Winter vegetable plants

markie6657

Hi,
Am I too late to be planting winter veg plants? I've been trying to find some at my local garden centres without success, I'd thought about looking online however I'm only after a small number and with delivery charges it wouldn't really be cost effective, many thanks

Obelixx

Try sowing your own.   Plenty to sow for autumn and winter harvest and, if you can keep the little foil packs sealed as much as possible and store them in a cool, dry place, the seeds you don't use will keep.

Look at cabbages, Swiss chard, Chinese greens, turnips, radishes, salad mixes.   You'll probably find some of these as plugs in a good GC or DIY store if you can't or won't sow seeds yourself.   

Nollie

Probably too late to sow brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower that have a long growing season, but some good suggestions from Obelixx. Kohl Rabi you can also sow now and Spinach in September when the weather cools a bit.

markie6657

many thanks for your replies, I was a bit concerned that it may be a little late to be sowing seeds but quite happy to give it a go

robiwan

try broad beans and peas too

Obelixx

Plugs will have a head start and if carefully cultivated, fed, watered and sheltered when necessary will produce a crop of edibles, just not on the scale of th especimens in supermarkets.

If you sow cabbages now, especially the Chinese ones, you'll get an edible crop for stir frying in a few weeks.   It's a bit late for sowing winter greens and maybe purple sprouting broccoli but, if you can give some protection with a net for butterflies and fleece or plastic tent to mimic a polytunnel it's worth having a go and you should get a crop to take you thru the hungry gap early next spring. 

Beetroot is also worth a go if you have good soil so they can grow fast.  Baby beets are very tasty in salads or baked with garlic and the young leaves are really good sauteed with a bit of butter or just in salads.  Turnips too.

Lyn

I will be sowing spring greens seeds at the end of this month,  I will plant them out in the GH after the tomatoes have finished, and will be pickling leaves through the winter.