The Winter Crops Experiment

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 I have decided to have a go at growing some crops that are usually more associated with summer and autumn for a winter harvest, all being well. 

Growing salad leaves for winter harvests isn't that unusual, there are some that are better sown in winter. in fact such as Lamb's Lettuce. I have in the past grown various cut and come again types in pots and even old buckets, sown in late autumn and when the cold weather really hits moved under cover into the Greenhouse, which of course by that time was empty the Tomato plants having long since been removed and composted. You don't get copious amounts but I have managed to grow enough to see me through the winter months - I don't know about you but I don't eat as many salads in December and January anyway. 

This year I am having a go with Spring Onions and Carrots! 

I have White Ishikura Spring Onions which the packet informs me are tender with long stems and slow to bulb. Usually sown between March and July to be harvested May to October they are pretty hardy and I am fairly confident that they should be fine, especially as they will be undercover by the time the worst of the British weather arrives in winter. 

As for the carrots I have Carrot Amsterdam Forcing 3 for no other reason than they were some of the few seeds left on sale in the middle of August! Usually sown February to July for cropping May to October I am not very late sowing these but will be late cropping them, my hope is I will have some to go on the plate for Christmas Dinner. These may prove trickier than the Spring Onions but I am very hopeful, if not confident, that I will be okay and I will have home-grown FRESH Carrots for the Christmas table. 

I will keep you informed over the coming months. 

Cheers 🍺


Location: London Borough of Havering, UK

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