I've been asked this month what happens to all the veg beds and pots and troughs over winter - and the answer is they continue getting good use! I keep growing veg all year and use basic crop rotation in the beds and pots - ensuring you don't grow the same types of crops in the same space for more than one season.
Great veg for overwintering include all sorts of brassicas - cabbages, caulis, broccoli, kale, sprouts etc and also leeks, Japanese onions, some winter lettuce varieties - to name but a few!
If you do have any empty spaces you can grow green manures which revitalise the soil. As I add manures and fresh compost to every area I grow veg in the spring anyway and have little unused space, instead I plant winter friendly flowers in any gaps to perk up the growing area. Winter pansies are a special favourite for this sort of strategy as they're inexpensive and flower over and over even through the harshest weather if you take care to dehead regularly.
This is also a good time to note what you've had growing where and what will remain in situ until what point in the year - as this will be important for planning your veg strategy for the following growing season - more on that in a future blog post!
-- Holly Rowan Hesson
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