Sow now for winter harvests
10 tasty crops to sow now, to keep your veg plot and pots productive for months to come
If your summer vegetables are coming to an end, or you didn’t get around to growing any this year, don’t worry. There are lots of vegetables you can sow and plant now, to give you fresh pickings all through autumn and winter. They will also fill next spring’s ‘hungry gap’ – those months of the year when you’re busy sowing but your summer veg have yet to start cropping. While winter stalwarts like Brussels sprouts and parsnips needed to be in the ground months ago, there are quicker-growing crops that can be sown now, and many are surprisingly hardy, needing only a little protection from the worst of the weather.
As you clear away spent summer crops over the coming weeks, you’ll create gaps where you can squeeze in some new crops for winter harvests. Don’t be tempted to leave the ground empty, as weeds will soon take over. And if you still have no space left in the ground, many of these veg can be grown in a large pot. So there’s no excuse – let’s get sowing!
SPINACH
Spinach can survive frosts and winter rain to give you pickings in autumn and winter, plus fresh new growth from March.
Where to grow
In the ground, in a pot or in an unheated greenhouse.
How to grow
Sow in early September into modules or small pots indoors, to get the seedlings off to a good start and ensure they’re safe from slugs. Once planted out, cover with netting to keep pigeons away. Protect the plants with a cloche from October onwards, or grow in an unheated greenhouse. Varieties to try
Many varieties of spinach will survive winter. Try ‘Medania’, whose leaves are dense and dark green; ‘Early Prickly Seeded’, which is quick to re-grow after a cold winter; cold-hardy ‘Giant Winter’; and mildew-resistant ‘Samish’ and ‘Apollo’.
ORIENTAL LEAVES
These fast-growing salad leaves tolerate cool, wet conditions and will give you pickings in autumn and next spring. Now’s a good time to sow, as they germinate best when it’s warm, and then need to be kept moist and not exposed to extreme heat, to prevent bolting.
Where to grow
In the ground, in a pot or in an unheated greenhouse.
How to grow
Sow in August or September, either direct into the ground or, if you’ve had a wet summer, in modules or small pots to keep the seedlings away from slugs. Protect the plants with a cloche or grow in an unheated greenhouse. Varieties to try
Mustard is perhaps the most winter-hardy oriental leaf, with the variety ‘Green in Snow’ among the hardiest. Mizuna is easy to grow and offers plentiful harvests of mild leaves. Pak choi is mildtasting, succulent and vigorous, with fleshy stems.
GARLIC
Most varieties need a period of cold temperatures, so for tasty bulbs in summer, plant in autumn.
Where to grow
In the ground or in a large pot.
How to grow
Buy prepared bulbs from seed suppliers or garden centres – don’t use supermarket garlic. Give it the sunniest spot you can. Break bulbs into cloves just before planting. Plant pointed end upwards, direct in the ground or, if you have heavy soil, in modules for planting out next spring. If you have no space in the ground, plant three cloves in a pot 30cm wide and 30cm deep. Varieties to try
Choose autumn/winter planting varieties. ‘Hardneck’ types have a milder flavour, are more tolerant of cold, but don’t store for as long. ‘Softnecks’ are what we buy in the supermarket, best only grown in the south of the UK, as they’re less cold tolerant. ‘Carcassonne Wight’ (hardneck), plant Sep-Feb; ‘Solent Wight’ (softneck), plant Oct-Jan.
SPRING CABBAGE
This hardy vegetable can give you leaves for picking as spring greens in March, or hearts in April.
Where to grow
In the ground.
How to grow
If you’re growing from seed, they should be sown by the end of August, under cover, for planting out in September-October. Alternatively, buy young plants in garden centres – depending on the size, they may need potting up and growing on before they’re ready to plant out. Plant deep enough that the whole stem is buried and firm in really well, so they root deeply and can withstand buffeting winds. Net to protect from pigeons. Varieties to try
Pointy, hearting varieties, such as ‘Durham Early’ and ‘Pyramid’, for greens or hearts. ‘Hispi’ gives large, tight hearts. ‘Spring Hero’ is one of the few overwintering varieties to make a round heart.
ROCKET
Rocket can survive some frost, provided the plants are large and robust enough. They will give you peppery pickings through autumn and winter, and may also put on new growth next spring.
Where to grow
In the ground, in a pot or in an unheated greenhouse.
How to grow
Sow salad rocket in late August or early September, for pickings through autumn and winter. Wild rocket needs to be sown in early August to overwinter. Sow direct into the ground or in modules for planting out later. Give plants more space than you would in summer, as closer spacings make for less hardy plants. Protect against rabbits and wet weather using cloches, or grow in a greenhouse. Varieties to try
Many varieties of salad rocket are available, but plain ‘salad rocket’ is as good as any.
ONION
Choose overwintering varieties that can tolerate cold, for fresh tasty bulbs as early as June – a month or two earlier than if you wait until next spring to plant.
Where to grow
In the ground or in a large pot.
How to grow
Buy sets (tiny bulbs) rather than seeds. They need a sunny spot. In free-draining soil, plant direct in the ground in September or October. Position so the pointy tip just pokes out of the soil, then cover with fleece or fine mesh to stop birds uprooting them. If you have heavy soil, plant in modules or small pots and keep in a coldframe or unheated greenhouse over winter, protected from the worst of the wet. Then plant out in March. Varieties to try
Choose overwintering varieties, which are less sensitive to cold. ‘Shakespeare’ is a white onion, bred in Britain to withstand our climate. ‘Electric’ is a flavoursome red onion that overwinters well.
LETTUCES
Hardier than is often realised, winter varieties tolerate cold and will be ready to harvest in spring.
Where to grow
In the ground, in a pot or in an unheated greenhouse.
How to grow
Sow in September so plants are large enough to overwinter. Seeds are best sown in modules or small pots indoors, to keep seedlings out of reach of slugs. Plant out, into the ground or in a pot, spacing them closer than you would for summer lettuces, as they will grow slowly and this crop will need to supply you until spring. Protect with a cloche or grow in an unheated greenhouse to keep off the worst of the winter wind and rain.
Varieties to try
Green butterhead ‘Valdor’, bronze butterhead ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ and French ‘Grenoble Red’ all perform well over winter, as does the sweet, cos-type ‘Winter Density’.
BROAD BEANS
For delicious beans as early as May, broad beans are a must. Plus, by starting early, the plants should miss the worst of the blackfly and chocolate spot.
Where to grow
In the ground.
How to grow
In southerly gardens with freedraining soil, sow direct in late October/early November. In colder areas, for more reliable results and to make them easier to protect from mice, sow in rootrainers or deep pots and keep in an unheated greenhouse or coldframe. Plant out in February for the earliest possible harvests. You can also sow under cover in February, or direct in March-May, but harvests will be later. Stake the plants as they grow. Varieties to try
‘Aquadulce Claudia’ and ‘The Sutton’ makes robust, compact plants, so are the most reliable for autumn sowing.
CORIANDER
Although frost tender, with a bit of protection, coriander can give you pungent leaves to add to stews and curries through autumn and winter.
Where to grow
In a pot or unheated greenhouse.
How to grow
Coriander tends to bolt if it’s transplanted, so sow the seeds where you want them to grow. It is frost tender, so in winter it needs to be in a frost-free greenhouse. Alternatively bring it indoors and place on a windowsill with plenty of light. Coriander grows well in pots or in border soil inside a greenhouse. Bolting is less likely to be a problem in cool weather, but keep the soil damp as a precaution, to help prevent bolting, but avoid overwatering. Protect from slugs. Varieties to try
Look for varieties described as slow to bolt or bolt resistant, such as ‘Cruiser’, which is vigorous and compact, so perfect for pots.
SALAD ONIONS
Salad or spring onions will overwinter to give you harvests in April next year.
Where to grow
In the ground, in a pot or in an unheated greenhouse.
How to grow
These seeds don’t germinate well when temperatures are regularly above 20°C, so it’s best to sow them outdoors rather than indoors. Use a new packet of seeds, as they don’t last long when stored. Sow either directly into the ground or in a pot, in a sunny position. Protect the plants from rabbits.
Varieties to try
Nearly all varieties of spring onion are winter hardy. ‘White Lisbon Winter Hardy’ is an old favourite. Japanese spring onions such as ‘Ishikura’ and ‘Guardsman’ have longer stems, but they may harbour downy mildew.