Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: OurAllotment on October 30, 2020, 06:32

Title: Any suggestions for what to grow in the winter in a green house?
Post by: OurAllotment on October 30, 2020, 06:32
Like any new allotmenteerer (still to perfect that word) you want to grow something now, and feel by the time you get to February / March again, you may have run out of steam.

Of all the differing things I have noticed, Aubergines were saying they could be started in January, but when I delved further, found they needed a heated greenhouse.

Is there anything else which I could be growing over winter in the green house?
Title: Re: Any suggestions for what to grow in the winter in a green house?
Post by: mumofstig on October 30, 2020, 09:12
In usually sow Winter hardy lettuces,  as well as rocket, pak choi, mizuna, lamb’s lettuce and spinach, at the end of September, beginning of October for winter salads and stir-fries. All worth a try now though, Id have thought - as we rarely seem to get the freezing cold before year end, like we used to.
From February I  fill any gaps with early lettuce, more spinach, early peas and mangetout in the g/h border  - but the peas do tend to get in the way if you only have a small greenhouse  :lol:
Remember from March there will lots of trays and pots full of germinating veg and space will be tight.
Title: Re: Any suggestions for what to grow in the winter in a green house?
Post by: al78 on February 06, 2021, 17:29
Yuo can start carrots in January, the seed packet on my Amsterdam Forcing says that. I haven't sown any in my greenhouse yet, although it is my intention to do so soon, because we have had a cold winter so far, and with a week of temperatures not getting above 1C and near zero sun to come, there seems little to gain by trying to sow now. I have a horrible feeling that this being the first year I was going to make an attempt to use my greenhouse to get a head start on the growing season is going to be a year where winter drags on into April like it did in 2013.
Title: Re: Any suggestions for what to grow in the winter in a green house?
Post by: New shoot on February 07, 2021, 10:05
I do the same as MoS and grow greens for stir-fries and salads.  You can do quite well over winter for pickings and then I tend to sling the pots out of the greenhouse as the seedlings take over in spring.  No borders here as the greenhouse floor is slabbed, but I re-use and recycle compost, adding new in and fertiliser as well.

If I get a few more pickings then that is fine and if not, well that is OK.  If you stick to fast maturing catch crops, you can get them out of the way before the main sowing season and the greenhouse replant for summer.  I grow tomatoes, peppers, chillies and aubergines then, but they start life indoors and don’t get out to the greenhouse for a couple more months yet  :)