What to grow for winter

Paolo Arrigo - 8/4/2017 on 20th Sep 2019

Chapter 5

What to grow for winter

Planning a plot, with times of sowing and harvest

Deciding what to grow

Although there are many reasons for growing one vegetable and not another, the main factor which should influence your decision is taste. Do you enjoy eating brussels sprouts, swedes and parsnips? If not, grow something else.

However, I do recommend trying just a few of the vegetables you have not liked before because it may be that, when well grown and freshly harvested fresh and nicely prepared, they taste better than you remember.

Also it helps to be clear about which vegetables need to be stored and which ones are hardy enough to stay in the soil for picking as needed. For most parts of Britain, November is a key month when many harvests need to be made and vegetables stored, before the more severe winter frosts arrive. In the table below, the column ‘harvest period’ gives this information, and I also include a number to indicate frost hardiness.

BOX Frozen vegetables Potatoes are destroyed by any freezing at all, yet can be stored for a long time in a cool but frost free environment. On the other hand, onions and garlic tolerate being frozen and store best when dry - part 5 has much more information on this.

The vegetables most likely to grace your plot in winter are brussels sprouts, savoy cabbage, corn salad, kale, leaf beet, leek, parsnip, rhubarb, spinach and swede. Any of them can be harvested as needed. Salads are worth attempting but require protection for best results and this is covered in part 6.

Also in this table I give an estimation of how easy it is to grow each vegetable, or not. I would emphasise that some harvests are really quite difficult to achieve and beginners may do better to grow the low numbered vegetables in their first year. Have a look also at the column for giving an idea of how much time is needed, some of which is picking as well as growing time.

Vegetables outdoors

Spacing cm Difficult?1-5 Time needed?1-3 Sow/plant Seed to harvest Harvest period+ Frost hardy

average distance easy=1 less time=1 Sow outdoors Weeks to mature most = 5

Beans (dry) 30 3 2 May-Jun 18-20 Sep-Oct 1

Beetroot 15 2 2 Jun-Jul 10 -18 Oct-Nov 3

Brussels Sprout 60 4 2 Apr-May 25-45 Oct-Apr 4

Cabbage winter 50 3 1 May-Jun 25-42 Dec-Mar 3-5

Cabbage spring 30 3 2 Aug 30-40 Apr-Jun 5

Carrot 10-15 3 3 Jun-Jul 14-20 Oct-Nov 3

Cauliflower spring 50 5 1 Aug 30-38 Apr-May 2

Celeriac* 40 4 2 Apr 26-38 Oct-Dec 3

Chicory, forcing 30 2 3 May-Jun 26-40 Dec-Apr 5

Endive, chicory leaf 25 1 3 Jul-Aug 6-43 Sep-May 3

Garlic 15 1 2 p Oct 38 Jul 5

Kale 45 2 3 May-Jul 16-46 Sep-Apr 4

Leaf beet 30 1 3 Jul 10-42 Jun-May 3-4

Leek, winter 20 2 2 Apr 33-52 Nov-Apr 3-5

Lettuce leaves 20 2 3 Jul 8-40 Sep-Jun 2

Onion bulb 15-20 2 2 s/p Mar-Apr 22 Jul-Aug 5

Onion salad 8 2 3 Aug 28-40 Apr-May 5

Oriental leaves 10-25 2 3 Jul-Sep 6-30 Nov-Apr 3

Parsnip 15 3 1 Mar-Apr 26-52 Oct-Apr 5

Potato maincrop 45 2 2 Apr-May 20-26 Aug-Oct 1

Radicchio 30 3 2 Jul 12-22 Sep-Dec 2

Rhubarb 120 1 2 p Mar-Nov 1 year Apr-Jul 4

Shallot 20 2 2 Feb-Apr 16-26 Jul 5

Spinach, true 15 3 3 Aug 5-39 Sep-May 4

Squash winter 120 3 2 May 20-26 Sep-Oct 1

Swede 30 2 1 Jun 20-40 Oct-Mar 5

Turnip winter 15-20 1 1 Jul-Aug 10-17 Oct-Apr 3

+Note that the harvest period is shorter than time of use for vegetables which store

* indoor sowing gives best results

A calendar to guide you

I set out in the chart below a monthly indication of which vegetables to sow, plant and harvest. Every month has something to do, especially if you grow a wide range.

My suggestions for month of sowing are mostly flexible in spring, so you can sow parsnips and leeks in May, but results are best when these dates are followed, especially in July and August when the proximity of autumn means a rapid loss of growing time.

Winter vegetables month by month

MonthSowPlantHarvest
MarchCeleriac*, onion, parsnipOnion, potatoArtichoke, brussels, cabbage, kale, lambs lettuce, land cress, leek, parsnip, swede, turnip, winter purslane
AprilBrussels sprout, leek, parsnip, squash*Onion, potatoArtichoke, cabbage, kale, lambs lettuce, land cress, leek, parsnip, sorrel, spinach, swede, winter purslane
MayBrussels sprout, cabbage, chicory, kale, leek, sprouting, beans*Celeriac, squashCabbage, lettuce, salad onion, sorrel, spinach, pea shoots
JuneBeans, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, kale, sprouting, swedeBrussels, cabbage, celeriac, chicory, kale. leek, sproutingBroad bean, cabbage, lettuce, pea shoots, salad onion, sorrel, spinach
JulyCarrot, chard, chicory, chinese cabbage, leaf beet, sorrelBeetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leek, sprouting, swedeGarlic
August 1Chicory, endive, land cress, oriental leaves, rocket, sorrel, turnip, winter purslaneChard, chicory, chinese cabbage, leaf beet, sorrelOnion, potato
August 2Cabbage, lambs lettuce, land cress, lettuce, oriental leaves, salad onion, spinach, winter purslaneChicory, endive, land cress, oriental leaves, rocket, sorrel, winter purslanePotato
SeptemberLambs lettuce, oriental leaves, salad onion, green manuresCabbage, land cress, lettuce, oriental leaves, salad onion, spinach, winter purslanePotato, beans (dry)
OctoberBroad beanGarlicBeans, carrot, squash
NovemberBroad beanBeetroot, carrot, celeriac, chicory, chinese cabbage, endive, turnip
DecemberArtichoke, beetroot, brussels, cabbage, celeriac, chicory, kale, lambs lettuce, land cress, leek, parsnip, swede, turnip, winter purslane
JanuaryArtichoke, brussels, cabbage, kale, lambs lettuce, land cress, leek, parsnip, swede, turnip, winter purslane
FebruaryArtichoke, brussels, cabbage, kale, lambs lettuce, land cress, leek, parsnip, swede, turnip, winter purslane

* sow indoors for best results

Main season and second crop vegetables

Vegetables mature at vastly different speeds. I find it helps to divide them into main and second crops, where the main crops need most time to grow, and second crops can be sown or planted later in summer after another vegetable has already been grown in that soil (see below).

Some vegetables fall into both categories: leeks and kale can be planted earlier or later, depending how large you want them to grow and when you want a harvest.

Main season vegetables for winter

The main ones are brussels sprouts, celeriac, parsnip, maincrop potato and winter squash. They all need to be in place between March and early June, so there is little time to grow anything before them. Bulb onions are normally grown as a single crop but their harvest time in early August actually allows time for a second vegetable, for example turnips can be sown or endives planted.

Most whole season plants require plenty of room to grow, so I would hesitate before planting brussels sprouts, maincrop potato and winter squash in a small space. You can check this by comparing the above table’s column of average distance with the size of your beds and plot. The figure is a blend of row and plant spacings: exact distances depend on whether you grow in wide rows with room for walking between, or on beds with closer and more equal spacings.

Winter vegetables as second crops

There are many possible combinations of first and second crops and the list below gives some of the many choices. I recommend that you plan ahead, to be prepared with plants or seeds, because second crops need every bit of time in their part-season’s growing, to reach a worthwhile size before winter.

More success with second cropping comes when you propagate or buy plants, which can even be planted on the same day as a previous harvest is finished. So when the last carrots of a spring sowing are pulled, the bed is cleared of any weeds, the soil or compost firmed if it has become loose from harvesting the carrots, and the next crop of leeks, kale, autumn salads or whatever is then planted straightaway.

Second crops sometimes require a little extra compost, depending how much you applied the previous autumn or winter. I usually find that my autumn dressing is sufficient, with some lingering remains of dark humus on the surface through summer, but if it has all been taken in by worms and if I have some good compost to hand, I like to spread a centimetre or so (half inch), preferably before the second planting - or it can be spread afterwards, around the new plants.

FIRST VEGETABLE SECOND VEGETABLE

Beans, runner or climbing french → Garlic

Beetroot sown indoors in March →Lettuce, endives, chicories, swede, kale

Beetroot sown outdoors in April →Turnip, oriental leaves

Broad bean sown November →Leeks from plants sown in April, kale

Broad bean sown March/April →Oriental leaves

Cabbage (spring) overwintered →Leeks as above, or potatoes, many possible

Calabrese sown indoors March →Lettuce, endive, chicories, corn salad

Carrot sown late March/April →Leeks

Dwarf (french) beans →Spring cabbage, corn salad

Lettuce sown indoors February →Purple sprouting, winter cabbage, swede

Lettuce sown outdoors April →Kale, oriental leaves, turnip

Onions sown March, planted April →Kale, winter radish, land cress

Peas sown late March/April →Beetroot, carrots, salads

Potato early →Carrots, leeks, purple sprouting, swede

Potato second early →Oriental leaves

Spinach sown March/April →Many possible, even celeriac

An example

Here is a season’s cropping I did in 2008 for one undug bed of 1.4x2.5m (5x8’), to give an idea of how to use a space fully and for most of the time. In this case, the winter vegetables were harvested by late November and stored.

This bed received a surface dressing of 5cm (2”) of home made compost in December Frost then opened up any lumps in the compost and it was raked to a medium tilth, not especially fine.

I planted and sowed in rows across the beds. There were ten rows of early vegetables until July, followed by five rows of larger growing second crops until November. Here is a plan for the whole season, and the timings. Where plants were used, they were raised in modules in my greenhouse

Vegetables

First sowings and plantings all in March, under fleece

Sow two rows parsnip Gladiator F1, intersown with one row radish French Breakfast,

Sow two rows spinach Tarpy F1, then May plant one row celeriac Prinz

Plant three rows leaf lettuce then July plant one row red cabbage Red Flare F1

Plant two rows bulb onion Sturon then August plant one row each endive Plantation and chicory Marzatica

Plant one row early potatoes Swift then July plant one row swede Helenor

Calendar

  • Mid March sow radish with parsnips between radish. Late March plant onion sets, early potato tubers and lettuce
  • Late April-May harvest radish, spinach, lettuce leaves, plant celeriac by late May
  • June harvest more lettuce and early potatoes
  • July plant swede (from sowing mid June); harvest onions; remove flowering lettuce and plant red cabbage
  • August plant endive and radicchio by mid month
  • October and/or November, depending on frost, harvest red cabbage, endives, radicchio, celeriac
  • October onwards harvest parsnip and swede

Harvests

Of the winter vegetables which interest us here, the harvests were as follows. I also mention the following year’s harvests to emphasise how they can vary!

Onions, only 0.9kg because of mildew. Compared with 6kg in 2009, for various reasons (see chapter )

Red cabbage, 2.6kg hearts from four plants (0.2kg in 2009)

Celeriac 2.5kg from four plants (4.3kg in 2009)

Parsnip 6kg (9.7kg in 2009)

Swede 3.3kg (not grown in 2009, carrots 0.8kg)

The bed’s harvest of winter vegetables was 15.3kg and its total yield over the season was 27.2kg. In 2009 the same bed yielded 18.4kg of winter vegetables and 30.1kg altogether, reflecting a difference in weather and also in crop choices.

Vegetable rotation

Rotation means growing the same crop in a different place each year, a sound idea, but its application has become dogmatic, with a divergence between principles and practice. It needs thinking through for a result that is most suited to each garden and plot.

For instance, most advice on rotation assumes that one vegetable crop is grown every year. In fact it is possible and also desirable, as discussed above, to grow a second crop wherever an opportunity arises, making a four year rotation impossible to practice, as one would then need to regularly eat vegetables from six or seven groups or families.

This leads to the other problem with fixed rotations: the allocation of rigid areas for groups of vegetables – one quarter potatoes, one quarter brassicas etc - when few people want to consume those proportions of food.

In smaller gardens especially, it makes more sense to start off by deciding what you like to eat, then to work out an approximate rotation based on groupings of plant families. I say approximate because a few plants or sowings may fail and need replacing, sometimes with different ones, depending on what is available.

Vegetable families – a botanic distinction, not ‘roots’ or ‘salads’ - are the basis of rotation, with the aim of keeping a reasonable period of time between each growing of them. This is to prevent the pests and diseases which are specific to each family from establishing in any quantity.

Don’t worry if your rotation is not classically correct, I know that mine is not, but it is worth respecting the guidelines as far as possible, for better soil and plant health.

Become familiar with this list of family groupings, then use it to make some rough plans of what you might grow where, also of subsequent sowings and plantings. The table includes summer as well as winter vegetables, with commonly used names in brackets at the end of some groups.

PLANT FAMILIES all vegetables

Apiaceae/Umbelliferae: bulb (florence) fennel, carrot, celery, celeriac, chervil, coriander, dill, mitsuba, parsley, parsnip, sweet cicely (Umbellifers)

Asteraceae/Compositae: globe and jerusalem artichoke, cardoon, chicory, endive, lettuce, salsify, scorzonera, sunflower, tansy, tarragon (Compositae)

Brassicaceae/Cruciferae: broccoli, brussels sprout, cabbage, calabrese, chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, land cress, mibuna, mizuna, mustard, pak choi, radish, rape, rocket, seakale, swede, tatsoi, turnip, watercress (Brassicas)

Chenopodiaceae: beetroot, chard, leaf beet, orache, spinach (Beets)

Cucurbitaceae: courgette, cucumber, gherkin, melon, pumpkin, squash, watermelon (Cucurbits)

Fabaceae/Leguminosae: asparagus pea, broad bean, french bean, pea, runner bean (Legumes)

Lamiaceae/Labiatae: basil, chinese artichoke, marjoram, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme

Liliaceae: asparagus, chives, garlic, leek, onion, salad onion, shallots (Alliums)

Malvaceae: okra

Poaceae/Graminae: sweet corn

Polygonaceae: rhubarb, sorrel

Portulacaceae: summer purslane

Rosaceae: salad burnet

Solanaceae: aubergine, capsicum (sweet pepper and chilli), physalis, potato, tomato (Solanums)

Valerianaceae: corn salad

Notice how salad plants come from many different families, so if you wish to grow only salad it is possible to devise a rotation of sorts, around groups of brassicas, compositae, umbellifers, legumes, the odd allium and other smaller groups.

Do also bear in mind that rotation is a principle as much as a rule, and is most practical in larger plots.

BOX If you have only one small bed, it is bound to have mixed plant families at different stages of a season. A healthy variety of different plants from many families is a good way of achieving some balance of pest and predator, and lowers the risk of suffering damage from any one disease.

Winter vegetables in containers

Containers are less suitable for winter vegetables than for summer ones, because of the one-off nature of so many winter harvests. This means a lot of effort and compost for relatively little return, compared to salad leaves or tomatoes.

Also there is the question of frost and whether containers will stand their compost being frozen and expanded, as well as how the vegetables will survive.

The vegetables I recommend for containers in winter are mostly salads such as land cress, endives, mustards and spinach, also herbs such as chervil and coriander. Container salads indoors are probably the most worthwhile vegetable to grow see pX.

Vegetable wise, Red Russian kale is well adapted to containers, being more compact than other varieties, and it has pretty leaves. Salad onions are compact and can be sown as late as September, or planted in October after summer crops have finished; they won’t be ready until April - right in the middle of the hungry gap when you will bless every one.

Garlic can be planted in containers to grow through winter while, for example, winter salads are cropping. After they flower in early May the garlic can finish growing strongly, having spent much of the winter putting down some strong roots.

At the end of winter I recommend top dressing containers with a layer of well rotted manure or compost, right up to the top, to replenish their nutrient status and rooting area. Or you can empty containers onto beds and borders, then fill with new multipurpose compost.

In shaded gardens

Vegetables like plenty of light to grow, but shaded plots can still be reasonably productive. Trees and hedges take a lot of moisture as well as light, but at least this aspect is less of a problem in winter, with more growth happening under deciduous trees in winter and spring than in summer. However, if there was an evergreen tree close to my vegetable plot, I would surely bring out the saw, and plant a rose instead.

Herbs for winter

Many herbs are encouragingly winter hardy and one or two offer a surprising amount of new growth in any milder spells. Three which stand out are parsley, coriander and chervil, all members of the umbellifer family.

Perennials such as sage, rosemary and thyme keep some leaves in usable condition, but must not be over-picked. In late winter there is a reassuring burst of growth from established clumps of chives and sorrel.

How to grow and harvest these herbs is explained under the monthly sections of parts 3 and 4, also in part 6 because it is really worthwhile to have some biennial herbs undercover, to make more of their ability to grow for many months in low levels of light.

Charles Dowding Mar 8, 4:10 PM