Hey everyone! I'm a budding gardener based in Southern England, and I've been toying with the idea of growing some food during the winter months. In the past, I've had some success with crops like onions, potatoes, and carrots during summer. This year, I went a bit wild and planted mostly flowers, but I miss growing my veggies. Now that it's September, I'm curious about which foods I can still grow outdoors without much protection through the winter. I've seen mentions of crops like spinach, parsnips, swede, and kale being possible. What do you all think? Any tips or experiences to share would be super helpful!
5 Answers
I haven’t tried this myself, but I remember Huw Richards wrote a book on this topic called 'The Self-Sufficiency Garden.' He shares some neat tips about hotbeds in his videos!
Oh, don’t forget to toss some garlic in! If you go for early varieties, they should be ready by late May or early June.
Definitely! You should be able to grow those crops, just be mindful of your local weather and frost pockets. Loose, well-draining soil is key, or else your plants might get waterlogged—it's one reason many people shy away from winter gardening. They're also up against rain, cold, and slugs, but it’s doable!
Absolutely, you can grow a bunch of those! Personally, I’ve had great luck with onions sown in late August. Broccoli grows better for me when it’s slow and steady over winter for a spring harvest. I’ve also found that chard is thriving now. You might be cutting it a bit close for parsnips, but baby carrots could still work if you get them in now. Greens like baby kale and spinach should establish before it gets too chilly. You could even consider planting some potatoes for fresh ones around Christmas. Good luck with it!
Thanks for the reply, really useful information here.
Alliums and brassicas are great choices for winter. You could also grow salad leaves and radishes now—they’ll do well!
Thanks for the reply! I don’t know if this info helps, but all my plants are in pots on my patio under a shade sail.