`empty Plot
SarahTho
Posts: 3
The last few years I have grown a vegetable plot in my garden which is about 3-4m wide by about 11-12 m long.However this year I have not grown anything at all apart from clover as a green manure over winter.
Last weekend I dug the land over but would love some advice on what is best do do with it now as I dont want weeds to take over.
Thought of more green manure or weed matting till next year but would be nice to maybe try and grow something over winter. I am a real beginer at this and not been very sucessful so far so any advie would be great. Thanks
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Personally I'd put some cut and come again type salad leaves in now, and look at Sarah Raven's suggestions
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/4375279/Winter-salads-from-the-garden.html for salads and herbs that'll keep on producing throughout the winter.
If you worry about them coping with the winter weather despite SR's reassurances, you could get some sort of protection - I was
looking at these the other day, but I'm not sure how sturdy they are.
And in October/November I'm going to sow some Broad Beans Aquadulce Claudia which will overwinter with no protection and give an early crop next year.
There's lots you can put in at this time of year, and as it sounds as if your soil may well be in very good heart I'd make the most of it if I were you
Sarah, any of the cut and come again salad crops, carrots, radishes and lettuce will set and grow in this warm damp weather. You will not get show stoppers but the shorter carrots will be sweet and crisp, home grown salad is always tasty.
Some garden centres or if you are lucky enough to have a local nursery will have trays of Leeks Cabbage and winter greens ready to pop in the ground now is a good time to put leeks in.
How about sowing seed for next year using part of your plot as a nursery bed, browse the seed packets in the garden centre to see what will do, I had success with Wallflowers this way and other plants are started this way.
Not everything works for everyone depends on where you are in the country, we are often three to four weeks behind the South although we still manage to grow many of the same things, just later.
Experiment with your plot and sometimes we old gardeners go against the book of rules, rules are made to be broken, you learn by your mistakes. Hope this helps.
Frank.
on my allotment, I started to create a couple of large new beds - digging up a large area of grass that was on my plot.
I only got 1/2 way through
I have covered the undug bit with plastic to stay on top on the weeds and will just do little bits as and when I can. you might want to take a similar way. Its easy to get over awed by some jobs, so make it easy for your self and do little bits at a time.
Spring onions will work for you, as will little turnips.first time I have grown baby turnips and they are now a firm favourite. using in stir fries, curries or sauted
It might be worth trying some runner beans, You might only get a crop for a couple of weeks but normally everyone is sick of beans by the Autumn.
Dont forget all the chinese cabbages, etc they like growing at this time of year
see what veggie plants your garden centre has for sale, as plants at this stage will do much better. There hopefully is 8 to 12 weeks of summer growing left.
You've loads of space though, so you want to get some fruit in there now.
Raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, currants, black berries etc, If you buy potted plants they will happily be planted now.
Remember that not everyone always has a great gardening year, we can all get dead buzy or be beaten by the weather, or loose whole rows of stuff to snails or pigeons. somethings work, somethings dont. Smile, have a glass of wine and think about what you might do next year.
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/potatoes/second-early/potato-second-cropping-collection-40-tubers/t99677pTM?source=socialfb&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=autumn2012&utm_content=christmascroppingpotatoes
There you go, T&M just posted this on my Facebook feed
Hi, Sarah, sounds like you have nice fertile soil after growing green manure. Some great idea's have already been posted and you don't want to leave the ground open to weeds.
I'd certainly 2nd growing some herbs and using part of your plot as a nursery for flowers. There are lots of flowers which can be sown now for next year and planted out before the autumn. I'm trying foxglove amoungst others for the first time.
GW mag for August have 10 vegs which can still be sown and buying veg plug plants is still an option.
Thnaks all will get busy this weekend.