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Growing crops throughout the winter months can be tricky and many gardeners may be put off trying to do so. However, Gardening expert at Hayes Garden World, Angela Slater, has shared how to grow various different vegetables throughout the colder months, ensuring that they germinate.
The expert explained: “If you have a sunny warm south facing windowsill, you can still grow salad leaves throughout the winter.
“Recycle the plastic fruit punnets from the supermarket, use a seed compost and a fast-growing salad leaf mix.”
Compost should be kept moist but not too wet and they should be picked as soon as they are large enough.
This could be in as little as eight to 10 weeks.
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The punnet can also be used over and over again to sow seeds into.
The expert continued: “The Oriental greens, such as oak choi and mizen, can be sown over winter if you have a polytunnel.
“If not, invest a few pounds in a mini tunnel.
“Mustard greens are the hardiest and possibly the spiciest and need to be cooked to add a kick to dishes.”
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Another vegetable which can be sown now is broad beans.
Angela explained: “Broad beans can be sown in early winter, either in small pots and kept in a cold frame, or directly into the ground and covered with a small polytunnel.
“The traditional variety for this early sowing is Aquadulce.”
Blackfly are a common problem when growing broad beans, often attacking young growing tips.
To help get rid of the pest, the crop can be sprayed with a suitable insecticide.
According to the expert, sweet peas can also be sown now.
Angela said: “Sweet peas can be sown in early winter if the weather is mild.
“Sow in dedicated sweet pea root trainers or the cardboard centre out of toilet rolls or kitchen paper, they need a long root run.
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“Once sown, place it in a cold frame.
“If the weather is mild and they germinate quickly you may have to pinch out the tops to give you a nice stocky bushy plant.”
A hard winter can see lots of harmful pests, destroying gardens and flowerbeds.
Angela explained: “If your herbaceous borders have been mulched just rake it over before a hard frost forecast and any sheltering bugs will be exposed to the weather.
“If you have fruit trees, remove any leaf debris from around the trunk and rake over the exposed soil to give the birds a chance of finding the grubs.”
The expert also recommended giving the greenhouse a good clean with a mild bleach solution to get rid of any present pests.
She added: “Make sure you get into any crevices where the bugs may hide.”
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Gardening expert shares how to grow vegetables in winter – ‘recycle plastic fruit punnets’ – Daily Express
