Page 32 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2022/23

Carrot ‘Early Nantes’ June 5 under cloches
Cynara flowers
depth of 5cm or deeper if you have enough. If you are not yet making compost now
is the time to start as compost recycles nutrients, improves the soil structure and holds moisture. If used as a mulch it also insulates the soil to prevent it getting too warm and reduces moisture loss. Make use of any material available to make compost, ask your neighbours and friends if they do not make compost, you can always swop it for a few vegetables!
One of the main ways we can adapt our
growing techniques is to consider earlier sowing, this could mean some crops could be sown, planted grow and be harvested before the really hot dry weather arrives.
I have to say my best crops in 2022 were the early cauliflowers, autumn sown broad beans, early peas, Japanese onions and some early chard and lettuce started in the greenhouse. Once the hot weather arrived little grew especially on the allotment where there is no water. The crops in the greenhouses and polytunnel were OK but they like warm conditions.
The old gardeners used to sow their broad beans in either November or January which means they produce a good root system over the winter and make good growth in the spring when the air and
soil temperatures warm up. Both broad beans and peas can be sown directly in the ground outdoors or in a cold frame, polytunnel or cold greenhouse and then planted out in March. I sow my broad beans in 7cm modules or pots and put into a cold greenhouse over winter. The cold weather is no problem, holding them back
Chicory ‘Grumolo Rossa’
can be if we have many sunny spells in the winter and I do not ventilate enough. Also remember to water them if under cover. Peas can be sown in lengths of guttering and again planted out in March, sow into your usual growing media. Sowings made in November or January will be ready to harvest by late May / June. Once the broad beans are harvested pull up the plants and plant the next crop before the dry weather arrives to get them established.
I covered the growing of Japanese onions in the last edition of Simply Vegetables so will not repeat that here, they are well worth considering as they are ready to harvest in June or early July and do not require watering as they are growing over winter when the soil is moist and making good use of valuable ground. When the weather becomes dryer they are getting to the mature stage and are ready to ripen so the dry weather suits them. It
is not too late to sow the normal summer maturing onions in January / February and get the plants established before it comes in dry. Sow into trays and prick out into small modules or multi sow into modules for small to medium sized onions. If sown in January / February they should be ready for planting in mid to late March and make good growth during the spring before the very hot weather. If you grow from sets again start them early in modules and plant out when the plants are 50 to 75mm high as soon as warm enough.
Two crops that are traditionally planted
in the autumn are garlic and shallots these will grow over winter and in the spring to be harvested in June / July. Again, they are making use of land over the winter period and when it is likely to come in drier they will be ripening and not need moisture. It will pay in future years to plant them early in October so that they make good growth and are ready for harvesting by June.
These days there is a wide range of garlic cultivars available from the seed companies both hard and soft neck. There is also
32 Simply Vegetables