Extend Your Harvest: Sowing Winter Lettuce and Perpetual Spinach for Autumn and Winter Crops

Many gardeners think the vegetable growing season finishes at the end of summer, but with a little planning, you can continue to harvest fresh salad leaves and greens well into autumn, winter, and early spring. Crops such as winter lettuce and perpetual spinach are particularly useful because they are relatively hardy, easy to grow, and can provide valuable fresh produce when little else is available in the garden.

Why Winter Crops?

In the UK climate, especially in milder areas, these crops can often survive outdoors through winter with minimal protection. A greenhouse, cold frame, fleece, or even planting close to a warm wall can help extend the growing season even further.

Lettuce – When to Sow

Winter lettuces are specially selected varieties that are tolerant of colder temperatures and shorter days better than normal summer lettuces. If you are looking to keep your salad bowl full during the cold months, consider these tips:

Best Sowing Times:

• Outdoors: August to mid-September
• Under Protection: Up to October in a greenhouse, cold frame, or polytunnel

The goal is to establish healthy young plants before colder weather slows growth significantly, typically by November.

Recommended Winter Varieties:

• Arctic King
• Winter Density
• Rouge d’Hiver
• Valdor

For a continuous supply of fresh leaves, it’s best to sow small batches of seeds every couple of weeks rather than all at once. Winter lettuces generally grow more slowly than summer crops, but they can provide fresh leaves throughout winter and often resume growth strongly again in early spring.

Spinach – When to Sow

Perpetual spinach is not true spinach but a type of chard. However, it is extremely productive, hardy, and easier to grow through difficult weather conditions. This makes it a perfect addition to your winter vegetable routine.

Main Sowing Times:

• Regular Summer Cropping: March to July
• Overwintering Crops: August to early September

Late summer sowings often survive winter and provide fresh growth very early in spring, sometimes even before many other vegetables have started growing again.

In milder parts of the UK, perpetual spinach can continue producing leaves for much of the winter, particularly if given some protection from severe frost and wind.

General Growing Tips

• Sow seeds into modules or trays if slugs are a problem.
• Plant into well-prepared soil with added compost or organic matter to ensure rich nutrient availability.
• Feed lightly once established using a balanced fertiliser such as Growmore.
• Avoid excessive nitrogen feeding late in autumn, as soft growth can be more vulnerable to frost damage.
• Utilize fleece, cloches, or cold frames to greatly improve winter cropping potential.
• Harvest leaves regularly to encourage continuous new growth.

With careful sowing in late summer and early autumn, both winter lettuce and perpetual spinach can dramatically extend the productivity of your vegetable garden long after many summer crops have finished. By planning ahead and taking advantage of the hardiness of these greens, you can enjoy fresh salads and nutritious greens throughout the colder months.