Where and what to grow now?

[Newby]

I have 2 beds in the garden. Bed 1 – PSB, brussels and cauli and bed 2 – carrots, leeks and onions. The PSB has finished and alas the cauli and brussels have been annihilated by caterpillars and slugs, so they will be dug up and put on the compost heap. Bed 2 the carrots and onions are done but the leeks are still progressing well up one end under netting. I’m very new to all this and have all this space that I want to use up over winter.

I’ve picked up spring cabbage and broad beans to sow but have questions:
Which bed do I sow the beans in and which for the cabbage? Do I start rotation now and then rotate again in spring?
Do I need to add compost before every sowing? Now and again in spring?

Any suggestions of what else I can grow – and in which bed!! – plus any advice is really appreciated.
Thanks.

[charles]

 Time is now limited for second sowings but if you have plants there are more options. Check out the banner "Second cropping" under Useful Advice.

Spring cabbage want sowing asap, for planting by end September. If you have plants now, they may heart up before winter, depending on weather. They grow better from being sown in modules or a small row, then transplanted, Spring onion and spinach can be sown direct. So can salads such as lambs lettuce, rocket, mustards (they are one of many oriental leaves) and endives, also winter varieties of lettuce to grow in spring after establishing now. Broad beans don’t want sowing until November. 

Rotation is not critical, if you are strict you can either count a second sowing as part of the same year (eg rocket after psb) or grow plants of a different family (eg lambs lettuce after psb).

As for compost, like so many answers I give, it all depends…. did you use much to make beds with, and is your soil in good heart? If you spread 4-6 inches in spring, no need for any more now. If an inch or two on average soil, the same again is worthwhile now. Once you do that for two or three years, the summer composting is not needed.

[Newby]

Thanks Charles, that has been really useful. They were both brand new beds this year so plenty of compost and manure was used in the ‘lasagne’ layering. I have been amazed at the size of the crops that have grown on them already but good to know that a second sowing can also use this and I can top up again in the spring.

When you say rotation isn’t critical are you just refer to the second sowing?!

Heading off to read up on ‘Second cropping’ now!

[Author]

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