Six species to grow in your garden now and harvest in winter

 

Autumn is already among us and it comes with a warning: it is time to get to work in the garden if we want to have vegetables on hand during the cold months. With temperatures still pleasant to work outdoors, we tell you what five species you can grow from now on and harvest in winter.

Chard :  Beta vulgaris 'Cicla'. -In the garden, chard is an easy crop with a staggered harvest. Furthermore, it is the most yielding vegetable because its leaves and stalks are consumed.

Sowing:  directly in the place where it is going to grow until its harvest, in line, with subsequent thinning. If it is going to be sown in seedlings, it is necessary to separate the seedlings carefully and peel them (remove the plants from the seedbed to take them to a larger container). On the ground, they are thinned, that is, some small plants are picked when they have two pairs of new leaves so that there is more space, and those that were removed can be consumed as a sprout in a salad.

Requirements: it  needs full sun, although it tolerates shade very well. It needs deep and fertile soils, although it supports those that are somewhat heavy and saline. Compost must be applied before starting the cultivation. The ideal distance between plants is 25 cm and the separation between lines, 40 cm. It requires regular watering. You have to watch out for the attack of the birds, who love their tender leaves.

Harvest:  If the outermost leaves are harvested carefully and in a staggered manner, the plant can produce many leaves without actually flowering. The cuts are made with a knife or by nailing the nail into the end of the stem, flush with the rosette.

Green onion:  Allium cepa L. - Sowing: in seedlings with subsequent transplantation. It can also reproduce by planting bulbs; With this modality the harvest time is shortened to sixty days.

Requirements:  requires full sun, but supports half shade. It prefers loose, well-draining soils. The seedlings are transplanted at a distance of between 6 and 8 cm. You have to add moderate amounts of compost.

Harvest:  after 90 days, approximately. When they are ready, you can see the somewhat thickened reddish base and the deep green tubular foliage.

Broccoli:  Brassica oleracea 'Italica'. -Sowing: in seedlings, from late summer to autumn. Summer varieties are sown in November.

Requirements:  requires full sun. When the seedlings are between 10 and 15 cm high, they are transplanted to their final place in the flowerbed, at a distance of 30 cm between plants and 50 cm between lines, in a soil rich in compost. Ten days after the transplant, a hilling is carried out. It requires little watering, unless the winter is very dry. It pairs well with onions, leeks, lettuce and marigolds. You have to plant four or five broccoli per person who is going to consume them. It is resistant to frost. If grown in containers, they should have a minimum depth of between 30 and 40 cm.

Harvest:  between 50 and 70 days after sowing they will be ready to harvest. The central head must be removed with a knife, when the buds are still firm and bluish in color. This cut will stimulate the growth of lateral shoots that will give smaller heads and a little more fibrous, but totally usable.

Carrot:  Daucus carota. - Sowing: directly in the flowerbed, in lines, or by spreading the seeds broadcast at a depth of 0.50 to 1 cm. Then it is thinned, leaving a plant every 5 or 10 cm. As the seeds are small, it is advisable to mix them with mulch or sand, which will favor their homogeneous distribution in the soil. The waterings must be regular. If there are periods of lack of water and then abundant waterings, cracks will be observed along the roots.

Requirements:  prefers a sandy loam, loose and fine soil. The presence of stones or rubble favors misshapen roots and makes their harvest difficult. It grows healthy in deep soils rich in humus. In autumn, a good option is to grow it in the beds that had summer crops, such as peppers, aubergines or tomatoes, to take advantage of the compost remains.

Harvest:  in four or five months it will be ready to harvest . You have to do it carefully, taking the plant from the base and, with the help of the shovel or the laya, remove it all. The leaves are cut close to the neck, and if the roots are not consumed immediately, they will be stored in a cool and airy place; never next to potatoes or apples, since the ethylene they produce accelerates their deterioration. Refrigerated they keep perfectly one or two weeks.

Beetroot:  Beta vulgaris 'Crassa'. - Sowing: what is sown are not "seeds", but fruits that contain three or four seeds, so subsequent thinning will be necessary. It is multiplied by seeds to direct sowing in the flowerbed. You have to make a 3 cm deep furrow, water, apply a little compost, place the seeds, cover again, and exert slight pressure so that they come into contact with the moist soil.

The recommended distance between plants is 15 or 20 cm. If the seedlings are very close together and there is a risk of breaking the roots of the selected seedling for it to develop, it is advisable to cut the nearby seedlings with scissors, but not to pull them up.

Requirements: it  prefers a deep and fertile soil, although it supports those that are somewhat heavy. It is moderately demanding in terms of nutrients and does best in full sun exposure. Tolerates some shade and humid areas of the garden. Watering must be frequent and regular.

Harvest: it  will be three months after sowing. The entire plant is harvested, taking it from the base of the leaves and gently pulling upwards.

Spinach:  Spinacea oleracea. - Sowing: the seeds are spread in lines 20 cm apart from each other. Both direct sowing and sowing require a depth of 1 or 2 cm. Two weeks after the seedlings are born, a first thinning should be done, leaving between 5 and 8 cm between spinach.

Requirements: it  requires a deep soil, rich in humus and with good drainage. Tolerates shade and humidity. It requires frequent and regular watering. It yields 1 kilo of leaves per month, per linear meter of cultivation. With this data, according to family consumption, plantings can be staggered for a constant supply from autumn to spring. Spinach does not tolerate heat and flowering is induced quickly at high temperatures. It pairs very well with leeks and green onions.

Harvest:  About 40 to 50 days after sowing, when the plants reach an adequate size, you can start to selectively cut the large leaves and continue to harvest for another month or two. Another option is to wait until they reach their maximum development and harvest them whole.