Things To Do Before Winter on Your Vegetable Plot

Posted on 28. Oct, 2010 by Tracey in How To Grow Veg

Autumn is the time for misty mornings, rusty coloured leaves, orange, brown and red hues, nights drawing in, colder temperatures and frost. As vegetable gardeners there a few jobs that we need to do, to give our plot the protection it deserves over winter and provide us with lots of lovely vegetables next year.

Broad Bean Seeds

1. Sow Your Last Seeds

It’s too late to sow most autumn and winter vegetables as these should be well under way now. However there is still time to sow winter lettuce, early peas and overwintering broad beans which will provide you with harvests in the springtime. Remember to protect them from strong winds, frost and snow by using a cloche or protective white fleecing.

Quick Click Guides: Winter Lettuce, Autumn Peas, Broad Beans.

Onion and Garlic

2. Order Onions, Shallots, Garlic now for November Planting

Its that time of year again, time to buy your autumn planting onions, shallot sets and garlic bulbs. Onions and Shallots are easy to plant in sets and don’t need a lot of looking after throughout the winter.

Garlic should be planted in free-draining soil as it hates to be waterlogged which can cause rotting. Garlic is perfect for growing in medium to large containers or pots.

Quick Click Guides: Autumn Onions, Autumn Shallots, Growing Garlic, 8 Reasons To Grow Your Own Onions, What are Onion Sets?

Frosty Leaf

3. Stock up on Fleece for Frost Protection

As the temperatures drop, so do the soil and air temperatures, which could leave your poor vegetables out in the cold, suffering with frost bite. Remember to stock up on horticultural fleece or cloches which will help protect your veggies from the natural elements of frost, snow and ice.

Quick Fleece and Cloche Links: Fleece Tunnel Cloche Kit, Fleece Container Covers, Frost Protection Fleece, Pop-Up Frost Fleece.

Baby Slugs under Carrots

4. Carry On Weeding as it helps keep the Slugs/Snails Population Low

Slugs and Snails love it when the ground is wet, there’s nothing they like better than to crawl under one of your cabbage, lettuce, pak choi plants and chew some holes in the leaves morning, noon and night. The only person who is going to stop them is you! I find hand picking and beer traps are the best ways. Its also important to keep up your weeding and remove any dead leaves as slugs can easily be missed if they are lurking under one of these.

Quick Slug Links: 6 Reasons to Maintain Your Veg Garden, Pest Watch: Slugs & Snails.

Seed Catalogues 2010

5. Work out your Vegetable Plot & Seed Sowing Plans for the New Year

Sit back and relax with a hot mug of tea and plough through those seed catalogues you’ve been saving. Sketch up your draft vegetable plot plans and vegetable’s you’d like to grow in the new year.

Quick Veg Plot Plan Links: Planning Your Veg Garden Part 1, Part 3a Drawing a Plan, Part 3b – Create a Plan Online,, Part 4 – Choosing Seeds.

For more handy tips and advice on growing and caring for your vegetables in winter, why not sign up to my Monthly Newsletter.

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