Monday 20 January 2014

Harvesting winter vegetables

brussel sprouts
I know I've been neglecting this blog for a while and for that I am sorry. My time has been very much taken up in travelling and writing elsewhere. But the allotment has not been neglected, far from it. I go up there from time to time when I can just to check that all is in order, that the pigeon defenses are still in place, not destroyed by winter winds, and to harvest those winter vegetables.
super leeks!
This year has been the best yet for me in this respect. In addition to the squashes in storage which roast beautifully, I am also harvesting brussel sprouts, purple sprouting broccoli, red cabbages, green cabbages, parsnips, spinach and leeks.








So with the potatoes in storage as well, I havn't had to buy any vegetables at all this winter, except onions - my own crop was very poor this year.
Rhubarb sprouting! 
But the plot is a total bog after all the rain we've had, and I try to avoid walking on it as far as possible as that will damage the soil structure. The time I spent in the autumn covering all the bare soil with manure was time well spent. Not only have weeds been totally suppressed, but I hope that come the spring, and hopefully with some warm days and drying winds, the plot will only need a light fork over before sowing and planting begins.

The amazing thing is that the rhubarb already thinks it is spring and is beginning to sprout!