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Vegetable Garden: how to take care of yours in winter

The arrival of February comes with the first glimpse of Spring and the prospect of longer daylight hours. This means more opportunities to spend more time on planting in our vegetable garden in preparation for Spring/Summer, and there is plenty to do! If you’re wondering which vegetables grow over Winter then read on for our guide to successful veggie gardens. 🍅🥕🌿

February is a great time to plan your Winter Vegetable Garden

With bulbs slowly beginning to appear and wildlife coming to life, we can start to plant some seeds indoors. We can also start with some hardy perennials and Winter vegetables outside, depending on the quality of the soil and the temperature.

Growing a vegetable garden is very rewarding. If it’s your first time, we suggest you start small and only grow vegetables you actually like to eat! It’s easy to get carried away, but you’re likely to end up with more than you need and your hard work with plant services will go to waste.

If you are planning your Winter Vegetable Garden, here are some easy growing vegetables to try planting in February.

Which Vegetables Grow Over Winter

We can sometimes experience warm spring-like days in February/March but they can be quickly followed by frost or heavy rainfall, so be patient and refrain from the temptation to plant outdoors too early. Cold frames are perfect for protecting your plants from the British weather (which is never that great, let’s be honest!) making them great for gardening during all seasons.

Check out this great video highlighting how to sow seeds undercover, step by step ⬇️

What is a Cold Frame?

Essentially it’s a bottomless box with a removable glass or plastic lid, which acts as a passive solar collector. With the top positioned to face south, it maximises the solar exposure whilst also protecting from rain and heavy winds.

Putting your winter veggies in a cold frame will give young plants the protection needed to grow in the crucial early development stages. They also give delicate plants a chance of surviving. Cold frames are perfect for smaller gardens that don’t have the room to accommodate greenhouses, as they take up minimal space.

With a cold frame, you can start to seed as much as 6 weeks earlier than if you were to put them in the ground.

• If you experience a sudden drop in temperature, a good way to insulate the cold frame is to place a hessian sack filled with leaves over the sash at night. If extra insulation is needed, a layer of tarpaulin or a blanket will do the trick.

• To capture more solar exposure, paint a few gallon water jugs black. Fill them with water and place them in the cold frame. They will absorb heat during the day and release it slowly during the night.

A note from us here at Rosewood about plant services

We love to practice what we preach and you can bet we’ve started on our very own veggie garden! We’ve got some tomatoes and chillies growing away nicely, ready for a hearty winter vegetable soup when the odd chilly day appears.

We’re going to be sharing more tips and tricks in our monthly blogs, so keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you, then please do get in touch!