I have bought Maris Piper for this year. Never tried it before. I always grow International Kidney which is the same as Jersey Royal, and King Edward, I am going to try bringing home some seaweed to grow the Jersey Royals in next year. They just do not taste the same as the ones you buy on the islands. There is going to be plenty of seaweed washed up after the current storms.
Many thanks @Joyce Goldenlily" I’ll see what I can find 😀
Sorry but it's a bit late for sprouts now they would have needed to be in weeks ago, a lot of the names of the brassicas are a bit confusing as unlike a lot of other crops they tend to be named for when you harvest rather than plant/ grow. So spring cabbage gets planted now to harvest in spring, winter cabbage would have been sown in early summer to grow on all summer- autumn & harvest in winter. Most need a growing season of 12-14 weeks at least. Potatoes for Christmas need to be a first early variety as they mature more quickly than later ones, so seed companies sell them now specially for this purpose. Other salad crops are Mizuna, Rocket, winter purslane or miners lettuce. Winter density is an old favourite he will probably know it is like little gem but hardier, great in a cold frame.
Thank you so much @nick615 and @Allotment Boy. I’ve found semi-cos Winter Density and purple sprouting broccoli plants 👍
Thanks everyone for your help and advice. I’m going to surprise him with all of these, in the hope they keep his spirits up during the coming months! 🤞
Have you thought of buying him a potato barrel and planting some potatoes ready for Christmas. My local GC has the seed potatoes in now, a choice of about 5 varieties. I tried potato sacks a couple of years ago, a waste of money as they rotted in the sun very quickly and tore very easily. I bought a couple of plasticized cardboard barrels years ago which are still going strong. They fold down flat for storage when not being used. Around £20.00 each. The potatoes do not crop as heavily as normal but enough for a taste of new spuds with Christmas dinner. Can't get much better than that,
@Joyce Goldenlily - sorry to add a question to the thread but how do the barrels work - are they only for greenhouses or could you have one outside with fleece or would a large, deep fleeced sack work if planting first earlies now? Thanks
The barrels I have can be left outside year round. I think a fleece wrapped sack would also work. The barrels I use have a rigid plastic base with a groove where the circular tube of Plasticized cardboard fits. A rigid circle of plastic fits onto the top and there are 6 rigid wire supports which fit from the base to the top rim to keep the whole thing vertical. There is a sleeve which slides up to reveal an access hole where you can remove the lower earlier maturing potatoes. I will see if I can find the manufacturer or supplier. I am based in Cornwall so do not have to worry about frost until after the new year.
Thanks so much @Joyce Goldenlily - this while thing is new to me. My friend could lant first earlies now in the barrels and have small pots for December?
Yes The potatoes will not crop as heavily as when grown earlier in the year but there is still time for favourable weather to produce a small crop. GCs should have suitable seed potatoes in stock now.
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The barrels I use have a rigid plastic base with a groove where the circular tube of Plasticized cardboard fits. A rigid circle of plastic fits onto the top and there are 6 rigid wire supports which fit from the base to the top rim to keep the whole thing vertical. There is a sleeve which slides up to reveal an access hole where you can remove the lower earlier maturing potatoes.
I will see if I can find the manufacturer or supplier.
I am based in Cornwall so do not have to worry about frost until after the new year.
The soft sacks will be more ifficult to keep upright as they seem to slump to one side with time and the soil washes out.
If you type Potato grow barrels into your search engine there is quite a wide selection.
The potatoes will not crop as heavily as when grown earlier in the year but there is still time for favourable weather to produce a small crop. GCs should have suitable seed potatoes in stock now.