Autumn is a great time to enjoy your garden and as the rains start to become more frequent, it is a timely reminder to plant out your new seasons winter vegetables. Read on to find out which vegetables to plant this Autumn.
by Martin Crabb
Beetroot is one of the great all-rounders and once you have cooked it fresh from the garden you will struggle to eat the tin variety again. Beetroot can be baked, boiled, or eaten raw by using the new leaves and grating uncooked flesh in a salad as a colourful and nutritious addition. It has been linked with better stamina, improved blood flow and lower blood pressure. I find all root vegetables including beetroot are best planted from seed and it will be about four months before you can harvest them, but it is well worth the wait.
Broccolini is similar to broccoli, but with smaller florets and a long thin stalk. I find it ideal as you can pick it as you need it and it will produce an abundant crop. It is a great addition to a stir-fry or simply lightly steamed as it makes a wonderful accompaniment to variety of dinners. Broccolini is high in vitamin C but also contains vitamin A, calcium, folate, and iron.
Rocket is a leafy green that is very easy to grow and I find it readily self-seeds in my garden. With its unique peppery flavour it is a great addition to salads and sandwiches. It also adds another desired flavour if you scatter the fresh leaves onto a cooked pizza.
I have grown a number of different types of potatoes including some heirloom varieties. Some of the best being dutch cream and russet burbank, but the stand out for me is an old English potato named King Edward, which is outstanding for roasting. Potato tubers can be purchased from nurseries during autumn and early winter. If you want to try some old tried and trusted varieties you can order them online from The Diggers Club or Goodman Seeds.
For quick results or for planting in the kids veggie patch why not try radishes, bok choi, perennial lettuce, spring onions, and snow peas as they can be harvested shortly after planting.
For further inspiration why not read Indira Naidoo’s book The Edible Balcony. Indira shares her passion about how she has transformed her tiny thirteen-floor balcony into a bountiful kitchen garden. She soon establishes a productive urban oasis that takes just ten minutes a day to maintain, yet provides her with an ever-changing selection of fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables.
