In order to accelerate the harvesting date of some vegetables, we can use pre-winter sowing.Winter vegetablescan be sown from October to early December. This will allow you to speed up the harvest by about 2 to 3 weeks compared to spring sowing.winter onionandwinter garlicbut asearly harvest vegetables , sown in autumn , we can also grow frost-resistant, early varieties of carrots, parsley, dill and spinach. Here are the secretsgrowing winter vegetables
Winter vegetables - onion and garlic
Preparing beds for winter vegetables
In order forwinter vegetable cultivationto have a chance of success, it is necessary to choose a suitable place for the plots. A suitable site should be well insolated and sheltered from winds, light, well-drained, fertile and humus soil. It is imperative that the soil warms up quickly during spring, because only then will plant vegetation begin earlier and it will be possible to accelerate the harvest date. It is important that the beds are not flooded during the spring thaw. We should also pay attention to the fact that placing the beds close to each other will make it easier to cover them with vegetable covers, such as perforated foil, agrotextile or foil tunnel, which in turn will intensify the effect of accelerating the harvest date.
Stand for winter vegetablesshould be prepared about a month before sowing.The soil should be cleaned of the remains of previous crops (for root vegetables, the best pre-crops will be plants that leave the soil free from weeds, i.e. onion and brassica vegetables), and then apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Compost fertilization can also be used. However, we do not use nitrogen fertilization, because during the winter it will be washed out of the soil anyway. We only use nitrogen fertilizers in spring. Dig the soil and level it with a rake.
Note!Due to the tendency of root vegetables to accumulate nitrates and heavy metals, fertilization plays a very important role and should be adjusted to the soil abundance determined by chemical analysis. When fertilization is carried out without chemical analysis of the soil, the approximate doses of fertilizers specified in the table below should be applied.
For pre-winter sowing, we use vegetable seeds with high germination capacity and sow them more densely than in spring, because some of the seeds may freeze up.
Winter carrot
For the autumn sowing date, we choose early carrot varieties, such as Amsterdamska, Kalina F1or Karo F1From foreign varieties, you can choose Primo F1 , Espredo F1 , Calibra F1 , Chambor F1 , Nektarina, Nanda F1 , Damco F1 , Tempo F1
The sowing date, depending on the weather conditions, must be selected so that the plants do not have time to sprout in the fall, because then they will not survive the winter (carrots start to germinate at 4 ° C). We must therefore sow them at the last moment before frost sets in. As a rule, it will be in November or even in the first days of December. Compared to spring sowing, we should sow slightly more seeds in autumn, as not all of them will be able to survive the winter and germinate in spring. If the winter turns out to be snowless, the bed should be covered with haulm, straw or mats. We will probably be able to start harvesting at the end of May and continue throughout June.
Winter parsley
The sowing season recommendations are similar to those for carrots (November or early December). In the past, the only variety considered suitable for winter sowing was 'Sugar' parsley. Currently, the choice of varieties of parsley for winter cultivation is much larger (these are, for example, varieties 'Kaśka' and 'Lenka'). Parsley winters slightly better than carrots, and in spring the seedlings tolerate light frosts better.
Winter dill
" Before sowing, feed the soil with eg Azofoska - about 200g / 10m². Depending on the weather conditions, the early harvest date for fennel is from late November to February. Recommended varieties are Lukkulus, Ambrosia, Szmaragd and Amat. Garden dill for the collection of young plants is sown in rows 15 to 20 cm away, and for the collection of mature umbels, in rows 30 to 40 cm away. "
Winter spinach
"Early harvest spinach is sown until the end of September.The seeds are sown 2 to 3 cm deep in rows 20 to 25 cm apart. Before winter arrives, plants should develop 2 to 3 leaves each, because this is where they hibernate best. Before the onset of major frosts, it is necessary to cover the spinach with leaves or dried stalks of other plants, in such a way as not to restrict the access of light to the plants too much. Only frost-resistant varieties are suitable for pre-winter sowing, such as Prima F1or Kastra F1Early harvesting will be possible from April. "
Winter garlic
"The planting date for winter garlicis from October to mid-November. First, however, the soil needs to be prepared very carefully - we loosen it deeply and level the surface. It is also recommended to use mineral fertilization underwinter garlicin the form of Azofoski in the amount of 400 g / 10 m². Planting depth of winter garlic is slightly greater than recommended in spring - 4 to 5 cm for bulbs and 5 to 6 cm for cloves.Plant the garlic cloves vertically, with the heel down, pushing them into the bottom of the furrow. Garlic winters quite well thanks to its resistance to low temperatures. Well-rooted, it will survive the winter and resume growth in early spring, at a temperature of 3 to 5 ° C.
In the cultivation of garlic, it is important to choose the right place for the bed - it must be well insolated. We should not grow it after ourselves and other onion vegetables, due to the high sensitivity to fungal diseases. A good place for beans, peas, cucumbers or tomatoes. In principle, it is possible to plant all types of garlic, however, garlic that produces inflorescence shoots (eg Harnaś, Orkan) winter best.Harvesting winter garlicwill be possible in July. "
A bit earlier than traditional winter garlic, because at the turn of September and October, it is worth planting wild garlic bulbs. Although it is related to traditional garlic, theedible part of wild garlic is theleaves, not the bulbs.It is worth getting interested in this type of garlic, because while maintaining equally strong he alth-promoting properties, it is easier to digest, and after consumption it does not leave an unpleasant garlic smell. Wild garlic leaves are harvested from March to April.
Winter onion with spring onions
"Ozima onion cultivationis only possible in regions with a mild climate. The earliest harvest of winter onions can be obtained by planting spring onions in October. The November deadline is possible, albeit quite risky. For cultivation, it is recommended to place after plants grown in manure. If we do not have such a stand, it is necessary to fertilize the bed with well-decomposed compost (at least 2 weeks before the date of sowing). For planting on winter onions, we designate a large spring onion with a diameter of 2 to 2.5 cm, as the smaller one hibernates less well. We plant at a distance of 20 x 5 cm to such a depth that the tops are about 3 to 4 cm below the soil surface. The varieties suitable for the pre-winter onion planting period are Rawska, Czerniakowska, Fiesta and Żytawska.Before winter, the bed should be covered with haulm or straw. If we cover the plants with non-woven fabric or perforated foil in the spring,winter onion harvestingwill be possible already in mid-April. "
