As the seasons shift, many gardeners pack away their tools and wait for spring. Yet autumn is far from the end of the growing year. With a little planning, you can keep fresh produce coming through the colder months and even set yourself up for an early harvest next spring. Here’s what you can plant now to make the most of your plot.

Garlic

Garlic loves a long, cold spell. Plant individual cloves directly into the soil about 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil and you’ll be rewarded with fat bulbs next summer. Autumn planting helps the cloves split and form strong heads.

Broad Beans

If you sow broad beans in autumn you’ll get a head start on spring. Hardy varieties such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ can cope with the cold and give you an earlier crop next year. Sow them straight into the ground or start in pots to protect from mice.

Winter Salads

Don’t think salad is just for summer. Sow hardy leaves like lamb’s lettuce, land cress and winter purslane in pots, cold frames or under cloches. These cut-and-come-again leaves will keep you supplied with fresh greens even when it’s frosty.

Spinach

Perpetual spinach and hardy varieties such as ‘Winter Giant’ will keep going in cooler weather. Sow now and you can harvest leaves right through autumn, with more to pick in spring. Spinach prefers fertile soil and benefits from a bit of protection during very cold snaps.

Onions and Shallots

Autumn planting sets like ‘Radar’ onions and ‘Pikant’ shallots are designed to be put in now. They’ll overwinter quietly and be ready much earlier than spring-planted sets. Make sure your soil is firm and free-draining to stop them rotting in wet weather.

Peas

Certain pea varieties such as ‘Meteor’ can be sown in autumn for an early harvest. Sow them directly where you want them to grow and protect with fleece if you’re in a colder area. These early peas bring welcome sweetness in late spring.

Herbs

Hardy herbs such as parsley and chives can be sown now under cover. They may grow slowly through winter but will establish well and provide strong growth when spring arrives.

Autumn sowing extends your growing season and makes the most of the space on your allotment or in your garden. By planting now, you’ll enjoy fresh leaves in the months ahead and an early start to next year’s harvest.

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