Cold mornings hint at winter’s grip, yet the soil still holds warmth. Late October can set up a shockingly early spring.
While many gardeners tidy beds and shut gates, market growers whisper a different plan: sow hardy staples now, harness residual warmth, and let winter do the work. The payoff arrives when neighbours still wait for thawed ground and you are already picking.
Why late October still matters
Soils cool slowly. At 5–10 cm depth they can sit above 5–8°C even as frosts nip foliage. That band of warmth is enough for slow germination or steady root establishment. Seeds rest through hard freezes, then leap forward the moment daylight stretches.
Sow now, harvest 4–6 weeks earlier than spring sowings, with fewer weeds and better bed occupancy.
This timing suits crops bred for cold resilience. Gentle starts reduce pest pressure, spread labour through the year, and free space later for tender summer plants.
What to sow or plant before November
The cold-ready core: garlic, lamb’s lettuce, winter radish
Garlic sits at the top of the list. Plant individual cloves into friable, drained soil. Winter chill triggers bulb formation, and strong roots anchor plants against wind. Choose softneck or hardneck types suited to your latitude and drainage.
Lamb’s lettuce (mâche) thrives in cool air. A shy germinator in heat, it loves autumn. Scatter or drill shallowly, then cover very lightly. It fills gaps, smothers weeds and delivers crisp leaves when little else is ready.
Winter radish, including black Spanish and green-fleshed types, can be sown in milder districts now. Where winters bite, tuck late seedlings under fleece. Plants hold through cold, then swell fast as light returns.
Leaf and pod winners: winter spinach and round-seeded peas
Winter spinach is bred to endure low light and short days. Sow thinly and keep growth steady rather than lush. You will cut baby leaves by March, then full bunches before most people have set up their first spring cloche.
Round-seeded peas such as ‘Meteor’ or ‘Feltham First’ handle cold soils better than wrinkled types. Drill into a firm tilth, keep birds off with netting, and give a low support. Roots settle now, shoots surge with the first mild spell.
Choose round-seeded peas for cold ground; wrinkled types sulk and rot when soils hover near 5–7°C.
Soil and bed preparation without upheaval
Gentle cultivation, living soil
Skip deep digging. Loosen the top 5–8 cm with a fork or rake to open pores, then spread 1–2 cm of mature compost. This approach preserves fungal networks and the worms that shuttle nutrients to seedling roots.
Level the surface so moisture distributes evenly. Remove stones that could shade or displace small seed. Mark rows cleanly to avoid trampling during winter checks.
Mulch and moisture strategy
Lay a light mulch that breaks wind at soil level but does not bury seeds. Shredded leaves, straw or fine woodchip work in a 3–5 cm layer around, not on, the drills. Mulch moderates temperature swings and reduces compaction from rain.
Mulch 3–5 cm keeps germination steadier, cuts evaporation, and locks out a flush of winter weeds.
Pro spacing, depth and protection
Small adjustments now prevent winter losses. Follow a simple three-step ritual.
Space generously to limit mildew and give roots oxygen.
Cover seeds to their needs: light-sensitive crops like lamb’s lettuce get a dusting; peas and garlic go deeper.
Protect predictably: fleece against hard frost and wind, mesh against birds and slugs, tunnels only where drainage is assured.
Crop
Sow/plant timing
Depth
Spacing (in row / between rows)
Min soil temp
Frost tolerance
Likely harvest
Garlic (cloves)
Now to early November
3–5 cm
10–15 cm / 25–30 cm
≥ 0–4°C
Strong once rooted
June–July
Lamb’s lettuce
Now
Surface dusting
Thin to clumps 8–10 cm / 12–15 cm
≥ 5°C
Good to moderate frost
February–March
Winter radish
Now in mild areas
1–1.5 cm
10–15 cm / 20–25 cm
≥ 4–5°C
Top growth hardy, bulbs improve in chill
March–April
Winter spinach
Now
1–2 cm
7–10 cm / 25–30 cm
≥ 2–3°C
Leaf tips mark in severe cold, crowns survive
March–April
Round-seeded peas
Now to mid-November
4–5 cm
Seeds 5 cm apart / twin rows 15 cm apart
≥ 5–7°C
Hardy with fleece shelter
May–June
Checking through winter without fuss
Fortnightly routine that saves crops
Visit every two weeks until deep winter, then after each gale. Lift fleece after midday on calm, dry days, then resecure. Clear fallen leaves off rows so seedlings see light.
Water only during mild spells when soil is dry at knuckle depth. Avoid soaking cold beds; saturated soil rots seed and suffocates roots. Top up mulch where worms have pulled it down.
On nights forecast below −5°C, lay a double fleece over peas and spinach and pin it tight to the bed.
Mistakes growers see again and again
Ignoring drainage. Cold plus waterlogging is deadlier than frost. Raise beds or add grit where puddles persist.
Using wrinkled peas. Save those for spring warmth; they stall and rot now.
Burying tiny seed. Lamb’s lettuce needs light; a dusting of compost is enough.
Skipping rotation. Follow brassicas with alliums or legumes, not another brassica.
Overfeeding. Rich nitrogen pushes sappy growth that slugs relish and frost blackens.
Pest and weather defences that actually work
Slugs, birds, and bitter winds
Set beer traps on the windward edge of beds and refresh weekly. Use ferric phosphate pellets sparingly and only when activity spikes. Lay mesh over pea drills to stop pigeons pulling sprouts. Erect low windbreaks from woven netting to blunt desiccating gusts.
Vent plastic tunnels on bright days. Stale, humid air breeds mildew on spinach. Fleece breathes better; choose it over plastic where rain drains well.
How much yield can you expect
Under fleece, a 3 m double row of peas yields 800–1,200 g of pods in May, then more in June. A 3 m spinach row gives 10–14 generous pickings, totalling 1.5–2.5 kg of leaves. Lamb’s lettuce sown as a 1 m² patch nets 10–15 bowls of salad across late winter.
Late-October garlic typically sizes up 10–20% larger than spring-planted cloves on the same site.
Useful extras for keen planners
Quick site test before you sow
Push a soil thermometer to 5 cm depth at midday for three days. If readings hover at or above 6°C, peas can go in. If beds smear when you form a ball, wait 48 hours of dry weather or work on raised sections first.
Backup options if frost hits hard
Keep a packet of broad beans ‘Aquadulce’ ready for a gap. If a cold snap wipes a row, slot beans in during a mild spell and fleece them. Sow a strip of field beans or rye as a green manure beside garlic; roots hold structure and capture nutrients that winter rain would wash away.
For small gardens, try modules. Start spinach and lamb’s lettuce in cell trays under a cold frame, then plant out on the next mild weekend. This tactic evades slugs at germination, uses less seed, and gives you an even stand.
If space is tight, sow in bands. A 20 cm-wide spinach band yields like two rows and shades out weeds. Stagger sowings seven days apart across three weeks to spread harvest and reduce gluts.
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