The best veggies to sow between seasons

What to plant when summer's big producers are coming to an end but winter crops are not yet here

03 March 2024 - 00:00 By Jane Griffiths
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Lettuces growing underneath a squash.
Lettuces growing underneath a squash.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton

Quick-to-harvest vegetables are ideal to sow in between seasons, ensuring a continual harvest when the big producers of summer are coming to an end but winter crops are not yet producing.

 

HOW TO DO IT

  • Sow seeds and transplant seedlings under or near older plants two to three weeks before they are harvested. This provides protection and ensures something is already growing by the time the older plants are harvested.
  • Sow seeds in seed trays and pots, ready to be transplanted as spaces open up.
  • Leave easy-seeders such as spring onion, lettuce and rocket to seed themselves.
  • Plant early, mid and late-season varieties of the same crop. This ensures a staggered harvest. 
  • Choose varieties suitable for “cut and come again” harvesting. Instead of producing a once-off harvest, these supply a steady harvest over several weeks or even months, with only side shoots or leaves being harvested.
  • Include perennials such as strawberries, rhubarb, chives, asparagus, Mediterranean herbs and artichokes. These, combined with annuals, ensure year-round harvests.

ROCKET

Swiss chard and pansies.
Swiss chard and pansies.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton
Wild rocket.
Wild rocket.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton

Rocket is ready to start harvesting after four weeks. Wild rocket can be harvested for longer than cultivated rocket because it doesn't go to seed as quickly in hot weather.

Growing: Rocket likes full sun, except during the hottest summer months, when it prefers semi-shade. Direct seed and keep moist until it germinates. In hot weather, when cultivated rocket goes to seed quite quickly, either sow wild rocket or do successive sowings every few weeks for a continual harvest.

SWISS CHARD

Grow classic Swiss chard with thick white stems and dark green crinkled leaves or try varieties with vibrant red, orange, pink and yellow stems. They add wonderful pops of colour to the vegetable garden. Young side leaves will be ready for harvest after 30 days.

Growing: Swiss chard likes full sun, fertile well-drained soil and grows easily from seed. It's a little more prone to bolting in the hot summer months than during winter.

Butterflies and bees love flowering spring onions.
Butterflies and bees love flowering spring onions.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton
Spring onions like full sun, fertile soil and regular moisture.
Spring onions like full sun, fertile soil and regular moisture.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton

SPRING AND GREEN ONIONS

Spring onions are ready to harvest about 60 days after sowing. These are bunching onions that do not form big bulbs. Sow directly (or in seed trays and then transplant) year-round, except for the hottest midsummer and the coldest midwinter months. They like full sun, fertile soil and regular moisture. Once established they easily self-seed, producing large round seed heads that butterflies and bees love.

Green onions are simply large onions that are harvested about eight weeks after sowing, before the bulb has formed. They can be direct sown and, as you will be harvesting them before they have bulbed, you can plant them much closer together.

You can harvest bush beans about 40 - 60 days after planting.
You can harvest bush beans about 40 - 60 days after planting.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton
Radishes are one of the fastest vegetables to grow.
Radishes are one of the fastest vegetables to grow.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton

BUSH BEANS

These don't bear as prolifically as climbing beans, but they are much quicker to reach harvest — about 40 — 60 days after planting.

Growing: Sow seeds directly where they are to grow, the depth of about double the size of the bean (about 5cm).

RADISHES

One of the fastest vegetables to grow, they're ready to harvest in just four weeks.

Growing: They are sown easily from seed, and benefit from being buried slightly below the surface — about 1 to 1.5cm deep. This encourages them to grow fatter roots. Thin out so they have space to develop a decent size. Sow seeds every few weeks because they mature so quickly.

LEAFY GREENS

Leafy greens are easily grown from seed.
Leafy greens are easily grown from seed.
Image: Jane Griffiths and Keith Knowlton

Lettuce, bok choy, mustard, mizuna, tat soi and kale are all fast growers and leaves can be harvested as early as 25 days.

Growing: Easily grown from seed they like moist, fertile and well-drained soil. Do successive sowings more regularly during warmer weather.

• Jane's Delicious Garden. Jane Griffiths. Sunbird Publishers www.janesdeliciousshop.co.za


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