Growing in small spaces: fast maturing crops

Planning My Autumn and Winter Raised Bed

I’m very pleased I have finally finished building my raised bed, although it’s less than one metre square. Now I’m starting to think about what I can sow directly for some quick crops to enjoy through autumn and winter.

The space may be small, but there are still plenty of possibilities. My challenge now is deciding what to grow!

Kale is always high on my list. I find it such a hardy and dependable winter vegetable, and I love its textured leaves. My favourite variety is Dwarf Green Curled, especially when picked young as tender baby leaves. (Cavolo Nero is probably the most spectacular-looking kale, with its long, dark, crinkled leaves. Though it does need to be sown earlier if you want it to reach full size.)

I’m also tempted to grow some Rainbow Chard. The brightly coloured stems look beautiful against the dark green leaves and would add a lovely splash of colour to the raised bed. I could pick the young leaves for salads or leave the plants to grow larger and use them as I would spinach.

For something with a bit more of a peppery kick, I’m considering Mustard Spinach, also known as Komatsuna. It is hardy, easy to grow and very versatile. The leaves can be added to winter salads, cooked like spinach or thrown into a quick stir-fry.

Or Rocket is another peppery possibility. I enjoy its pungent flavour brightening up my autumn salads. Land cress, sometimes called American cress, is another alternative. It has a flavour similar to watercress but is a little more robust, which makes it a useful addition to the autumn and winter garden.

Should I make room for corn salad, or lamb’s lettuce? It is such a useful crop for the colder months, when ordinary lettuce can be less reliable. Its mild, tender leaves would be lovely on their own or mixed with other salad greens.

Of course, I don’t have to fill the whole bed with leafy greens. If I fancy something with a bit more crunch, I could sow radishes, baby carrots, beetroot or turnips. Some varieties can be ready to harvest in as little as eight weeks, which is very tempting.

At the moment, I’m leaning towards growing a mixture. Hmmm - perhaps a small patch of kale and chard, with some quick salad leaves and a few seeds of turnips. With a limited area I’ll need to make every corner count, but that is part of the fun.

Now I just need to make my final choices, get the seeds out and start sowing! What would you sow?

What I Can Grow in My Raised Bed / How Long It Will Take