Jobs for your vegetable garden

Early Winter

Harvest:

• Brussels sprouts, winter spinach beet, cabbage and the last of the cauliflowers. Start lifting trench grown celery (it will have more flavour after the frost). Complete lifting root vegetables to store over winter.

Sow:

• Round seeded peas and broad beans ideally under cloches.

Cultivate:

• Complete the big clear up by storing canes and stakes, compost old leaves and plant remains and burn old stems of crops like runner beans and peas. Dig any vacant soil.

Mid-Winter

Harvest:

• Check stored vegetables occasionally and remove any that show signs of rotting. Continue to gather brussel sprouts, spinach beet and winter cabbage.

Sow indoors:

• Onions at the end of the period (but only if you want really big onions next year).

Cultivate:

• Continue digging if not completed.

Protect:

• Tender plants like globe artichokes by putting some old pea stems around the base and pulling soil up around them. Protect tender stored vegetables like potatoes from the frost.

Late winter

Harvest:

• Winter rooted green vegetables and then use other vegetables from store. Continue to force chicory for winter salads.

Sow - indoors:

• Mustard and cress for winter salads.

Plan:

• for coming year. Select the varieties you wish to grow and secure supplies.

Cultivate:

• This is a good time to apply lime to dug soil which tends to be acid. Cut sticks for peas and bean support.