Buying Vegetable Plug Plants: What I Bought for my Winter Vegetable Garden
The tomatoes are finally turning red, the courgettes are turning into marrows, the beds are looking tired (they are not the only ones in this heat!). Are you wondering is this it, for the year?
It’s not time to give up, just yet, as there’s Winter vegetables waiting to be grown.
“They are here!” I cried, “my plants are here”. My husband and daughter look at me as it to say yes her plants have arrived but so what?!
To me, a box of living, breathing plants, is an exciting thing, it’s a box of goodness to unwrap in August (an early Christmas present if you will). I know this box of tiny little plug plants, will soon be a harvest of nutritious greens, piled up on my families plates, next to the rest of the roast dinner, in winter season, staving off those nasty bacteria illness bugs.
It might not mean something to my husband and daughter, but this certainly means something to me, I am a vegetable growing addict who learned how to grow vegetables all year round by try, try and trying again.
I actually prefer growing vegetables in autumn and winter now as it’s low effort but you get maximum rewards.
Welcome to my August Diaries, a journey of how I’m not ready to give up on the vegetables yet, so I’ve bought a few characters to help me liven up the Winter Vegetable garden.
Kale
Cavolo Nero (that’s black kale to you and me), this one looks like it would survive a brutal winter, and it might have to if the El Niño effect has anything to do with it, via a global switch in extreme weather.
It’s very dark green, almost black crinkled appearance which seems spooky but it grows in a friendlier format like a bunch of flowers. It’s highly nutrient rich in Vitamin A, C & K helping your vision, boosting the immune system and bones. It also contains iron, fibre, magnesium and antioxidants.
Growing Months: July to August
Harvesting: September to December.
Health & Wellness Rating: 9/10
Leek
Leeks, they could be quiet, they could be giants, they could be plotting something underground.
This is the latest I’ve ever planted Leeks, they are normally in the ground by now in June. This will be interesting to see whether I get any Leeks for Christmas / New Year.
If Kale boosts the immune system then Leeks are all about Heart Health & Digestion. Leeks are part of the allium family and they have the same vitamins as Kale but also reduce inflammation in the body and support gut health as well as heart health.
Growing Months: May to August
Harvesting: Late October to March.
Health & Wellness Rating: 9/10
Broccoli
Broccoli – De Cicco is a frost tolerant variety with small heads and an extended harvest of side shoots over a further 4-6 weeks. It is an old European variety that freezes well.
We all ready know that Broccoli is classed as a superfood as it’s packed with antioxidants and vitamins C and K along with potassium and iron.
Growing Months: May to August
Harvesting: Late October to December
Health & Wellness Rating: 9/10
Why did I buy Veg Plug Plants?
I bought Vegetable Plug Plants as they are:
- An easy way to get ahead for Autumn,
- Easy to look after in a heatwave, don’t let them dry out!
- The summer holidays are a busy time, and plug plants are more convenient to look after than sowing seeds.
How to look after Plug Plants?
- Unwrap them from their packaging and let them sit in shallow water for a few minutes.
- Fill 9cm diameter pots with multipurpose compost.
- Water the compost in the pots.
- Poke holes in the middle of the soil with a pencil or a dibber.
- Take a plug plant and put them into the hole in the soil.
- Move the soil to fill the hole and cover the plug plant level with the soil surface,
- Water well and water daily in August.
- I’ve stored mine on the greenhouse floor in a water tray so it’s a bit cooler and I can top up the water when needed.
- Whilst caring for the plug plants in pots, prepare your raised beds by removing dead or dying plants and top the soil with new multipurpose compost.
- If you have cats or neighbours that have cats and bare ground, cover the bare soil with trellis or cardboard to prevent them digging in the beds.
- Care for your plants for 2 weeks in pots, so they can establish a strong root system. Then they can be planted outside in the newly prepared raised beds.
Where to buy Veg Plug Plants?
My vegetable Plug Plants were bought from Rocket Gardens (UK) who have a discount of 30% off plug plants at the time of writing (8th Aug).
I have no affiliation with this company, but I have used them for years to buy vegetable & herb plug plants and therefore can highly recommend them for quality plants and recycleable packaging.
Want to Keep Growing through Winter?
I’m giving winter veg ago this year and if you’d like to give it ago too, I’ve made it a little easier.
I’ve put together a FREE pre-recorded webinar: Winter Veg Made Easy, where I take you through what you need to know to keep your vegetable garden producing for longer.
In the webinar, we’ll look at:
Which vegetables are worth growing through winter
When to sow and plant them
How to protect your crops from winter weather
How to choose varieties that are suited to winter growing
What you can grow even if you don’t have a huge garden
And because choosing the right variety can make such a difference, I’ve also included a FREE Winter-Only Varieties Download to help you decide what to grow.
WATCH THE FREE WEBINAR + GET YOUR FREE VARIETY DOWNLOAD
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