[Pony Girl]

I'd like to grow some autumn/winter cabbage next year. Is there anything I could grow as a catch crop in my cabbage bed rather than keep it empty til the little cabbages are ready to plant out in the summer?

[sunshineband]

If the bed is empty at the moment you couod plant garlic, shallots or autumn onions sets still, given that the weather  is so mild 


Or salad leaves, early carrots sown in the spring

[shokkyy]

Could winter brassicas follow on from peas? I lifted my Alderman and sugar snap peas in August this year - is that too late for planting out brassicas?

[mumofstig]

Too late for Autumn cabbage, and winter ones as well I think, but ok for spring greens

I can grow Autumn cabbage after a mid-March sowing of early peas or sugarsnaps, I warm the soil up with fleece/polysheet before sowing the peas, you should manage the same time-scale in Sussex.
Start the cabbages in modules and plant after the peas are picked - usually in mid June.
Don't dig the pea roots out, just cut them down to soil level, as brassicas like firm soil.

[Pony Girl]

Thanks for very much for the tips. I was wondering about spinach. Would that be OK?

[seedman]

spinach  planted from march onwards you may be able to pick some mid may and onwards  
indoors from Jan/Feb