Winter vegetables in ground or polytunnel?

If we can and it is not too late, we would like to attempt to grow some winter veg, but not salad stuff. Any suggestions?

Also is it better to use a polytunnel or direct into ground. Living rurally we do suffer with slugs so unsure best way to protect them whether we have a polytunnel or not.

If polytunnel is best, where is the best place to buy from as we will need one approximately 2.5 x 4.5m in size.

Thanks for any advice.

 

First tunnels and northern tunnels are good

You've missed the window for veg over winter, at least for a lot of things. But you can sow garlic and field/broad beans outside for a crop next year, sow garlic from the end of this month. Broad beans will probably do better sown a bit later, perhaps late October so they don't grow too big before hard frosts. You could sow the beans now and harvest bean tops for stir fries though.

Other than that the salads that you don't want can be sown now for polytunnels. Or you can try carrots under one, again for next year.


The main problem is the lack of light in the uk, poly tunnels are great at keeping the wind and rain off but don't give you the extra light we need over winter to grow much. Fast growing leafy greens like mustards, lettuce etc being one thing that does ok

 

We have grown salad crops in the tunnel for some years now including winter time. We have also sown carrots (agreed that they will be harvested next year), pak choi and kohl rabi. Yesterday I also sowed some kale in the tunnel having pulled up the plants that had given us a huge harvest for months but the whites decided they liked them as well.

 

And may I butt in on this thread as I have some questions too? I havent sown winter veg before, but I have in the greenhouse onions, spring onions, leeks (all in pots, currently about 6 inches tall). I also have some winter spinach seedlings - past the first true leaves stage but only just, and kale. If I plant these out in the allotment will they just take care of themselves over the winter? And when will I be able to harvest, spring? or sooner? Also carrots. I grew some in a trug months ago, had them in the greenhouse on the staging to avoid the carrot fly but they are now outside. They look phenomenal in terms of foliage but I think it will be ages till the root past forms. Did I mangle the timing perhaps? I honestly dont know what to expect so if you can set me right that would be great. Thanks all