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What vegetables can I grow outside in coastal west Fife during winter?

nikkigrjsnikkigrjs Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
I'm new to Scotland but have always grown my own veg. I put in a nice successful small veggie garden this year. 
I still have some black kale I'm regularly picking and leeks for next year, but there must be something else I can grow over winter......any suggestions welcome. We are in a small coastal village on the Firth of Forth so can get strong winds.

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I suggest you check out Beechgrove's info on their social media pages, or you can probably get the programmes on iPlayer etc.
    They used to do a factsheet, but the virus put paid to all of that. The programme has finished for this year, but it's more relevant than G's World for our conditions. East side weather is also totally different to this side  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    You've missed the boat for most things you could have overwinter, it's not the cold but the light that is going to be the limiting factor now. Spinach or lambs lettuce might manage if you can get them germinated.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Light is certainly a problem @Skandi. We have around 7 hours at best, where I am, in winter.
    Not something I tend to think about as I don't grow much veg, and certainly not just now. Conditions aren't favourable unless you have a polytunnel etc.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • SydRoySydRoy Posts: 167
    You could try garlic?
    But realistically I'd put your veg beds, well, to bed.
    Mulch & improve the soil over the colder months.

    I worked in the north east of Scotland on one occasion during winter and remember it didn't really get properly light all the week I was there. It maybe got "light" about 9:30 - 10:00 & was going dark again soon after 2:30. This was in December - it was knee high in snow & the ground was frozen like concrete. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We're used to lack of light, and serious weather up here in winter @SydRoy ;)
    On poorer days, it certainly can be quite 'dark' for a lot of the day.     
    However, the last few winters have definitely been different, in every location in Scotland, and on our hills too. Whether that's a blip, or a definite change remains to be seen, and it still isn't favourable for much veg over winter. 

    ...and yet -people still mump and moan about the clock change. They really need to stop being so pathetic IMO. Far worse things to worry about  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited October 2020
    Are you in a place to forage seaweed? I know little of this, but is there a season?

    Or perhaps think about indoor Microveg, even under lights.
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
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