While it may seem late in the year to start growing crops, August and September offer a useful window for planting fast-growing vegetables. Some can be harvested in time for Christmas dinner, making your festive plate even better with fresh produce picked straight from your own garden.
‘August and September are exactly the right time to plant vegetables that can be harvested in time for your Christmas dinner and ready to lift in around 12 weeks,’ explains Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
If you're keen to make your Christmas dinner a little more homegrown this year, these are the three vegetables to plant now.
1. Potatoes
A bowl of homegrown potatoes (as golden roasties, perhaps?) would make a particularly satisfying addition to the festive food spread.
‘Potato varieties for Christmas include Charlotte, Duke of York, Maris Peer and Pentland Javelin, which can be planted now with a view to being ready by the end of the year,’ says Julian.
It’s also a good idea to plant cold-stored seed potatoes in late August. ‘Plant tubers in deep containers (bags or pots) so they can be easily protected from frost on autumn nights,’ says Marina Prokaten, plant expert at Plantum.
This container-growing method also means you can move your potatoes to a more sheltered spot as winter approaches. ‘Move containers into a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory before the first severe freeze,’ she adds.
2. Carrots
Another classic Christmas dinner vegetable, carrots taste delicious honey-glazed or roasted with rosemary.
‘There is just enough time left to sow a quick crop of short-rooted varieties such as Chantenay, Oxheart and Round, which take 12–16 weeks to mature and store well for Christmas,’ explains Julian.
Getting the soil right is particularly important when growing carrots. ‘It needs loose, deep, stone-free sandy loam with a pH of 6.0–6.8,’ says Marina. ‘Heavy or rocky soil causes stunted or deformed roots.’
If your garden isn't suitable, deep containers can therefore be a useful alternative. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing period, as inconsistent watering can cause carrots to split. Then, as the weather turns colder, protect the crop with horticultural fleece or heavy straw to keep the ground workable for digging up for Christmas.
3. Turnips
Turnips may not be the first vegetable you think of for Christmas dinner, but their quick growing time makes them ideal for a last-minute crop. They’re delicious mashed with parmesan, too.
For turnips, choose a fast-maturing variety like Tokyo Cross, Hakurei, and Polar, and sow directly into the ground. ‘Direct-sow fast-maturing varieties, which take 40–60 days to maturity, in late August,’ Marina advises.
There’s also a flavour benefit to growing turnips as the weather cools. ‘Cooling autumn temperatures prevent plants from bolting and convert root starches into sugars for a sweeter flavour,’ she explains.
Turnips prefer fertile, well-drained soil, so add compost before sowing and keep the ground moist without allowing it to become waterlogged.
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