Topic: what to do in empty bed in llate July

[Jeannine]

...and no jokes Ace..

Seriously.

 I have a 25 foot x 3 foot thigh  high raised bed currently full of  mostly garlic  and shallots, and a few other bits ( actually I have three)and I want to use  them  for  for a winter garden. Considering that I won,t be planting till after the garlic is harvested what would you suggest to get ready . I don't want quick growing stuff that will mature this year but things that I can harvest through the winter and early Spring.

There are no drainage issues due to the height of the beds.

I have various sprouting brocs sown in modules but I think they will need to get out ebfore these are empty.

XX Jeannine

[Deb P]

I would be tempted to try some black tuscany kale, you can harvest the leaves all through the winter and it looks nice too! PSB would be too big and bulky for such a narrow bed although it will fit your criteria too. ;D

[elvis2003]

leeks,all year round lettuce or (more ) pumpkins?  :)

[goodlife]

Yes..I was thinking of kale  and leeks too. It would not be too late at all to plant those if you start them off in June and transplant them as small plants. You could squeeze some 'winter radish' there too in between other plants..those of course won't be hardy to stay in for all winter but you can harvest just before it arrives and store it away for later use. Or how about few brussel plants..they would not yield for Christmas but if you pick later maturing variety you get to crop them from spring onwards.

[saddad]

Beat me to it Goodlife... I was about to put in a word for "Winter Radish"... many of the chinese veg like to go in in August too...  :)

[Jeannine]

I have brussel sprouts in modules too and leeks but they may be too bog for when I want them. The bed is wide enough for PSB but agin I thibnk it will bew ready to go out before the garlic is harvested. I don;t want anything that won;t overwinter,

Next year I will not have anything growing in them that will interfere with a winter garden

Sorry for the thyphos, I am bushed aand not very well today I should go to bed as it is close to 2 am

XX Jeannine

[antipodes]

I could do a row of French beans but for you, might be a bit late?
Pak choy... radish... late lettuces and corn salad.... late beetroot? Swiss chard. Leeks.

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

Green manures in unused spaces? The roots will prevent winter rains leaching nutrients. Herbs like parsley and chervil? Autumn sown broad beans?

[ed dibbles]

What about spinach? One if my favourite things to plant in august/september. It supplies leaves in autumn while usually surviving winter to give some early non-brasica leaves in spring too.

[star]

I was going to perpetual spinach...... ;D

[Jeannine]

I can put beans in but they will harvest this year. Autumn broadies would be OK, the ones growing there now were planted last year but I need something that I will clear out in the spring.


Green manure will go on all the rest of my beds but these three are high and too valuable not to grow in through the winter., they are also very easy to get at, close to the car park in a disabled section of our lotties, they make an ideal winter growing area.

Next year I will make sure I don't block them with garloc etc as I could be filling them with PSB, kale etc.


If I add the three beds together that is a lot of space.

I might make  cloches that would expand my choices

thanks for the help.

XX Jeannine