[doolanc]

Hi,

I'm a teacher with very little gardening knowledge but we have 5 raised beds that I want to use for the winter. we've bought plants - cabbage, broccoli, beetroot, garlic turnip - and planted them in the raised beds as per instructions. Wondering if anyone has any advice on how to care for them and if there are any other suggestions for other plants??


Thanks

[The Garden Shop]

Hello

You will need to keep your vegetables covered over the winter months.

Use a garden cloche over the raised beds and mulch around the plants with straw.

You can try to sow some quick cropping plants now to get a harvest before christmas.

Some vegetables ideas:
Perpentual Spinach
Radish
Maris piper potatoes
Lettuce - all year round

The Cabbage, Brocolli and garlic won't be ready to harvest until late spring early summer - so it can be a long wait and then issues of slugs can destory the whole crop.

[doolanc]

Hello,
Thank you for that - we're going to investigate getting cloches and setting them up. Can I ask you about Maris Piper potatoes? I didn't realise you could grow them in Ireland - my husband always said they didn't grow over here. Would they need to be planted soon and in cloches too?

I'm hoping this winter garden is a success as we had great fun with the spring planting - the children went home with loads of veg which we harvested recently.

Thanks for your help.

[sgmgarden]

I reckon lettuce is a good shout, however if maris piper potatoes are suitabble I would choose them.

[Greengage]

being a teacher you should contact Paddy madden INTO, or read his articles in the intouch magazine.

[The Garden Shop]

Hello again Doolanc

Yes,. Maris piper are a popular potatoe that can be grown in Ireland

But you would need to get planting soon.

You wont need to add the cloches until the end of September - middle of october.

[sgmgarden]

There we go then, I would go with the maris piper potatoes but you need to be quick