[James Kilkelly]

What Vegetables to Sow Now for Winter and Spring.
by GPI

What vegetables could you be eating from you garden right now, if you had remembered to sow it earlier on in the season? Well pest, disease and weather permitting you could be tucking into Aubergine, Beans (Broad/French/Runner), Beetroot and leaf beet, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Courgettes, Cucumber, and Marrow. I'm not finished yet; you also could be sampling your own Shallots, Spinach, Tomatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Chard, Garlic, Kohl rabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, and Turnips.

You will be either settling down each evening to a feed of this healthy, traceable and if grown organically, pesticide free food, or else you will depressed that you once again missed the boat as the sowing and harvesting times passed you by for another year. All is not lost though; there is still time for plenty more veg sowing.

Remember the old Chinese proverb "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." Now is your chance, prevent yourself from missing out again and becoming that fool by sowing some vegetable seeds over the coming weeks. Let's have a look at what's available for you to sow as we look towards autumn, winter and spring harvests.

Winter Lettuce.
Winter lettuces are cold-hardy varieties, ideal for sowing after mid-summer. Provided they are given a bit of protection from frosts in a polytunnel, cold frame or cloche, you will be able to harvest right on through the winter.

My suggested variety is "Winter Gem" for sowing September - March, and harvesting October - May. With it you might just be able to enjoy a salad in the snow.

Turnips.
Turnips also known as Swedes, are versatile late vegetables high in vitamin C and fibre. They are also quick to mature and both their roots and green tops are edible. My suggested late turnip variety is "Purple Top Milan" for sowing outdoors up until the end of August, and harvesting from the end of October onwards. Think of how good those sweet turnips will taste in a winter stew.

Carrots.
There is still time to sow carrots outside allowing pulling as tender specimens in autumn or as frost-sweetened beauties in winter. I suggest the variety "Autumn King 2" for sowing in August and harvesting as early as October. Its long tapering roots are full of flavour and very high in vitamin A.

. Sow now for an early crop of peas in spring, photo / pic / image.

Peas.
For an extra-early crop of peas in spring you can sow a round seeded variety outdoors now, and also in September and October. I suggest the hardy dwarf variety "Meteor" which crops well even in exposed situations.

If you are growing and harvesting peas at the present, it may seem that they will never stop cropping, but believe me they will. So think ahead and get started on sowing for next years crop.

Onions.
Sow seed straight into soil now, and again in September for early spring salad onions or scallions as I call them. The variety I suggest is "White Lisbon" as it is tolerant of a cold winter, should one arrive. Pop the seeds in now, and you could be frying up a pan of these green onions this Christmas.

Chard.
Also known as everlasting spinach or beet spinach, this is not really spinach at all. It is actually a form of beet, whose leaves can be used as a "cut and come again" vegetable with the same edible properties of true (harder to grow) spinach. I suggest you sow the variety "White Silver" for high fibre leaves over winter and through to next spring.

So there we go, that's lettuce, turnips, carrots, peas, onions and beet spinach just to name a few of the vegetables to keep your garden and your belly full over the months to come.
Any queries or comments on What Vegetables to sow now for winter and spring, please post below.

[coolaboola]

Thanks GPI! I was wondering what I could be doing now, apart from fantasy garden planning for next spring.

How about garlic? I'd love to have a go at growing my own (never tried before). I've read it takes a long time to grow and so should be sown in autumn. Is it a bit early yet to sow?

Where in Dublin could I get suitable seed/cloves (I don't want to plant the supermarket varieties)?

And what are my chances of success planting in containers (and if containers are a no-go, would they be at all dog-proof?)?

[James Kilkelly]

[coolaboola]

Thanks GPI, that's great info.

I'll hang on til November so (my birthday's the end of November so I'll buy me some garlic cloves as a pressie to myself!)

[ian]

Hi GPI,
i want to have new potatoes for Christmas dinner so I am looking for seed potatoes to plant in September. Do you know where I might get one ? Do you know anyone in North Dublin potato Growers organisation, tried to contact them but to no avail not sure if this is the right name as I can get a listing for them in the white pages.
Regards,
Ian.

[Blowin]

You may find www.ipm.ie useful. I've never tried them but intend getting next season's Orla and Colleen from them when the time comes.

[Sive]

Thanks for the ipm website, Blowin, I'll definitely investigate that for next year's crop. Isn't it strange how, as September approaches, a gardener's mind is already tuning into NEXT spring! Full of good intentions, and hoping for better weather too.....it's called Eternal Optimism!

[spider]

carrotts,turnips,peas,onions, even potatoes .Learn something new every day always thought after july was too late for sowing any veg,So now i dont have to wait for spring to start planting again.
how about a post on autum sowing flowers types and sowing conditions
since i have a greenhouse now

[ian]

Thanks for the tip Blowin, i'll call them Monday and see if they have seed for this time of year, will let you know how I get on
Regards, Ian.

[James Kilkelly]

[My Potatoes]

Thanks for this post. I did some googling and most of the articles were for polytunnel crops.
Got my Winter Gem and Purple Top Milan yesterday, and I've got some Autumn King 2 somewhere in my seed box.
I've the month of July to harvest to make room.