Give winter veg a little TLC as they go into the coldest months of the year to make sure your garden stays as productive in the off-season as it was in summer.
Sprouts, kale, overwintering broad beans and peas, chard and winter lettuces all soldier on through the cold. But although they’ll survive without you, you’ll maximise your harvest by giving them a helping hand through the harshest weather.
Damp, rather than cold, is the main enemy, as even the hardiest plants succumb to rot if you let them sit in cold, wet soil. For basic protection simply pop a polythene cloche over the top.
Wind can do serious damage, too. Outer leaves of winter lettuces and chard can be shredded by bitter winter gales, reducing half your harvest to holey, unappetising tatters. Cloches do the job here, too, though anchor them securely to stop them blowing away.
Even plants built for winter, such as Brussels sprouts and winter cabbage, benefit from precautionary measures. Drive a short, stout stake into the ground alongside gangly Brussels sprouts plants and tie them in securely to prevent gales from loosening the roots, and shore up cabbages by heaping soil up around stems.
