winter veg

Bonjour,

I'm looking to utilise my allotment plot over the winter months. I have a polytunnel full of peppers, chillies, tomatoes etc.. at the moment but they wont be around at the end of summer.

I'm thinking of growing some lettuce. Me and my girlfriend only like crisp lettuce. I've found a variety called 'Reine de glaces' which seems to be getting good reviews. Has anyone here grown it? can anyone suggest a different type?

i'm going to sow some spring onions in there too.

Can anyone suggest anything else that i could grow over winter?

 

I grow broad beans, peas and spinach most years over winter although the peas don't often give a large yield. I also grow onions and garlic but notice from your other post that you haven't had too much luck with those. I am just up the road from you and have never had the problems that you are having, good luck if you try broad beans and spinach.

 

Ahhh spinach, good shout! So that's winter lettuce, spring onions and spinach so far.

I think the spring onions will be in a plastic trough I have to be safe

A guy at my allotment suggested putting in spuds in august so that I have new potatoes for Christmas time

 

I have just ordered some Christmas spuds. Waiting on delivery.

 

I've seen a chap online called allotment-diary, he's from Yorkshire. He grows all of his spuds in containers. You should see his yields, they're mental. I'm wanting to do the same as him next season. The downside is the cost. The buckets he uses cost around £20 each and then there's the compost in each one. I could do half and half i suppose. Build my stock up over time.

I've missed out on the brassicas. I have summer ones in at the moment but nothing for winter. However my plot neighbour is giving me a dozen winter caulies.

I have leeks in the ground, although they are in the white rot infested area so not expecting anything from those.

Does anyone grow lettuce in a greenhouse or polytunnel?

thank you all for your replies by the way!

 

Hi
I grow Iceberg and Mixed Leaves all year round in an un-heated greenhouse plus Land Cress. They are slower than summer crops but we get enough to keep us in fresh salad. I didn't mention these before because I thought you just meant over-winter in your allotment.
Over the years I have tried growing all kinds of things out of season with varying degrees of success, to me it just adds to the excitement of gardening.
For the price of a packet of seeds just have a go, if it doesn't work out you will still have some of the seed left for Spring!

 

I grow mixed leaves in the GH over winter too

Good to see you @lykewakewalker

 

Hi Loli, I have been "dropping in" from time to time" (just to keep an eye on you all!) but haven't had too much to say which is unusual for me.
I will have to get back into the habit.

 

Oooh leeks. Is it too late to sow seeds?

 

Craig I just seen a quick video of your fella fro Yorkshire, those look like old black stand alone bins, we use them in our Butchers but the likes of BM bargains and poundlands sell those same bins with good handles etc for only 8 quid, you could add your own holes

 

This year I ll be growing kale and spring onions again. Having just lifted a disasterous garlic crop I wont be growing garlic again

Ive never grown salad in winter as its too cold to grow it and way to cold to feel like eating it tooo

 

I haven't even thought of winter yet! I suppose I had best start sorting it this week. I am however doing some new potatoes in an Ikea bin. Stole it from my mums kitchen lol. She used it for the plastic recycling. I'm following a guide from pinterest where you pop in your seed potatoes on top of 6 inches of soil, cover them over and as the plant grows you add more soil. Apparently I should get a large crop from it. I guess I will find out in a few months!

 

I like the bin idea. I currently have 8 potato sacks or reused compost bags growing potatoes. With all the foliage they take up a huge amount of room. Tidy bins would be a good solution. I have so many as they advice 3 - 5 chitted potatoes per sack. How many chitted potatoes would you put in a dustbin. I am waiting on two different varieties of winter potatoes to arrive. I am as already planning next spring. First year this year. Excited to start again with all the new knowledge I have acquired over the past 5 months.