Overwintering Vegetables: What to Plant in Autumn for an Earlier Harvest
Whilst the autumn brings a sense of calm to the garden, there is still plenty to do and plan, especially in the vegetable garden. There are some vegetables, like broad beans, peas, onions, and garlic, that work particularly well for overwintering, giving you a head start on next year’s harvests.
What are the Benefits of Overwintering Vegetables?
There are a surprising number of benefits to overwintering your vegetables, from giving certain crops a valuable head start on the following season to making better use of your growing space. By taking advantage of the cooler months, you can make the most of winter conditions and set the right crops up for earlier success.
Give Roots More Time to Establish
Soil can retain some of the warmth built up over summer and early autumn, giving seeds time to germinate and newly planted crops time to establish their roots before temperatures start to drop.
Get a Head Start on Spring Harvests
Crops started in autumn will be ready to spring into action once the warmer weather arrives, meaning you should have crops weeks ahead of their spring-sown counterparts.
Avoid the Peak Season for Common Pests
Many common garden pests are far less active during the colder months. Establishing crops in autumn can therefore help them avoid the peak pest activity that we normally see in spring and summer, although you should still check your plants regularly for signs of damage.
Make the Most of Winter Rainfall
The cooler winter temperatures mean that moisture evaporates from the soil more slowly, whilst regular autumn and winter rainfall can reduce the amount of additional watering your crops need. However, heavy rain can cause its own issues, so make sure your soil drains freely to prevent it from becoming waterlogged.
Keep Vegetable Beds Productive Through Winter
Overwintering vegetables are a great way of using empty beds, keeping the soil productive, and helping to suppress weeds.
What Vegetables Can I Overwinter?
Growing Broad Beans Over Winter
Broad beans are a staple overwintering vegetable for a reason – cold-hardy and robust, they should develop a strong root system through the winter and will be ready to go when spring arrives. If severe frost is forecast, protect them with some horticultural fleece to keep them safe. Aquadulce Claudia is our go-to overwintering broad bean. It is one of the hardiest varieties of broad bean, and it produces a prolific crop of tender white beans. Pick them when young for the best flavour.
Growing Peas Over Winter
Overwintered peas can be a wonderful addition to your spring produce as long as you choose the correct hardy round-seeded varieties. Their roots have time to establish before the cold really hits, with growth then slowing through the coldest part of winter before picking up again in early spring. Their lovely flowers are also an excellent food source for early pollinators. We love Meteor as an overwintering variety. As a round-seeded pea, it stores energy as starch rather than sugar, making it better suited to cold, wet conditions. It is also a compact dwarf variety, which helps it withstand harsher winter weather and means it requires minimal support as it grows. Its small size also makes it great for growing in containers.
Planting Onions, Shallots, and Garlic in Autumn
Planting overwintering onions, shallots, and garlic is a great way to bring your harvest forward the following year. The longer growing season gives their roots more time to establish, meaning that when spring arrives, your plants are well positioned to put on rapid growth as temperatures rise and daylight hours increase. Garlic also needs a sustained cold period, known as vernalisation, to trigger the bulb to split into individual cloves properly. We have an excellent range of onion, shallot, and garlic sets chosen specifically for overwintering, so take a look at the individual varieties for more information.
