[Beccy]

Hello fellow vegetable growers.  I'm very new to this - I started growing my own veg this spring - it was a tentative beginning, as I've got limited space and also wasn't very confident in what I could grow!  Having had a great crop of tomatoes, garlic, lettuce etc over the summer, I'm eager to do more and frankly too impatient to wait until spring!  I've read some gardening books that say i can plant certain potato varieties in September, in order to get new potatoes for Christmas, as well as certain varieties of carrots, onions, radishes etc etc.  However, particularly with regards potatoes, when I've been to garden centres or online, recently, to buy seed potatoes and onions, I can't find any any that are available for planting now.
Does anyone out there have any advice - I am completely wrong in thinking I can plant at this time of year, or am I just not looking in the right place!

Any help would be gratefully received!
Thanks

[noshed]

You can do spuds for Christmas - I've never tried but you'll be lucky to find any seed pots about now.
You can plant onion sets and garlic now and anything with a shortish growing season - beetroot, turnips etc. Most salad leaves will be OK and I just keep planting out cabbage plants as I eat a row.
Cabbage will be OK until quite late on but you might need a bit of fleece if you have any lettuce left later on - or plant the hardy varieties.

[Libby]

You can plant autumn sown broad beans from beginning of October.  Your crop will be ready about end May/beginning of June.  This was the first crop I had on my allotment and I was so impressed, I will be planting double this year. 

[Beccy]

Thanks for the advice Noshed and Libby!  Libby, I don't suppose you know which sort of broad beans are best for this time of year?  Or does it not matter?

[Yorkie]

I think the Aquadulce varieties are ok overwintering

[Chappers]

I just got some onion sets fron the Bath and West gardening show this weekend to plant out, Radar which are white and Electric which are red.


HTH Paul   

[SG6]

Just in case:
The onions planted now will grow a little, then over winter remain dormant, then hopefully get of to an early start in the spring. The idea being that you harvest them next year a bit earlier then spring planted ones. Same for garlic.

One way of reading this is "What can I plant now to harvest soon?", and the garlic and onions will not be harvested soon.

May be a bit late for turnip and swede, idea being let them grow to a small size quick and then you eat them young.

If you are going to try potatoes then give them a cold spell (fridge) for a couple of weeks, then I suggest you plant them in pots (big) and see what transpires. Add fertiliser as they need the food.

Again not sure about carrots at this time

[Ourveggiepatch]

I know this wont help you much this year but may help next year.

As previously mentioned in one of the other replies you will find it hard to find seed potatoes to plant this year, this is because they are normally sold a month or so ago, usually via seed catalogues - sutton, mr fothergills, thompson and morgan also kings.

OVP

[The Norfolk Turkey]

Where abouts in the country are you beccy? I got our Christmas seed spuds from a well known online auction site but have found onion and garlic harder to come by! Weve got aqua dulce to go in soo!!

[SG6]

Wilkinsons had Japanese overwintering onions in the other day, Senshyu. £2 for a bag of 50. Also garlic.
Also can order from W Robinson and Son (www.mammothonion.co.uk), they do a few varieties.
I don't know of anyone else, but must be several.
Big garden centre??

[DD.]

Have a look in the local phone book to see if you have any independants nearby. I got 200 sets for £2.38.

[Beccy]

In response to the Norfolk Turkey, I'm in South London - getting every square inch that I can out of my very little London garden! 

[Cheshire Phill]

Marshalls at

www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/gt58

have an autmn onion sets offer, Radar, Red Cross and Troy.

Also garlic there too. I have 300 sets ready for going in...!!

Phill

[DD.]

£11.85 with post for 300 is nearly 4 times the price I paid!

I like the one review though:

"mixed onion pack seems ideal for those with a smaller space"

For 300 onions? 

[noshed]

I put 50kg into our lotty shop this week