How to grow vegetables year round

Video: How to Grow Vegetables Year Round Without a Greenhouse - UK Guide. This article was informed by the GrowVeg UK guide to growing vegetables year round. GrowVeg (growveg.co.uk) produces practical growing content for UK conditions and runs one of the most widely used garden planning tools in the country.

1. Choose the right winter varieties

Ordinary summer varieties will not get you through winter. You need crops that are specifically suited to cold, low-light conditions. Reliable choices include kale, chard, oriental leaves such as pak choi and mizuna, winter lettuce varieties, land cress, spinach, leeks, parsnips, and purple sprouting broccoli (sown in spring for picking in February and March).

Hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and chives carry on through most UK winters too. Garlic and broad beans planted in autumn establish over winter and crop early the following year. The key is thinking about what you will want in January, then sowing it in July or August.

2. Plan your sowing calendar

Year-round growing requires some forward planning. If you want to pick crops in December and January, most of them need to go in the ground in summer. That feels counterintuitive, but many winter crops need the warmth and longer days of summer to establish before the cold sets in.

Keep a simple note of what you sowed and when, and what you ate and when. After one or two seasons, you will have a clear picture of what works in your patch and what timings suit your garden in this part of Kent.

3. Use cloches and fleece

Horticultural fleece adds a couple of degrees of frost protection and keeps off the wind - which matters more than the frost in many cases. It is cheap, reusable, and makes a noticeable difference to how well winter crops establish and grow.

Low polythene or glass cloches over rows of salad or oriental leaves extend the season significantly. Even in November and December, covered lettuce will keep growing slowly. That said, ventilate on mild days to prevent mildew building up under the cover. Fleece is more forgiving here because it breathes.

4. Prepare beds before planting

Winter crops planted into poor, compacted soil will struggle. Clear summer crops as soon as they finish, remove any plant debris (do not compost diseased material), and fork in a layer of well-rotted compost or manure. This improves soil structure and feeds the soil for the next planting.

On raised beds, top up the compost level as it settles over the season. Raised beds also warm up faster than open ground in spring, giving you an earlier start on the following season's growing.

5. Keep on top of slugs and pigeons

Winter crops face two main pests: slugs, which are active in mild, wet spells, and wood pigeons, which will strip young brassica plants overnight. Netting is the most reliable protection against pigeons - 50mm mesh over a simple cane frame does the job.

For slugs, check under pots and boards in the evening and remove any you find. Copper tape around raised bed edges has mixed results. Nematodes work well in autumn when the soil is still warm enough for them to be active.

6. Harvest regularly

Many winter crops, particularly leafy greens, respond well to regular picking. Cut-and-come-again varieties of spinach, chard, and kale produce far more if you harvest frequently. Leave them too long without picking and they can bolt or become tough.

Even in January, check your beds every few days. Regular harvesting also helps you spot any problems, such as slug damage or disease, before they spread.

7. Replenish and rest beds between crops

Once a crop is finished, do not leave the bed bare for long. Clear it, add compost, and either plant the next crop or sow a green manure to hold the soil and add nutrients. Mustard, phacelia, and field beans are all easy green manures that can be dug in before the next planting.

Rotate your crops if you can. Moving brassicas, legumes, and roots around the beds each year reduces the build-up of soil-borne pests and diseases. It does not need to be complicated - even a rough rotation makes a difference.

When to call a handyman

Need raised beds built before the winter planting season, a cold frame constructed, or outdoor storage for tools and seed trays? Richard can help with the practical side of setting up a productive kitchen garden.