As the weather turns frostier and the festivities for Christmas are in full swing, your garden might very well be the last thing on your mind. So, how about your very own winter gardening guide, showing you exactly what you should be sowing and planting over this upcoming season to give you an abundance of fresh produce over 2024? Heck, if you’re this organised you might even have homegrown veggies ready for Christmas next year!
Otherwise known as a Chinese brassica or Chinese cabbage, Pak choi makes a wonderful addition to salads or a stir fry. It’s very easy to grow, and is prone to bolting in the warmer months, so these cold-hardy oriental greens are a fantastic choice for winter growing. You can sow small batches of these all the way up to March or April and the leaves are cut-and-come-again, which means they can be harvested over a longer period if necessary. Pak choi prefers nitrogen-rich soil and you can make your own liquid feed with a homemade nettle or grass clipping ‘tea’.
Although it's usually suggested to be planted in November, garlic can actually be planted anytime up until early spring. The trick with growing garlic is to ensure you have good quality soil and you’re allowing at least 15cm between each clove. When you break apart the bulb, make sure you leave the skin on and plant with the pointy side up. There are so many different varieties of garlic, but a general rule of thumb is to water well during the growing season but to allow it to dry out in the last few weeks. Depending on whether you have a ‘hard neck’ or ‘soft neck’ variety, garlic is typically ready to be harvested between May to August. Did you know you can even get ‘elephant’ garlic? Just one clove can reach the size of the palm of your hand!
If you have a polytunnel, some carrot varieties like the ‘Giant Red’ dark orange carrot, can be sown in late January. This is a very early Italian variety, which despite its name is not actually very red, believe it or not. A good tip for growing carrots long without becoming stunted, (we’ve all seen the strange shapes homegrown carrots can become!) is to ensure the soil structure is loose and well-drained. Mix in plenty of compost and some sharp sand in with your soil to create the best conditions for your carrots to grow, and once the seedlings have established, make sure to mulch with straw to keep the weeds at bay.
Although the majority of broad bean varieties are sown in early spring, you do get some hardy types such as 'Aquadulce Claudia' or dwarf varieties like 'The Sutton' which can be sown directly outdoors in rows under cloches come December, giving you a head start for spring growing and an early harvest! Dwarf varieties can also be grown in containers, which is a great choice if you are lacking garden space. Broad beans need to be sown in rows or blocks so they are able to support each other when growing. And remember, if you are sowing in late autumn/early winter, germination may take a little longer – around two to three weeks.
You can begin sowing winter leeks in February/March, but be sure to start them off on a sunny windowsill, a greenhouse or a cold frame. Once the soil outside is warm enough and the plantings are large enough (about a pencil in thickness), you can transfer them outside in early spring. A tip to give you thicker leeks: Make sure they are spaced out around 20cm each way. This may look like it will take up a lot of room, but remember you can use the gaps for companion plants like lettuce, cabbage, beets or even strawberries.
You can sow Brussels sprout as early as February, under cloches or fleece, or you can grow them in a cold frame from early March to early April. A Christmas favourite for many, it is said the flavour is much improved once the sprouts have been frosted, but you can harvest as early as August with some varieties. If you want to try something a bit different for your Christmas dinner, try growing the 'Red Ball' variety – these small sprouts are a beautiful crimson colour which deepens throughout the season and after the frost.
If you really want to show off, you can sow onion seeds indoors as early as January. Most gardeners would wait until the spring to plant out onion bulb sets outdoors as it's a little easier. Sow the onion seeds about 1cm apart in moist seed compost and once they’re a few inches tall you can transplant them over to peat-free multipurpose compost to establish. Plant the seedlings out in spring about 10-15cm apart, preferably in a raised bed if you can, as this will improve drainage and reduce the chances of rot. Onions prefer nitrogen-rich fertiliser and as their roots run shallow, you will have to hand weed rather than hoe. Some excellent winter varieties to try are ‘Radar’, ‘Electric’, ‘Snowball’ and ‘Senshyu Yellow’.
Put the frozen peas down everybody, we’ve got you covered! For earlier crops that are ready to harvest in May onwards, you can sow peas throughout the winter months. A good advantage to sowing this early is that the risk of pea moth causing an infestation is reduced. Plant your peas spaced out at 10cm each way, and as peas are a climbing plant, be sure to use supports to keep the plants upright. After around three months, you can harvest your peas from the bottom upwards. A particular favourite is the Pea ‘Blauwschokker’ for its incredible purple hue. Rainbow coloured veg is one way to get the kids to eat their greens!
When people think of growing chillies you would normally imagine intense heat and greenhouse growing in the peak of summer. This is true of course, but you can actually sow chilli seeds indoors as early as January, as the hottest varieties need the longest growing periods possible. Sow your chilli seeds in a seed tray and sprinkle a couple of seeds per cell with just a small dusting of compost on top. If you have a propagator, that is best, but otherwise keep them on a sunny windowsill or in a warm airing cupboard. Once big enough to handle, you can put them in individual pots and move them into their final positions come May. There are so many wonderful colours and varieties, and if you’re not a fan of heat – they simply do just brighten up the patio.
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