Midsummer has passed so it’s time to plan the winter crops. This year I really want to have a lot more over wintering veg which will provide fresh greens through the dark months. Spurred on by the unexpected success of some very late sown lettuce (see this post) the plan is for more this year and sown earlier!
I have been reading Eliot Coleman’s book The Winter Harvest Handbook and although it is aimed at a US audience it gives very useful tips, advice and recommendations which are equally applicable for the UK.
The idea is to make much more use of the polytunnel and to fill the 5, ‘solar pods’. This should give us around 20 sq.m. of protected growing space. Coleman uses cold tunnels to great effect and I am sure we can improve on past efforts by listening to his advice particularly as he grows in Maine where the winter minimums are much lower than here.
The plan is to grow winter spinach (Giant Winter), Claytonia (Winter Purslane), winter lettuce (Valdor, Winter Density, Erika and the new Winter Gem), carrots (Napoli - a variety recommended by Coleman), plus the usual over wintering brassicas – cabbage, purple sprouting and Brussels sprouts.
Any other ideas?
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