Successful winter veg growing in the UK | winter self-sufficiency | polytunnels vs cold-frames
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- Опубліковано 22 жов 2020
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If you have questions, we have a FAQ document and video, which you can find here: steves.seasidelife.com/2020/0...
If you are new to my allotment videos you might find a bit of context useful. We live in the north west of England, in Lytham St Annes, which I believe is the equivalent of USA Zone 8. Fairly mild, but very windy.
For more details on the databases that I use to manage my allotment, check out these two blog posts steves.seasidelife.com/catego...
We have three allotments in my family, mine (Steve), my wife's (Debbie) and my middle daughter's (Jennie). We also have a small kitchen garden at home. They are all managed in an integrated fashion, so don't expect to see the usual mix of veg on each plot. I do most of the planning and seed starting. We each have our own plots, but we all help each other out.
Jennie's plot has been designed as a traditional allotment, but we put a lot of focus on minimising the work we do there. It's basically a plant and forget it plot, full of garlic, leeks, onions, beetroot, brassicas, squash, beans and fruit trees. It's heavily mulched to reduce weeds and to reduce the need water.
Debbie's plot is mostly full of perennials, it's an ornemental plot. Again we did a lot of work to keep the weeds down and Debbie's approach is inspired by the TV programme The Ornamental Kitchen garden.
My plot is all about experimental growing, maximum productivity and year round abundance. As with all of the other plots I did a lot of work to control the weeds, but it's a high maintenance plot. I'm always planting, harvesting, experimenting and generally having a great time.
Collectively the plots deliver an amazing abundance of fruit and veg all year round. Debbie, Jennie, Jon and I are effectively self sufficient in veg all year round and in fruit for much of the year. During winter we sometimes have enough surplus to feed our local family. During the rest of the year when the surplus from our house garden comes on stream we have surpluses in some crops for quite a few friends as well.
This video provides an overview:
• The big picture of our...
I do an update of the allotments, roughly twice a month, you can find the tours here:
• Full allotment tour as...
Our approach to allotment life is to: grow as much as we possibly can, to be self-sufficient in veg all year round and in fruit in season, to give away our surplus to friends and family, and to have as much fun as possible. For more on self sufficiency check out these videos:
• Super quick update on ...
We are not slaves to gardening though, I spend about 14 hours a week on the plots (on average) Debbie and Jennie a lot less. We keep nudging that down as we eliminate non-productive work: like grass cutting, weeding and watering as much as practical. We are both newbie gardeners, only starting the allotments in 2016.
I'm a bit obsessive about the nutrient density of the veg that we grow and making the plots easy to work because it's through this allotment lifestyle and food that I've overcome a debilitating auto-immune disease.
I'm always aware though that it might not last so I make sure that I don't work too hard, eat as much organic fruit and veg I can and design the plots so that I can still work them when I flare up.
Perfectly timed rendition of the cruicial information for winter growing, which is comprehensive, to the point and brings together all the infomatiion I was looking for relating to the uk. Big Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback Rosi : all the best - Steve
This fits the PNW in the US so well, we deal with the same issues and I am learning so much!
Very helpful for a first time winter gardener like myself. Thanks Steve🌟
Thanks for the feedback Doaa : All the best - Steve
just what i needed today , as i was sorting threw the seed box , dont throw give it a go
Wow, wow, wow, Steve this video is bursting at the seams with all the info to get us all starting winter growing. Have to say, my heart sank initially since I’m going to be tackling almost every negative you mentioned. Down here in Cornwall it’s always blustery, super wet (which I can see invites the slug population) and my on going poly tunnel condensation issue! However, slow but sure I’m improving the poly, making raised beds from my makeshift lockdown veg patches which is helping massively with the drainage of this heavy clay soil 🤦🏼♀️. Thank goodness you posted this now, I’ve only planted a few bits while I empty the poly, clean and treat it, add new bed frames and refill the beds. You know I would absolutely have got it wrong! I can’t tell you how important your info is for us newbies. Trial and error is the main way to learn I know but loosing a whole growing season through mistakes is such a long time so if we can eliminate the main ones we stand a fighting chance. Ty ty ty 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thanks for the feedback Karen, winter growing for self-sufficiency can be tricky, as most information really only talks about plants surviving, rather than thriving : All the best - Steve
Wonderfully useful information Steve. I live in the North West, so it’s especially helpful! Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback Gillian : All the best - Steve
Cheers Steve, some great advice 👍 for a newbie like me this has quashed some conceptions for growing in colder months. Thanks for sharing. Robbo
Thanks for the feedback Rob : All the best - Steve
Completely new to growing we've just acquired an 18x9 allotment. As little as i know about growing I found this video very informative thank you 😊
I suggest my ebook Dwayne, loads more videos, loads of guides and no adverts. Free to anyone, especially new growers see gardening-ebook.info
Concise, to the point, well thought out and presented. Just the advice I was looking for Steve. Many thanks. Subbed.
Thanks Dave, you might also like the chapter of my ebook on growing under cover www.notion.so/steverichards/Growing-under-cover-a48de72c83064d07a945eeb111cf7027 and polytunnel gardening www.notion.so/steverichards/Polytunnel-greenhouse-growing-e260fa0b71bd4dea9a9003c74bdb9ce7 : All the best - Steve
A comprehensive video thank you Steve. Just subscribed.
Thanks Frankie, much appreciated! : All the best - Steve
Good advice, well received. Thanks👍
Hi , just came across your channel. Highly informative. Thank you for your advice , I've learnt a lot about the best use for my polyvinyl in winter.
Thanks for the feedback Caroline!
That was an extremely interesting video. Thank you for all the information.
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! : All the best - Steve
So much information. Love your mini poly tunnels. Might try and make some once my new beds are sorted.
Nice little winter project, all ready for an early spring harvest : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Yes that's very true. Got lots planned, just trying to get them all done lol
Thank you for this video Steve! You really cleared some things out for me being a newbie aiming at selfsufficiency all year round in a cold climate. Take care! / Yasmin
I'm not sure how cold your climate is Yasmin, but if you are below freezing for a lot of the time then The Winter Harvest Handbook is a good resource : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Im not sure either, Lol, but I think that the part of Sweden most in the south has the same climate as the part of UK most in the north.We have 8 climatezones here, from 1 to 8. Zone 1 is the warmest and zone 8 is the coldest. Highest up in the north the climate is arctic. I live in the south of Sweden but 239 meters above sealevel so therefor we reach climatezone 4 here. The frostdate here is earliest at september 15th and latest at june 1st but its mostly in january and february that we have longer periods below zero. The handbook you mention, is that a book written by you? All the best to you too Steve!
Sounds like you are too warm for that book to apply, it’s written by Elliot Coleman
@@SteveRichards Ok, thank you Steve! 😊👍
Really good tips I can make use of here in Denmark. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback Cathrin : All the best - Steve
Hi Steve, Another great video, full of useful information thank you for sharing it, Take care and stay safe.
Hi Ronald, I see you have your greenhouse heater out again, what are you planning to use it for? : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Hi Steve, At this moment in time I don't have any plans but no doubt something will need a warm-up in the new year or maybe earlier, I will play it by ear, Take care
All tips are a bonus
Great tips, living out in the Balkans we have the climate you describe, where we can get some very cold periods but snow is becoming increasingly rare and there is actually a LOT of sun and I'm coming to realise that autumn and winter are actually a more congenial time of year to grow stuff, especially greens, maybe with some protection (I have had crops survive 5 inches of snow though, no problems). Far easier than in 35c summer heat, when even tomatoes suffer.
It definitely is a relaxed time to grow, many plants can survive very harsh conditions, they don't grow much though without a bit of TLC : All the best - Steve
Thanks for sharing ... very informative & quality content as always! Best wishes!
Thanks for the feedback! : all the best - Steve
Brrrr 🥶🥶🥶 3c here in Langley BC 🇨🇦 today, I have never really grown anything over fall/winter before but giving it a try with some brassicas in poly tunnel. As always stay safe and stay gardening 🇨🇦🥕🥬☮️✌️🍆
So much potatential for winter growing, brassicas are great in a tunnel if it's freezing and windy outside : All the best - Steve
Thanks for the info. God bless
Thanks for this, my polytunnel was finished last weekend and I'm trying to make sure I max the usage of it. Unfortunately I didn't have enough space in my tiny greenhouse at home to get starts going in September because it was full of tomatoes, chillis and peppers but now I have the polytunnel as well, I'm excited to plan out for the next years season and ensuring I get successional growing going.
Be sure to check out some of the other videos linked in the description : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards I already have :) we are just up the road from you in Morecambe so the climate is very similar.
Awesome. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback Victor : All the best - Steve
Very good advice
Glad it was helpful Gisele, you might find these chapters of my book useful. Here's the chapter on polytunnel and greenhouse growing: steverichards.notion.site/Polytunnel-greenhouse-growing-e260fa0b71bd4dea9a9003c74bdb9ce7 and on growing under cover: steverichards.notion.site/The-basics-fabeb9d9ba5d4227a63226824a29ac82 : All the best - Steve
Great advice Steve!
Thanks Steve
@@SteveRichards I know you do not subscribe to many channels Steve (but I guess you watch many!) but one sector you missed out in your opening few lines about mis-information is from "the newly big" UK UA-cam gardening creators who only seem to make videos for money. Harsh but true.
I reckon I could take the top 10 worst tips from a few channels and have a zero yield harvest next year 🙁
Fortunately I've not come across those Steve, unfortunately I think youtube can make video production quite addictive, I learned years ago to just make simple videos and take a publish and forget approach to them, I don't have the youtube app on my phone, just my laptop, so I normally only get to interact (answering questions) with the channel for an hour in the morning and an hour at night. The exception being at the start of lockdown when I decided to try and made a video a day (what a pain that was) I try and restrict myself to only making videos when I actually have something of value to say.
I'm more of a do'er than a watcher Steve, I do watch a couple of youtube videos a day, normally over lunch, but only 2-3 a week are gardening ones. My preference is for the market gardening channels, because I like their focus on simple. efficient and easy approaches : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards The "lockdown" videos were great and they gave the whole "grow your own" culture a real and welcome boost.
There seems to be a withdrawal symptom thing going on with some "big" channels where the still feel the need to publish every day even though they have no real or useful content. Have a great weekend mate!
I think you are only half joking about withdrawal, I think it's a real thing and youtube exploits it to the max. All those little dopamine hits as you anticipate the next refresh of your stats, how many views, any more subscribers, comments etc, anybody say something nice about me etc etc. It's worse than smoking and definitely one of the worst offenders when it comes to social media addiction. That's why I don't have the app on my phone, that way my mind is at peace all day. The algorithm seems to massively reward frequent posting, I have hundreds of old videos many are much better than the one I posted today, but they get almost no views, the ones that count at the new ones : All the best - Steve
2.17 = Hallelujah moment. I'll stay stum until the end now ......
Good content thank you
Thanks for the feedback Stuart : All the best - Steve
Excellent insight. I grow in southern Germany with a continental climate but would reach the very same conclusions. I have also noticed that my plant keep growing on less than 10 hours of sunlight if it is warm enough. Clearly noone informed the plants about that rule!
Absolutely Louise, the relationship between heat and light isn't well documented : All the best - Steve
Another excellent video Steve, full of great information. Question: what sort of fleece do you use in your back garden at home? it looks very good quality.
kind regards
Woody
Hi Woody, I use the Agralan winter weight for tender crops (courgettes, potatoes etc) www.agralan.co.uk/frost-protection/envirofleece-30g-2-4-x-5m.html and their lighter weight fleece for salads and spinach : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards
cheers Steve :-)
Very informative I am a beginner gardener so helpful
keep up your good work on your channel.
Cheers - Ebony
Check out my free book too, so much more on winter gardening and loads more videos steverichards.notion.site/Gardening-eBook-info-6f57489ae10a4721b48b421826203814
Excellent video. Can you recommend a good polytunnel supplier UK?
ETA just seen the supplier you used in your faqs. So impressed with the level of detail and info you provide. I am a beginner allotmenteer and will deffo be checking out more of your videos! Thanks.
Hi Indi, Northern and First tunnels both seem to be good, thanks for the feedback : All the best - Steve
Great I formation Steve. The metal curved supports you are using to make a frame with canes for your fleece look handy. What are they called so I can track some down?
Fence pins, we use them for everything, making frames, supporting plants etc www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=fence+pins&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 : All the best - Steve
Amazing video Steve very informative!! Do you think covering now with fleece will help the growth speed of endive ,lettuce and chard ?
It's difficult to say outside. When it comes to temperature growth is a function of average temp (day and night) so fleece would help with that, but light levels would also be reduced, which would offset the benefit. A light weight fleece, supported above the plants would probably help growth in November, reduce wind damage in winter and help growth again in March. In a polytunnel it would help over-night in winter, but not during the day : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards
Would you recommend to keep fleece 24 hours a day or only at night if it gets colder than at day time?
Outside in November onwards fleece can be left on all day, unless it's unusually warm, inside it needs removing : All the best - Steve
Hi Steve thanks for so much advise on this one. this is my first year with a polytunnel and had great crops with help from yourself and Tony Smith. i have a lot of water droplets in my polytunnel and wondered where you got the hydro philic coating from please. can't find it on-line
Hi Elizabeth, it seems to be available from First Tunnels www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiD05-_1c3sAhXUYOYKHaVCCQEYABAOGgJkZw&sig=AOD64_3hIfCRp_uOswW6m7LnpgYgZJWNtA&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjg1Zq_1c3sAhUCSxUIHZfHAboQgeUECL8B&adurl= and eBay www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiD05-_1c3sAhXUYOYKHaVCCQEYABAUGgJkZw&sig=AOD64_02DqDOKI6FnnEN3k__3AQPiR1rQg&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjg1Zq_1c3sAhUCSxUIHZfHAboQgeUECMgB&adurl= : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards brilliant thank you
Hi Steve, I've just discovered your channel, subscribed and have been binge watching your videos and studying your ebook. I've had reasonable success with raised beds but this is the first time I will be planting in cold frames and a greenhouse. My main challenge at the moment is trying to manage the high condensation which builds up over night especially with the cold frames at this time of the year.. I've taken your advise leaving them open when the weather is fine but I still get plenty of water droplets under the glass cover in the morning. I'm guessing because my cold frames have brick sides they hold plenty of heat in the day which cools down at night rapidly and condenses. Is there anything else I can do or should do before my salad seedlings get planted in a couple of weeks? Hope you can do an updated video on ventilation and condensation! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and experiments with us.I live down south of England.
As it happens I am doing a video on that topic soon, I did the footage today. However the main thing is to buy sunclear from first tunnels, it’s a hydrophilic coating for glass and plastic, causes condensation to form into a thin film (which evaporates) rather than droplets that drip : all the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards That's great news about the video! And thanks for the tip on sunclear. Never crossed my mind to think of something as simple like that. Have a great day and I will wait for your new video notification:)
A very helpful video. Can I ask Steve how you deal with these issues in your kitchen garden, especially the cold and wet. I want to continue to grow greens and salad leaves but as I have just started I would like to try and increase yield even though we are in autumn. Thank you.
Almost everything that I grow in the kitchen garden can cope with winter weather without protection. I do have one bed of spinach that I'm trailing under fleece, but I don't expect to harvest much off that in winter, it's for spring. I will do a kitchen garden tour soon and you will get to see that : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Thank you Steve. Sorry to be a pain with another question! Is it possible to search your database for the things you grow in the kitchen garden? I've signed up to airtable so hoping to copy your database to help me manage my own growing. Thank you.
Steve off topic for this video but just wanted to say your Granola recipe is excellent, eating it for second day and everyone is enjoying it. I forgot the butter but it still tastes excellent. Where do you buy your ingredients..do you buy in bulk? I bought very small quantities of nuts and Im sure buying in larger quantity would bring overall price down. Thanks again.
I get my nuts from Lidl, good range and cheap, but not organic, I buy Sainsburys organic butter in June (when the cows have been feeding on lush grass for a couple of months) and freeze it, the Organic oats from Flahavans (from Booths), the organic coconut oil is from Home Bargains, the organic malt extract from Booths and the black strap molasses I had to get off Amazon : All the best - Steve
Thanks for the endorsement too, it's very popular in my house and health wise it's a long way beyond anything you can buy in the shops. I make two batches at the same time, enough for 2-3 weeks, the butter makes it a little richer tasting
Hi Steve. First time I have seen you. Very informative, thank you. Question please. I have anti butterfly mesh netting resting over my winter cabbages. The mesh rests on several hoops along the row. Can I just rest the fleece over the top of the netting? Thank you. Paul (not Robert!)
You can Paul, although I'm not sure you would get much benefit from fleecing cabbages, unless they are small and you want to give them a bit of protection for the first month or so. Rather than fleece I've used Envirotect over my cabbages and that worked well, it's much more porous than fleece : All the best - Steve
My very question too Robert.
Would you say that you can also grow from seed in the polytunnel in the winter, or is it just transplants? If so, what types of seeds?
Right now there's probably nothing you can grow from seed and harvest in winter, but you could seed lots of things for spring. The ideal time for sowing for a polytunnel is the start of September, see my sowing guides ua-cam.com/play/PLFhKoRR-NiCKqiCDNX9LLMlZgsY_Lq66e.html. Module sowing is much more effective, but if you had to sow seed, then lettuce, spinach, carrots, spring onions, broad beans, garlic would be examples, they will take a while to germinate though
I have a grow tunnel or what you would class as a low tunnel, its 3ft high, 3ft wide and 9ft long. However never get the most from it, want to use it to grow seeds but never know when its safe to start seeds in it (mainly flower seeds) is it safe now or is the issue going to be frost and temperatures etc? Any advice would be really helpfull. Thanks.
I don't really grow flowers so I can't help you with that, but if you grow veg then yes absolutely you can grow plenty of things in it, especially if you start the seeds indoors and plant out about 30-40 days later. See this video for what I currently have growing ua-cam.com/video/jWwYjBMlqTQ/v-deo.html
Thanks again for another great video. Is it worth getting ‘special’ polythene for a low tunnel?
Hi Gordon, definitely worth getting outdoor - treated to withstand UV radiation - otherwise it will only last a year : All the best - Steve
I recently bought some 3.15mm galvanised steel wire (thinking - close to ‘9 gauge’ and can use a drill to straighten then cut to lengths) to make supports from and have inherited some old water pipe supports too - so just about to source the covers. Your videos are a very good and timely resource when researching. Inspirational.
Thanks Gordon, if you are making simple low tunnels Elliot Coleman has a nice technique. he hammers stakes into the ground a couple of feet away from the ends of the tunnel, he puts his poly over the hoops, bunches and ties rope tightly around the poly end and fastens that to the first stake, then repeats at the other end, but pulls the poly very tight and ties it to the stake, so the poly is very taught and holding the hoops down. He then secures the poly edges to the ground with sand bags. A refinement is to secure the hoops to the same stakes using a rope that's tightly wound around the top of each hoop. At small scale I like my low tunnels more, but his approach is very nice and cheap : All the best - Steve
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Brilliant, I'm hoping to use cold frames this winter for lettuce, spring onion, kale. Would you recommended any other veg Steve for cold frame growing ?
Thanks n best wishes
Coldframes are best for Asian greens like mizuna, pak choi, tatsoi and for radish and spinach, low tunnels work better for me for lettuce and baby kale. Spring onions, claytonia and lambs lettuce do ok outside bit if you have space you can do salad onions in a low tunnel too, interplanted with lettuce
If you look at my sowing guide on 1st sept you will see which plants go under which covers
@@SteveRichards really appreciated. It's tricky to know what to sow been a relative newbie.
You are a gem , have great day.
What do you think of polycarbonate greenhouses, which seem to be all the rage at the moment.
A little bit warmer than poly and longer lasting, but more expensive
I am going to by a mobile (I can have only the ones which you can put in a Garage over summer) Greenhouse.
What do you think about PE and PVC covers?
Which of them is the best?
Will it make a difference if the cover will be green or white?
If the cover will be a transparent PVC will the plants get a lot more sun or it won’t make big difference?
Hi Elena, I actually don't have much experience of the green type tunnels, except from watching them blow away on our allotment site and get shredded by the wind. So my bias is that they don't last as long as proper polytunnel polythene covers. That said many people on our site have them and use them very productively and they are very cost effective, there's also some discussion in the comments of this very video, extolling their virtues, so you might like to ask @Dormousey for her views.
Thank you very much for your information and advice. I just rented an allotment and I checked the soil ph which is 7.5-7.0.In your opinion it is a good soil?
There’s a lot more to good soil than ph Jeff, but this ph is good for most things, perhaps add a little lime to your brassica because though : all the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards Thank you.
whatever the weather, my polytunnel door is always open through the day and shut at night. this happens year round. as you mentioned, ventilation is important..................brian
I leave mine open at night too most of the time, it’s often warmer with the door open
@@SteveRichards the reason i close the polytunnel door at night is because of the early morning magpies nicking the plant labels and digging in trays of compost..................brian
ha ha ... well that makes sense then, we all have our challenges .. for me it's cats sleeping on the plants : All the best - Steve