Good planning in autumn, and extra protection in cold spells, should help ensure a tasty harvest of crops such as broad beans and garlic, ready for enjoying during early spring.
Planting early
Sowing and planting some vegetables in autumn will ensure produce can be gathered from the following April in mild districts. These crops will also be too early to be affected by troublesome pests that can strike later, spring-sown crops.
Peas and broad beans
These can be sown in October and November outdoors. All broad bean cultivars are hardy, but ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ and for smaller gardens ‘The Sutton’, which only reaches 60cm (2ft), are both especially robust.
Round-seeded peas are good for overwintering; try mange-tout ‘Oregon Sugar Pod’ and for ordinary peas ‘Feltham First’, ‘Pilot’ and ‘Douce Provence’.
Providing protection
In wet, colder regions, protect with cloches when needed, or sow seed in 9cm (3.5in) pots and keep in a cold glasshouse, covered with fleece in cold weather, for planting out in March or April.
Protect all crops from mice and slug damage (both pests may be active in warmer periods).
To avoid wind rock, earth up or stake taller brassicas such as purple sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts. October and November are good months to plant garlic and shallots. Even carrots can be sown in October protected with a cloche or cold frame. Short, bunching onions such as ‘Adelaide’ or ‘Nantucket’ will mature the following June.
Other crops
Onion sets for overwintering are best planted in September or, at the latest, early October
but November planting suits garlic (left) and shallots. Even carrots can be sown in October
in a cloche or cold frame. Quick-growing Amsterdam or Nantes types, such as ‘Adelaide’ or ‘Nantucket’, will mature in June.
After December soil temperatures plunge and no further outdoor sowing or planting is advisable until spring.
Guy Barter