IT REALLY IS difficult to believe that it’s already mid October, and the year is winding down inexorably towards Halloween and that other mid-winter festival that will remain unmentioned.
Thankfully, there’s still some sowing activity to do this month that helps us to hang on to this year’s growing for a little longer.
The way I see it, sowing activities at this time of the year have a number of benefits. First of all, over-wintering varieties of vegetables will be ready to eat earlier than their spring-sown equivalents.
The veg patch
Secondly, it makes the task of seed sowing that little easier in the spring because you’ve already completed part of the job.
Thirdly, I really enjoy seeing some green things growing in the winter vegetable patch, which can other wise feel a little dreary (the picture with this column was taken in the depths of winter last year, with the super hardy broad bean variety Aquadulce Claudia successfully facing down a particularly nasty ground frost).
Finally, the contrarian in me loves sowing at this time of the year exactly because it feels counter-intuitive to be doing a ‘spring activity’ at a time of the year when nature is starting to shut down.
This time last year I sowed three different types of vegetables that paid major dividends – garlic, red onions and broad beans. In the case of red onions and broad beans it was the first time I have sown them in the autumn, and they worked out great. I have found red onions sown in spring are inclined to soften or rot in my wet soil, but the autumn sown ones worked fantastically well.
In the case of the broad beans, because of the jump start they get from early sowing, they were ready to eat in May when there was very little else to eat.
Finally, it’s worth reiterating that garlic is best sown pre-Christmas, as it needs a prolonged cold spell in the soil for the cloves to split and form big juicy bulbs. With spring-sown garlic you can be lucky and get a long, cold spring or you can be unlucky and get a very mild spring and terribly puny garlic bulbs.
Though of course I realise that a mild spring has other attractions! We’ve a good selection of winter garlic and onions on the GIY shop.
A bit of care on over-wintering brassicas (cabbages, brussels sprouts, purple sprouting broccoli etc) now will ensure healthy, thriving plants. Remove any yellowing leaves which are no use to the plant and can encourage botrytis. Earth up around the base of the plants – this will help them survive nasty winter winds.
All three of the main ingredients here are seasonal at present, and this is a simple little recipe to bring them together and enjoy them raw. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Grate the beetroot, carrot and apple on the roughest side of a hand grater. Roughly chop the rocket or spinach. Combine with the other grated ingredients. Season with a little sea salt and pepper and drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil.
Chillipepper plants are not annuals at all and can in fact be overwintered and used again next year.
This method is reputed to give you a better crop the following year. Once you are finished harvesting, dig up the plants carefully and remove any remaining fruit and foliage – cut the stem back to about 15cm. Pot up in some fresh compost and leave it on a sunny windowsill indoors – it won’t survive outside. The plant will burst back to life in the spring and will produce fruit earlier than spring-sown plants.
Michael Kelly is a freelance journalist, author and founder of GIY.
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