Climate Matters: Preparing ahead for winter veg

One problem that often confounds our efforts to grow a winter veg garden is that plants we could have in the garden are reluctant to grow over winter, principally because the nights are too cold.

The solution? Sow early enough in the season so that the plants are virtually at harvest size when the cold weather hits.

Early to mid-summer is ideal for sowing or planting the slow growers like cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. Mid to late summer (the later the better if the summer is hot) is an excellent time to sow leafy greens like English spinach and leaf lettuces. Hearting lettuces tend not to hold well once the frosty nights are with us. 

If you purchase already established seedlings, you can plant a little later, but not too much. The window of opportunity is not that wide. There are even a few vegetables that can be sown at the end of summer into autumn. Corn salad and miners’ lettuce come to mind, both of which are excellent salad greens. 

There are yet other vegetables that will hold well in the winter garden but need to be sown well before.

Potatoes planted around Christmas or even before are happy to sit underground to be dug as needed over winter. If the winter is particularly wet they may not go the distance but if you have the space it’s worth a try.

Leeks are such slow growers that they need to sown in spring to be of useful size in winter.

Just as in hot dry times, mulch is very useful over winter. Carrots and beetroots should be tucked up in mulch to prevent frosting of their shoulders. The same holds for parsnips, turnips and swedes.

All of these root vegetables need to be sown early enough to be at harvest size by the time Jack returns. All are sweeter and more delicious harvested from the winter garden. Well, maybe not turnips!

Start planting seeds or seedlings as space becomes available, or in among the summer veg as their time in the sun draws to a close.

Ray South is from Banded Bee Farm, Invergowrie.​