Planting advice please

[buxton diggers]

I'm assuming that, as the new ones are rotting on the plant, it's time to pull up my lovely butternut squash and pickle all the fruit.
This will leave a space of, at least, 6' by 6'. As this is my first winter, could someone please advise me on what to put in next? Something low maintenance and quickly sprouting would be good. I've got enough leeks, broad beans, brussels (the ones the bunny left) and winter greens in and I've not been able to get hold of seed potatoes to put any more in for Christmas!
Thank you!

[buxton diggers]

[supersprout]

Onion sets, quick! :D

[calendula]

yep, not got mine in yet  :-[ also garlic, oriental salads, radishes (?)

[buxton diggers]

I'm a bit confused by onion sets! Do I put seeds in a tray, grow and transplant them? Is there enough time to do that? Or do I buy them?

[Grant]

Bought our onion sets and garlic last weekend
I put my onion sets in modules which hold 20. 
Get these modules 5 trays for £1 at pound shop.
Find growing on in modules for a month before
planting helps establish them.  There is still time
to do this.

[mc55]

I bought my Japanese onion sets from Wilkos last week (90p for 50 bulbs) and intend to plant them straight out into a prepared bed at the w/e.

[buxton diggers]

Excellent: we have a Wilko nearby! Thank you.

[mc55]

... you'll need to look quite carefully for them, amongst the tulip / crocus bulbs etc.  They are in plastic packets with a rectangular cardboard front.

[lin]

I am buying my onion sets this week, every time I went to Wilcos they were sold out, but Parkers has some in... anyway need advice....

do you plant these winter onions the same way as summer with just the tip showing, or because they have to suffer through the cold season, should they be started deeper in the earth? Linda

[MrsKP]

according to Dobies instructions .... tips showing.  I've got mine under a layer of fleece which was just as well as within minutes of them going in, the sparras were trying to hoik them back out again.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine are coming up already. Just what's wanted; they need to get well established before the cold weather.

[MrsKP]

how far on should they be then Robert (by the time the frosts hit) ?

[Tora]

Japanese greens like Mizuna, Mibuna, Komatsuna are also good to grow from Autumn throughout the winter. They are supposed to be sown by August but should be ok sown now considering how mild this autumn is (you might need to protect them with fleece depending on where you are).
I'm planning to sow mooli radish, Japanese burdock (late autumn sowing) and broad beans as well this autumn. :)

[buxton diggers]

Thanks for the advice! I managed to get Wilko's sets!
Mooli radish! How cool: will it flourish anywhere? It's very cold where we are in the winter.
I already planted broad beans and they seem to have established really well.

[Tora]

Mooli radish is easy to grow and fast to mature. I sowed some this spring and had very good crop although I didn't do anything for them. I'm sowing some again very soon.
It generally does well in cold climate. In fact they don't like hot and dry weather. I imagine some varieties are hardier than others. If you sow mooli in autumn then I recommend providing some protection like fleece just in case. :)