If you were thinking of holding off until spring to plant your veg- think again! You don’t have to wait to start planting your own produce…
We have put together a short list of our favourite veg that can be planted in October- most of which grow particularly well under the protective cover of our Haygrove Garden Tunnels.
Top 4 vegetables to sow this season
1) Garlic
Garlic is one of the most useful kitchen ingredients and most varieties are best planted in autumn and winter. When growing garlic, the cloves require a period of cold weather in order to develop into bulbs, but the roots need time to develop before the freezing months, making October the perfect month for planting!
The cloves should be planted in soil with a pH of around 5.5 (acidic) to 7 (neutral) and put in a warm sunny spot. Garlic cloves tend to rot if put in wet soil, so keeping them in the controlled environment of your garden polytunnel would be a prime location, plus it doesn’t take up lots of space!
Garlic planted in October will be ready to harvest by early summer to mid-summer of next year.
2) Broad beans
Broad beans – or fava beans – are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. They are the perfect healthy addition to risotto or pasta sauces, or can simply be mashed with lemon juice and put on toast to create an exciting Italian-style bruschetta!
Growing broad beans is great in the colder seasons as the seeds are hardy meaning that the frost can’t damage them. You can save space for seeds that like the warmth of your Garden Tunnel by sowing broad bean seeds straight into the ground outside. We recommend using the ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ variety which is particularly hardy against frost.
Broad beans, unlike some crops, don’t need winter cold to ensure they flower, so any seeds left over can be sown in spring!
By sowing your broad beans in autumn, you can expect the crop to be harvested in May.
3) Cauliflower
Cauliflower contains an abundance of Vitamin C and manganese which are powerful antioxidants.
Certain cauliflower varieties such as ‘All Year Around’ are quite hardy and therefore can be sown in October. Growing cauliflowers can be quite tricky to do outside, so the Haygrove Garden Tunnel is perfect for a more controlled growing environment where it is easier to keep on top of watering as well as ward off pests and diseases.
The time from sowing the cauliflower seeds to harvest is 85 to 130 days, so you’ll be able to enjoy your produce in the winter months.
4) Spring Onions
Spring onions are the tastiest garnish that can jazz up any dish, from a simple summer salad to an Asian noodle stir-fry!
When growing spring onions, the best seeds to use in the autumn are White Lisbon which overwinters well. What’s more, they take up little space in your polytunnel and can help to repel pests such as carrot flies.
Planting in October means that you’ll get an early harvest- you’ll be sprucing up your salads by the end of spring!
There are many varieties of vegetables that are perfect for polytunnel gardening this Autumn and Winter. Our heavy-duty polytunnels can protect your crops during the cold weather. For further advice on any of our Garden Tunnel products, contact one of our experts today.