Winter crops - kale etc.

Newbie_John

I have a small area in my garden I use for planting vegetables in summer but recently visited a friend who purchased their house in March and they got it with garden full of kale.
Decided to try it myself and planted it all with kale in early September and now have a lovely green, knee high plants which should provide me with greens over winter.
Has anyone else had much experience with any other plants that thrive over UK winter? (I live in south east England btw).

Woolsery

Mizuna, some mustards and various forms of chard usually do OK in our milder winters. It's too late now, but leeks stand well. Garlic is better autumn planted in many places

KajiKita

This is a good time of year to start broad beans as well, for early crops next spring.

KK

twopenny

Purple sprouting broccoli, a whole different taste to that stuff you get in supermarkets, grows really well. About the same size.

You cut the purple sprouting bits the length of their stemish and it sprouts again.

Usual time Feb to March but can come earlier depending on the weather.

There's a white version not quite as productive and less flavour.

There used to be a perennial one which you only needed to replace every 3yrs. Grew huge and very productive. Came in autumn so perfect.

Winter cabbage isn't to be sneezed at. Especially red cabbage. Out of fashion 

Brussle sprouts. I've only successfully grown them once but they tasted so different to those in the shops. Really sweet.

There is cauliflower too.

But for space and ease value kale and broccoli are really good.

You know to cut the young leaves on kale? Then they will keep producing more.

Love my winter veg. No shopping, just out the back with a knife while the water's heating an full of goodness. Not cut and cold stored for a week.

Newbie_John

Ok thank you, I will give a brocolli a go next year, this year little late and no space left  

@twopenny, what do you mean "cutting young leaves" ? Everywhere I read it says - start from the bottom? Little scared to chop ones at the top as I don't want to kill the plant, nor pick the leaves before they get full size.

RAS

Try mizuna, land cress, mache/lamb's lettuce and swiss chard. All survived minus 19 in the 2010 winters, plus Mustard Giant Red Wave. Lucellus is the best chard (Ldl) and Broad Bean Valenciana planted now crop really early. If hairy bitter cress is a common weed harvest it; it's even better than land cress.

If you can grow onions, you can start winter/Japanese sets now and garlic for cropping late spring/early summer. There are some winter lettuce that grow with protection (Winter Density is reliable).

And try Jo Maiden's hanging basket trick if you have a greenhouse or polytunnel, except I'd grow mange tout rather than podding peas. Pea-shoots are another indoor option needing very little space.

2P's perennial broccoli is 9-star which has just been re-introduced by King's Seeds. If you stop it flowering it will last more than 5 years but gets leggy.

Oh and there are several perennial Kales sometimes referred to as African kales. Look like fodder kale but are really tender and sweet to eat.

twopenny

I wonder if it's because I grow a smaller version. Not the huge stuff.

I did a quick check and it does say that on the net.
But I grow 6 or so curly kale plants and cut the tender young leaves. Even the once I grew big ones I did this. Just 3 or 4 but not the central growth ones. They just produce more in a week or so. 

My current one is growing from a stem left in the ground and has become a healthy plant.

I'll post a photo this weekend so you can see.
Sweet and tender leaves that take just 10mins to cook.
The bottom leaves are much tougher and better for stir fry and stews.

Ill also ask my allotment holder friends who may grow the big stuff.

Sprouting broccoli produces a largish central head first. You cut that and cook then it will produce lots of side shoots from the stem for cutting as needed. They will produce a lot for ages.

twopenny

I asked my alotment friends and they say they take a tender leaf or two from each plant so more grow back.

But yes, the difference between if you want them for stews or to steam/boil.

I have one plant at the mo but take a 3 or 4 leaves from the top. Not the centre growth point. And it looks like this. You can see the paler green new leaves and the centre point will keep growin out more.

This plant was from a stem cut to the ground before we had 3mts of blistering dry and I couldn't dig it up. Couldn't believe when it grew to a healthy productive plant that's giving me veg not in the expected season so I may trycutting a couple next spring so they don't breed aphids and see if I can get an autumn crop again. More optimism over experience but if you don't try you don't know

And the side view shows it's produced another head on the side, the paler leaves are good for cutting too.

I have only a tiny plot and need to rotate plants so that would be a great thing.

The Kale is dwarf curly kale.

KajiKita

@twopenny - love that you got a free plant / crop 

KK

KajiKita

I spent some time planting out red veined Sorrel and Winter Density lettuce in my greenhouse this weekend - too wet to get them in the outdoor veg beds, but they still have growing room in their trays so I have some time to get this done.

Also, started off garlic, autumn plantable shallots (apparently! never grown them before ) and some broad beans (got the last packet at the garden centre.

KK

twopenny

You reminded me that my neighbour grew Japanese onions.
They are bigger than spring onions and grow perpetually in a clump.
You use them year round as spring onions without the hassle. To me the flavour wasn't as good but they are an easy space saver crop.
https://www.gardennewsmagazine.co.uk/plants/fruit-and-vegetable/sow-hardy-tasty-japanese-onions/
I had mine from him and haven't seen them around anywhere but interesting.