winterkeeper
I think the celery root veggie mentioned is celariac which I have. Have that too
I have no idea what a pea shoot is???
Sally-Cinnamon that is very kind of you, I will happily swap if you have spares.Thank you
MaryMary, I grow salads all year round as best I can by using my greenhouse in the winter,I might be able to help you on that bit.
I have book on Winter Gardening on the Pacific Northwest in the States but many of the names are not the same. The climate is about the same though and it says to start most things in June,does that sound right?
XX Jeannine
:)
have Musselburgh leek seed if you want some Jeannine, I don't need anything in return/ shades x
Shades that would be great,I will accept that, I might have something for you anyway !! XX Jeannine I will PM you
Hi, Jeannine, I have some winter lisbon salad onion seeds, winter density lettuce, and winter purslane, aka claytonia if you can use them..don't need swaps this year..let me know, marilyn
Hi Manic, smashing, I din't expect to get seeds, just help. I do have Da Mazzi adn De Baletta from My Italian friend but I don't think they are winters,the Winter Density would be great too. I think I grew Valdor as well.
The other one I don't know what it is, but if you think it is good I will have a go. I must give something back though.
I will Pm you XX Thank you Jeannine
I have no idea what a pea shoot is???
A pea-sown for it young leaves?
Really, you mean you just eat the leaves
yes all the above ground bit is edible, and the root of you just sprout them in water like mung beans..
The Claytonia is a good standby over winter as is Sugar loaf chicory, endive and raddichio (red chicory).... we can risk carrots if August is damp and cool and swede which I have been eating all winter. The Winter Radish... black spanish round is great cooked but powerful raw in salads...
I have a couple of heritage lettuce which over winter in a cold greenhouse or under cloches... Stoke and Bronze Arrow.. Bath Cos and Loos Tennis ball have also done the bus. in Derby...
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/Roots107.jpg)
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/Vegfeb07.jpg)
January and February this year ...
;D
Wow Saddad that is what I want to do, pick stuff at different times. I am more determined than ever now. I need sowing help though XX Jeannine
Really, you mean you just eat the leaves
If Sarah left us anything it was eating pea sprouts
The main sowing times are end of May for the early winter... up to Dec. and again at the end of July early August for the Nov to March period...
:-\
If you want any specifics just pm me Jeannine...
;D
Oh I see, I do sprout a lot of seeds and things XX Jeannine
Jeannine, you must grow some endive Witlof, and for special interest to the Black Bucket Brigade they can be used to force the chicons 8)
;D
Lish I do have some Endive, is it not bitter,actually I have box of stuff I got as a gift I have never grown, chicory, raddichio,endive,lambs lettuce,rocket, etc. I don't know much about any of them except I am not keen on mixed salad leaves with anything other than mixed lettuces in. I guess I need to read uo a bit more in this area XX Jeannine
Hi, my little boy planted purple sprouting broccoli last spring. As we are both new to this game we were disappointed when we go no crop :'(. However my little un insisted that we leave his lovely Broccoli plants in situ and hey presto we now have lovely purple broccoli.. You live and learn...Winter gardens wow! :)
I did the same thing Barcly ! Ha ha ! But Jeannine try growing some fennel in late Autumn (as I was recomended in a well known garden news paper. )These I had a cloche over untill I ,d used them all up into December .
Rohaise
Witlof is called 'endive' but isn't the salad leaf also known as endive ::)....it's a chicon much loved by the Begian and Dutch....they eat it with ham....who knows, come next winter you might like to try it ;)
(how's the meat-free diet going, then?) ;D
Jeanine
I have aselection of different PSB's, summer and winter leeks, celeriac (which is a must) summer and winter cauli's, savoy cabbage, kale, black tuscan kale, and winter lettuces, etc. I think on a previous thread you said you wouldn't mind a couple of squash seeds from a list I posted. If you pm me, I pull together some different varieties of stuff for you with growing instructions. I would also recommend over wintering japanese onions as well, just because you can start pulling them before they mature in May when they have a really sweet and mild flavour - lovely for salads.
I personally love the veg off the allotment in winter - just because you don't have to pick everything at once - and it all tastes so fresh and green.
Oh forgot brussel sprouts!
Lish, thank you for the new info, I am game it try anything.The meat free thing is going better than I thought,I am still dreaming about lamb chops but it has been 8 days and I don't feel deprived.I do think it is harder to cook though and I am sort of muddling through a bit.
Suzanne thank you ,I do have some of what you mentioned,I will Pm you and perhaps we can put our heads together. I don't remember the squashy thing though, maye I blinked too much that day.
I am getting quite excited about the idea now and tons of info coming.
XX Thank you all Jeannine
Suzanne I do remember ,the lady who asked for squash seeds as gifts!! Oh gosh I feel bad now, do I owe you something XX Jeannine