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This video explains which vegetables can be planted during winter and how cold weather affects germination and growth.
It covers suitable crops, sowing conditions and simple protection methods to help plants establish during colder months. Winter sowing can extend harvests and make better use of growing space.
Suitable for gardens, raised beds, containers and sheltered growing areas.
Suitable for UK and international gardeners in temperate climates.
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What vegetables can you plant in
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December? Welcome to Gardening with Ben,
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everybody. And in today's episode, we're
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going to talk about everything that you
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can plant in December. Yes, it may be
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cold, but there's still plenty of things
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that you can be planting ready for next
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year. So, let's start off with the
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things what we can plant outside at this
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time of year. You've still got time to
0:21
be planting garlic. If you've not got
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some garlic in, get some in as it's
0:26
great. It's easy to grow. You just put
0:29
it in the soil in the cloves in the row
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and that'll be ready to harvest next
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June July time and hopefully a great
0:38
crop.
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Next up are onion sets. Again, if you've
0:42
not got any onions in yet, have a look
0:44
around in the garden centers. You might
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still be able to buy some and get some
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in the ground. Now, as well as onions,
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you can also plant shallots as well.
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Shallots can be planted at this time of
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year. Again, make sure that they're the
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autumn variety when planting them. And
1:01
finally, what else you can plant in the
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ground are broad beans, but it needs to
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be a variety like Aquadulus Claudia, as
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these are winter hardy varieties. And
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these will be ready to harvest before
1:13
the blackfly pier. So, you won't get
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none of that blackfly that you'd get if
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you sewed them in March time when you
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usually harvested them in July. So these
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will be ready to harvest before the
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blackfly play at the a lotment.
1:27
Now what can we sew undercover in the
1:30
poly tunnel or greenhouse? If you're
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growing stuff in your poly tunnel
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through the winter period, these are
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great things to be growing and hopefully
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we're going to be growing some in the
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poly tunnel next winter when we make it
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more of a growing space area. First up
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are winter lettucees like Arctic King
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and Winter Gem. These can be grown in
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the poly tunnel throughout the winter
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period and harvest them as well and get
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some great crops. Next up is spinach. If
1:58
you want to be big and strong like
1:59
Popeye, grow some spinach. But they need
2:01
to be winter hardy variety types. So
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when you're looking for the varieties,
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make sure you look for the winter hardy
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varieties.
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Next up is chard. You can start some
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small sewings off to over winter
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throughout the winter period in the poly
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tunnel for harvesting next year. Next up
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is kale. The variety that you should be
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growing are a variety called baby leaf.
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These can be grown in the poly tunnel
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and you can be harvesting the leaves
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throughout the winter period. Next up is
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pack choy for small cut leaves. Again,
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obviously you need to grow them in the
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ground in the poly tunnel, but you can
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get some great rewards and some great
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crops from them. And finally, you can
2:43
also sew some spring onions. Again,
2:46
these need to be winter hardy varieties
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and they need to be like winter white
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Lisbon or winter hard variety. So that's
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the varieties that you should be growing
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if you're growing them in the poly
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tunnel and you can get some great crops
3:01
from them. So yes, it may be cold, it
3:04
may be wet, but still certain things
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that you can be growing down at the a
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lotment. Now, perennial vegetables. What
3:10
perennial vegetables can you be planting
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at this time of year? First up are
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asparagus grounds, crowns. But these
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only need to be planted in very mild
3:21
areas or warmed soil. But the best time
3:24
to be planting your asparagus crowns is
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usually around February, April. So, if
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it's not that mild where you are, make
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sure you stay and wait until February,
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April time. Next up are rhubarb crowns.
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Now, these are best planted when they're
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dormant. So, this is a perfect time to
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be doing it, but only if the ground
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isn't frozen, if it's workable. And
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yeah, get them in the ground. Get them
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ready in place, but don't harvest them
3:51
for the first year. Let the crowns grow,
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let the roots grow, and then harvest
3:56
them the year after. I know it's
3:57
tempting to pick it when you see it, but
4:00
yeah, you'll get better rewards if you
4:02
leave it for a year and then pick it the
4:04
year after. And then finally is
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Jerusalem. Jerusalem artichokes. These
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again, if the ground is workable, get
4:12
them in the ground and get them planted
4:14
and hopefully get some great crops in
4:17
years to come. So that is all the
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vegetables that you can plant in
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December down at the a lotment and in
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the garden. Let me know if you're going
4:24
to be growing anything. But until next
4:26
time everyone remember keep smiling,
4:28
keep shine and keep gardening with Ben
4:30
everyone.
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