Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Juli on October 26, 2012, 21:02

Title: vegetables over winter?
Post by: Juli on October 26, 2012, 21:02

And another one from me...

When we moved here nearly two months ago I got so excited about having a greenhouse that I sowed lots of things straight away even though I knew summer was coming to an end. I now have a few pots of dwarf beans, which are nearly at the flowering stage, spinach, chard and perpetual spinach seedlings, sugar snap peas (about 5cm tall) and lamb's lettuce.

I have today brought all expect the lamb's lettuce into the conservatory, as the nights are going to get very cold (-1 the next two nights) and I'm worried they're not going to survive in the greenhouse.

So, my question is, am I kidding myself? Is there any chance of growing any of these plants over winter, AND actually harvesting something? They'll be warm enough in the conservatory (it's single glazed and falling apart, so gets much colder than the rest of the house, but not as cold as the greenhouse), but are there maybe daylength issues for the sugar snap peas and beans?

I also have spinach, chard, perpetual spinach and lettuce growing outside. Are any of those likely to survive the winter AND be productive over winter?

(And a little side questions: The perpetual spinach seedlings look exactly the same as the green chard seedlings. Is there actually a difference?)

Thanks again  :)
Juli

Title: Re: vegetables over winter?
Post by: Yorkie on October 26, 2012, 21:52

Spinach and chard are very closely related so their seedlings are indeed likely to be similar.

I think spinach and/or chard are likely to overwinter outside.

I'll move this over to the Greenhouse forum as most of the questions are about that.

Title: Re: vegetables over winter?
Post by: New shoot on October 29, 2012, 06:08

I've got chard and perpetual spinach plants in the greenhouse (unheated).  They are one stage on from seedlings and have been potted on.

I have them outside as mature plants which I have been picking, but the greenhouse plants are my backups for early planting next year if my plot plants get killed over winter - last year the snow did for most of them.  Productivity depends on temperature - they will slow to a crawl as it gets colder and die back if we get severe weather, so pick what you can while you can. 

Answer is I think, put the chard and perpetual spinach back in the greenhouse as they need to be ticking over, not forced on, and you will get some early pickings next year. 

Lettuce is pretty hardy but will need cloche protection.  They get bitter is they are slow growing, so get them growing and pick and eat up as you can. The beans and peas are a bit of a punt, but if you have a conservatory and already have the plants, don't see what you have to lose by trying  :)

Title: Re: vegetables over winter?
Post by: Juli on October 29, 2012, 08:24

Thanks New Shoot, that's very helpful advice :)

Title: Re: vegetables over winter?
Post by: DD. on April 03, 2013, 09:08

This I assume is the same company you pointed out to us a while back that charge what most of us consider to be exorbitant prices for seed spuds?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=101555.msg1133037#msg1133037

Title: Re: vegetables over winter?
Post by: digga666 on April 03, 2013, 10:12

It is Dave i had no idea how many spuds were in the price sorry but if you do not know too much like me anything is a help including people like you and others on this forum.