[suziequeue]

Now we have got our raised beds nearly sorted out I would like to branch out into growing some winter veg.


Dobies have plug plants for sale. I know these are more expensive but I would like to grow them from plug plants this year and then - if it's successful - start some seedlings off a bit earlier next year.


They have the following plugs available:


Broccoli
Cabbage: (F1 winter jewel (spring green), F1 rodeo (red), F1 regency (pointed))
Cauliflower (F1 Sapporo)
Kale: (Cavalo Nero, Kale fizz)
Chard rainbow mix
Lettuce mix
Rocket mix


What are people's experiences and thoughts on growing winter veg?


Grateful for any advice

[pgkevet]

I've got another batch of seedling brassicas ready to go in ..and I'll be doing another lot from seed as well - if only because this year they've been growing too well and some of the earlier plantings will have flowered before the cold sets in. You missed purple sprouting off your list..

I have a few chard just sprouted in the greenhouse but usualy by october I'm stripping the house out and jeyes fluiding everything so it gets decontaminated for next year (inevitably the botrytis will hit again by Oct) - and then it's usually too late to plant anything for winter in there and the growth rate outdoors with low sun means i won't have lettuce or chard etc but with plenty of stuff like brasscias, carrots, parsnips and leeks outside it shouldn;t be an issue

[ellied]

I've got curly kale going that should manage most of the winter and I've planted a load of seeds of something like japanese broccoli (?) which is a short growth brassica to have a go with.  I've chard to go in but don't have a good record growing cabbages and caulis so probably won't bother this year until I get my new raised beds sorted for next season

[Fleecewife]

I usually grow purple sprouting broccoli and various kales.  I no longer grow cabbages as they grow beautifully but we never eat them all.  I don't grow caulis here either as they don't do well, or they're all ready at the same time, or the caterpillars turn them to green mush.  I sometimes grow a little chard but we don't like to eat it often.  I don't eat rocket at all, vile stuff, and the only winter salad which works for me is mizuna, which doesn't mind being frozen solid and will grow outside even with deep freezer temps.  I keep meaning to sow lamb's lettuce but have only occasionally managed as I get the timing all wrong.  I also grow winter leeks.

Some winters here are too cold or too snowy for even the toughest brassicas and leeks, and in some years I've lost the lot, so I now grow some backups in the tunnel.

Depending on your climate, you can sow certain varieties of broad bean to overwinter and possibly be ready a week or two earlier than spring sown.  Certain garlic varieties need to be sown in the autumn (about Nov) and you can grow overwintering/Japanese onions

[suziequeue]

So do you think I could start form seed with cabbage, broccoli and chard if I get my skates on? They would be outside (mid-Wwales) but reasonably sheltered and in raised beds. I could keep them protected at a pinch.

[pgkevet]

you've got nothing to lose..all those seeds keep and plenty per packet for the next 2 years. Brassicas in modules to start.. chard direct or modules

[Fleecewife]

So do you think I could start form seed with cabbage, broccoli and chard if I get my skates on? They would be outside (mid-Wwales) but reasonably sheltered and in raised beds. I could keep them protected at a pinch.

I think you're probably too late to start broccoli so late from seed, but you are right on time for spring cabbage (and wallflowers).  Kale, esp dwarf green curled, should do alright as you can eat it when it's quite small as well as when it grows larger.  Chard will be fine from the point of view of sowing now, but I've no idea how it would last a winter outside.  here, chard always dies down over the winter but always pops back up as soon as the temp warms in spring.

[Lesley Silvester]

My chard dies down in winter as well. As we are about as far north as you are, it seems likely that it would do the same for you unless you are growing under cover, in which case it might work. Worth a try anyway.


I need to get my spring cabbage started soon.

[suziequeue]

Right - my plan is:

Start with some cabbage and kale seeds now
Get broccoli plugs

Be more organised next year!!

Thankyou for helping me formulate my plan.

We had another 13 tonnes of topsoil delivered yesterday….. absolutely BEAUTIFUL stuff……… and I only ordered it yesterday morning!! so there's nothing stopping us filling the rest of the raised beds.

[smhowie]

trying it for the first time this year will let you know how it goes 

[clydesdaleclopper]

My chard over wintered outside okay last year and we are certainly further north and we are quite high up. That said it was a mild winter.

[mojocafa]

What is chard?

[pgkevet]

What is chard?

"Wot my wife does to ma dinna"

Related to perpetual spinach:. rainbow chard, ruby chard, swiss chard.. can be used as baby leaf or cut and come again .. tasty leaves when bigger steam or str fry also the stems .. the rainbow variant has lots of different coloured stem plants from pale to white through yellow red and vivid mauve - lovely colour to add to salads

[pgkevet]

Something ate my current batch of nice seedlings that I was going to plant out today - they were fine 2 days ago on an outside bench and the bites look too small for slugs and no vivible bugs. It happens and I'm still prepared to sow some more this afternoon.

[suziequeue]

Mice?