wrote ...
Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
Whether that's successful depends on the variety and the weather. Last
winter I was successful with Aquadulce Claudia and Bunyards
Exhibitition, and failed with The Sutton.

Ah, that may have been the issue. I think one of mine was The Sutton,
too. iirc, they worked ok (nto spectacular, but 'ok') from a spring
sowing. I think I have aquadulce and "something I picked up from a
field I was walking through that had left some stuff lying around after
harvesting" for this year. :-)

Garlic, onions.

*nod* Problem with alliums is that I have limited space I can plant
them in due to the diseased crops we had last year. I've filled the 1st
allotment's empty potato patch with garlic (elephant, lautrec and solent
white, iirc), and if the onions ever turn up I'll replace the pumpkin
patch with onions, but there is currently nowhere else I can safely
plant them without risk of infection.

White rot doesn't usually affect the whole crop unless you plant very close,
we plant all our alliums at 9 inches each way and a few get the disease but
those next to them don't so we just plant a few more than we will need to
cover the losses. Sure it wasn't downy mildew? Your choice of Garlic is not
what we would have chosen, Elephant isn't actually a garlic it's a leek
relative and we didn't find a use for it, and Solent White was a disaster
for us a few years ago, nearly as bad as Marco last year. We have planted
Thermidrome and Germidour both of which have proved excellent on our plot,
also planted Chesnok Red as a trial.

We also found it not worthwhile planting Broad Beans or onions to
overwinter, too many died and they don't crop much earlier than spring
planted anyway.

What we have got in for the winter/spring are Brussels sprout two varieties
that extend the season, Winter Tundra cabbage, Savoy, Walcheren Winter
Armardo Aprl caulis which have to be the easiest and cleanest ones to grow.
Also Leeks and Parsnips and a few Swede left that need using before they
rot. All of which have to be grown from seed about May/June time.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London