growing winter veg

An interesting question Peter, I suspect that most like myself don't bother during winter but we should. Growth is slower but with protection it can be done. You can start by sowing Broad beans or Japanese onions for an early spring crop. It may not be too late to plant some sprouts or cabbage. With some protection some lettuce or spinach perhaps but personally I find they grow so slow that they succumb to slugs ect. I suppose your soil makes a big difference, mine is heavy/wet but if you've got light sandy soil it would help.

Definitely try broad beans and if you can get cabbage seedlings have a go with those too.

My cousin sowed broad beans 'Scorpio' on 19th October last year, and she had the best broad bean crop I've seen.
Needless to say I'm trying some this year although I've never grown them before.

This was asked on my local radio station the other week.
They suggested garlic , onions there are certain cabbages plants that you might still be able to get in a garden centre broad beans are supposed to be hardy.
The prsenter did say though you need to sow the onion seed out thinly as if like growing spring onions.
Brussel sprouts vi think are hardy a well. if you plant onion sets nows the time to do it they will be ready in early spring.
i bought myself a book called vegetable growing month by month by john harrison .Its quite good its the down to earth guide that takes you through the vegetable year., i got it of amazon .co.uk . sorry for the advertising but for any vegetable growers its a handy little book

Oh and I forgot there is a pea that you can plant at this time of year called Douce Provence - we got our seed from the Organic Gardening catalogue.