Planning for the winter

[Jon P]

Having just planted my first veg a month or so ago and reading round a bit it seems you can plant stuff until July but it should all be timed to be harvestable by October when the cold weather starts to set in.

But there are 'winter vegetables' too so what would people recommend you could be planting to go through the winter, and when?  Eg endives? winter cabbage? mooli? purple-sprouting broccoli for February?  Will I need to invest in cloches and polytunnels as well?

[Si]

you can stick your spuds now in for new pots at christmas dinner
i found that swiss chard stayed with me all through the winter (and is still going)
brasicas: sprouts, broccoli, cabages, caulis, etc

i just whack stuff in when there's some space and it seems to sort itself out with the timings.
of the above the spuds are the only ones that I've found suffer from frost damage, but once they are up and going closhes might be too small so you'd bebetter off with fleece.

of course, none of wht I've written should be taken as fact....I just wang it in the ground and hope.

[Jon P]

Sounds good!  I've still got loads of free space so I'll plant a further lot of salads shortly then get some of the above on the go in a couple of weeks in a new bed.  Might scout out for some "hardy" varieties too.

[rae]

I gain access to my new plot on 1st September, so this year will be a frenzy of rotovation and several tonnes of horse poop.   Not sure what I am going to put in the green house, but I'm sure I'll think of something.   My next door neighbour in London has hundreds of wooden wine boxes up for grabs, so I think I'll do early spuds in the greenhouse.    I've also got 20 apple trees to worry about....

[Jon P]

Anywhere near Hampton area?  My bros gf is a keen gardener but their garden has a concrete footing, she'd love these to grow things in?