6 Vegetables To Grow During The Winter For An Early Harvest

6 vegetables to grow during the winter for an early harvest in spring, long before spring sowings are giving food. I show results of growth from varied yet also precise sowing dates in late summer and autumn.
The 6 vegetables include a herb, coriander 😀

00:00 Intro to small plants overwintering, sown modules & transplanted 2-4 weeks later
00:49 Spring onions multisown 27th August, and this date is good for bulb onions too
02:12 Spring onions multisown 20th August, big difference
03:05 Perfect dates for spring onion and
03:20 Coriander overwintering nicely
04:10 Spinach Medania sown 10th August + difference between 2 years of home saving Medania seed, and buying it in 2021
05:22 Spring cabbage mostly Wheelers Imperial sown 26th August and a few Duncan F1
08.40 Removing eaten lower leaves
09:14 Cauliflower Aalsmeer sown 25th August, mesh has not kept out all the moths
11:06 Broad beans Aquadulce Claudia sown 20th October and transplanted after cabbage
12:38 Results of using different composts for 8 years
13:50 Broad beans direct sown 5th November foreground and 13th November far end

Homeacres is in Somerset, SW England latitude 51N, zone 8 climate / maritime temperate, lowest winter temperatures -7C 19F.

For my CD 60 Module Trays, used to raise the transplants for these vegetables:

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[nickyperryman]

Charles Dowding is a national treasure. Wonderful wisdom and experience. Thank you for sharing.

[anettahryniszynlynskey]

your videos are joy to me. i started no dig garden 2 years ago. this year i triple my garden, my veggies r growing so well with your help. thank you for bein here

[OriginalRaveParty]

It's fascinating how good your garden looks, even in Winter. Us mortals have got a grey, sorry looking mess 😁

[terry]

I backyard garden in pots so I am trying some “no dig” in tubs. Also, I never thought about it but I was raised to go fallow for our veggie garden over winter, so sad that I did. Now in my mid-seventies, this is the first year I ever planted a winter garden and I live in California. Amazing to get produce from the garden! Just never considered it until I saw some of your videos. Better late than never I suppose. My younger brother and I both tried a winter garden this year and realized we learned to garden from our parents who grew up in snow bound climes. Thanks for your superb videos and teaching an old dog new tricks, 😂. 💕❤️🌱 I love gardening!

[icouldjustscream]

Good evening from Canada 🇨🇦! It's 6 pm on the east coast. We've had mild weather thus far, last winter was mild as well. The garlic is napping and I still have some kale standing. The scarlet kale is extraordinarily beautiful surrounded by a dusting of snow. Thank you for inspiring us snow-people, spring is a distant dream.

[ohio_gardener]

I direct sow onion seeds in early September, and they get good growth before the first hard freeze. They grow well throughout the winter, even when buried under snow, and are ready to start pulling for green onion in late-March or early-April.

[tersta]

This year I've discovered that in zone 4b (frost dates June 1 & September 18), in a greenhouse (clear tarp over EMT conduit frame, strapped down with rope), I was able to harvest bell peppers until late November and nearing the end of December collards, turnip, pak choy, napa cabbage and peas are still growing. Even some self-seeding napa seedlings are alive and growing still. It's a feat just to have any sort of veg growing at this time of year here. Broccoli planted outside the greenhouse died by the end of November. So, for those discouraged by sub-zero winters with heavy snow, don't be. You can extend the growing season with a low cost, home made greenhouse. I also was able to plant out tomatoes and cucumbers a month earlier at the start of May with the aid of a temperature controlled micro heater and fan. To my surprise, garden season can be extended from 4 months to 10, and perhaps even longer, in zone 4b with the protection of a basic greenhouse and a bit of springtime heating for tender plants. A greenhouse designed with a side wall/top roll up option is essential for peak summer heat control and animal prevention mesh is necessary too.

While I'm here, I should mention and urge everyone to watched the After Skool video "Chemical Farming & The Loss of Human Health - Dr. Zach Bush". It explains that glyphosate, the active chemical in Roundup and other herbicides, interrupts the shikimate pathway in soil bacteria and also gut bacteria (microbiome). The human health consequences are broad, with links to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, autism, problems with organs, because it interferes with cell-to-cell bonding, leaving veins, nerves, organ lining weakened and leaky. Looking into glyphosate, I came across advise on counteracting the damage it does to the body - BRASSICAS. Home-grown, organic veg, not exposed to glyphosate in soil and water (including rain), and limiting store-bought produce and processed foods from all categories, seems to be a wise choice of "preventative medicine".

[VisinskiRadoviBeograd]

Thank yo for being present all these years, for caring and keeping up the wonderful work of nurturing and preserving the land that was given to us to protect and to be the gardeners on it. God bless you and prolong your days.

[daisyroe]

Charles, you are a godsend to this world. Hugs and kisses from Michigan, USA.

[Artzenflowers]

Brilliant Charles, I’m still finding my way, but have a full garden of brassicas and a few others to see how I do over winter. This being my first year with this garden it’s all a mystery at this point..I so appreciate all your wisdom and experience.

[TransdermalCelebrate]

Very encouraging,
I’m a small time gardener,
All the same,
your wealth of knowledge is a great inspiration

[TheAllotmentGardenandKitchen]

Great advice as always. Thank you Charles. Kind regards. Gary

[JesseHueb]

We’re in hardness zone 6a in Colorado and direct sowed various greens and beats in low tunnels at the end of October. They’ve survived as low as -18 wind chill!! Slow growing but excited to see the early harvest once the days get longer and the Sun get higher!

[robertling]

Thank you Charles for sharing this beautiful video.

[peterroberts]

Thank you very helpful. I just love the commitment to long term trials, so many do a comparison for a season and make conclusions without looking at all factors. Charles shows the effect on the soil over many years, really helpful for real growing!

[philippayne]

Hi Charles for the last 2 years I have direct sown field beans for the same purpose as you have done for Broad beans. I have several crops of top shoots which I cook for greens much like spinach and they are lovely. That way I get the benefit of the nitrogen from the roots and a nice additional source of greens throughout the winter. I definitely recommend it.

[nickhammersonrocks]

WE'RE SO USE TO SHUTTING DOWN FOR WINTER, WE NEVER THOUGHT ANYONE COULD HAVE A GARDEN THAT GORGEOUS IN WINTER IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ON THIS PLANET

[paulhanson]

Hello From Minnesota. Thank you for this wonderful video. I am disabled and have been developing my vertical (stand up) garden with arches, trellises and raised water trough beds that wick water to the vegetables.

[dispmonk]

Thanks Charles. This is the best overwintering video I have seen on YouTube.

[GARDENER]

No kidding on temperature, as we also we had a warm autumn here in Cumbria. I took the mesh off my brussels sprouts at the beginning of November & when I looked at them two weeks later, they had flippin' cabbage white caterpillars all over them!