Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

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Richard
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Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

Post by Richard »

It seems a shame to shut the Greenhouse down for Winter, although it gives a reason to have a good tidy up and Spring clean when the time comes.

However, it would be nice to grow something in there.

Any suggestions please.

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amber66
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Re: Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

Post by amber66 »

I have just taken delivery of my first "proper" greenhouse. I have always wanted one stemming back to when i was a small child helping my grandad out in his when i used to visit.
I was thinking exactly the same thing! great minds think alike {rofwl}
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p.penn
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Re: Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

Post by p.penn »

Sweet pea seeds can be put in pots in September a cold greenhouse for planting out in spring. Not sure if they have to be initially germinated indoors - it says on the seed packet. It gives them a head start.
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wildlifemad
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Re: Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

Post by wildlifemad »

I have grown pick & come again lettuce in pots before now, may need bit of protection if it gets really frosty. Also planted Broccoli & Cauliflower once & it was successful. Hope that helps!
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Re: Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

Post by Cheshire Chick »

I was going to suggest lettuce as well. You can carry on sowing (until it gets too cold). Saying that, I started some off in the greenhouse and planted them out in my small veg plot. Unfortunately every bit of lettuce has disappeared - due to slugs. I have got 3 more packets of seeds but unfortunately they are still on the kitchen table. I need to get shaping if I am going to have any lettuce at all this year!! Usually I am successful with growing lettuce but the slug epidemic has beaten me - so far.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Cold Greenhouse - winter growing ?

Post by lancashire lass »

Greenhouses really only extend a season either side of the outdoor gardening - the problem with winter is much reduced sun in terms of strength and shortened daylight hours, also cold nights. When daytime soil temperature drops below 10oC, even winter veg stop growing but they tend to be hardy and won't be killed by frost which is why you still see them in the fields in winter. That's not to say a greenhouse for winter growing is not useful - the veg will be protected from strong damaging wind and deluges, and are easier to crop when the garden is knee deep in snow!

A lot of winter veg like sprouts, broccoli and cabbages are actually sown in spring because they still need a full growing season and build up a food store to enable them to survive winter, but you can start to sow now some early spring veg such as some varieties of cabbage and cauliflower (these tend to be short growing types which can be sown in spring and late summer for all year cropping)

Various types of lettuce as mentioned (again, not any old type but those able to survive very low temperatures) and in particular mustard, Chinese cabbage / oriental greens and kale for winter cropping. Even a short season calabrese. Also winter radish and if you sow now, even your ordinary radish (they are usually cropped in about 3-4 weeks, so do a series of sowings over the coming weeks and being in a greenhouse, you might be able to keep on harvesting right up to Christmas) and also a quick growing carrot variety like Early Nantes. If the frost catches the top growth (yes, greenhouses can get very cold in mid-winter when temperatures get really low), the roots might be okay.

Now is too early to sow broad beans if you were thinking of planting outdoors in spring because they will grow quickly and get sappy (long weak stems which are easily damaged in the wind or collapse under the weight of the pods later on), but use the greenhouse for a late winter / early spring sowing so they are ready to plant out when the warmer weather starts.

Also (and I was just thinking about doing it myself funny enough), sow spring onion (for spring cropping) and winter onion seeds like Senshyu now (don't leave it too long) which in a greenhouse should crop earlier than outdoor ones. I know you can start some summer onion seeds off now too and leave them to overwinter in the greenhouse, then plant out (perhaps grow in individual pots so you don't disturb the roots when planting in spring)

Some herbs can be sown now for spring planting - not all are winter hardy, but the ones like sage and thyme should be fine. Earlier sowings moved into the greenhouse or windowsill should provide fresh herbs throughout winter (so I'm told - not something I've done myself) Also some flowering plants like pansies and pot marigold - I've noticed self seeded ones germinate in late summer/early autumn and survive the winter. Under cover, I reckon they would be ready to plant out much earlier and flower earlier than spring sown seeds.
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