winter salads in cold greenhouse

  • 22 Replies
  • 9771 Views
*

savbo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Rusholme, Manchester
  • 1742
winter salads in cold greenhouse
« on: October 06, 2010, 19:31 »
Hi - anyone got any recommendations for salads to grow over winter in an unheated greenhouse? The floor is all soil so plenty of space once the tomatoes are out and it gets a good scrub...

M

*

Yorkie

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North Yorkshire
  • 26329
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2010, 19:34 »
If the greenhouse is unheated, will it be frost-free?  Salads are mainly water and thus I suspect they may freeze / die if frosted?
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 57877
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2010, 19:44 »
I'm growing corn salad, rocket and parella and escarole (Italian winter lettuces)
Last year the escarole froze where water dripped on it, but carried on growing as soon as it thawed out :)

IMO You should really have started all the stuff before now, so they are ready to plant after the toms.

*

shokkyy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Swindon
  • 2299
  • Mishka
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2010, 21:14 »
Actually, I was thinking of doing some winter salad in my cold (very cold, pane missing) greenhouse or coldframe. Seeds of Italy have one called Meraviglia D'Inverno which they said can be sown July to December, and they say Parella can be sown Sept/Oct. They have a number of lettuce types which can still be sown now, but in an email they've just sent out they particularly recommend Meraviglia, Lamb's Lettuce, Spinach and Chicory Grumolo Verde for good resistance to cold.

Anybody ever tried their Black Radish? That can be sown now but I'm not sure whether it's a salad type radish or one of the bigger roots.

*

solway cropper

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North west Cumbria
  • 1361
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2010, 21:50 »
There are quite a few lettuce varieties that can be grown through winter if you check the seed catalogues. they don't actually grow much in the depths of winter but they don't die. In last year's severe weather I had lettuce, chard, spring onions and chives in pots in the unheated g/house, as well as container grown leeks, parsnips and carrots.

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 57877
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2010, 22:13 »
Actually, I was thinking of doing some winter salad in my cold (very cold, pane missing) greenhouse or coldframe. Seeds of Italy have one called Meraviglia D'Inverno which they said can be sown July to December, and they say Parella can be sown Sept/Oct.

Just bear in mind that if you don't sow them till December they won't be ready to eat till March/April, depending on the weather, just when you may need the space for spring sowings. The parella I sowed 3 weeks ago is only just germinating now, everything has slowed up already :(

I think they're all worth trying though to see what will grow in your area :)

*

compostqueen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 16597
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2010, 23:49 »
The Meraviglia and Misticanza are fabulous.  Mine got frosted a few times but shrugged it off. I sow mine into a large seed tray and a metal box from M & S that held a bit of a food parcel last Christmas - few holes in the bottom and voile. I sowed a couple of rows across the trays every other week and I had fresh leaves every day. They're very hardy. They got frosted a few times but shrugged it off and were not damaged.  I grew Advantage cabbages too


At the moment I've got Misticanza going great guns, Meraviglia, spinach and oriental leaf mixture which looks really perky and all are being eaten now. I just do them as cut and come again.  Not sure about the oriental leaf mix but the lettuce mixes will keep going through winter quite happily

*

savbo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Rusholme, Manchester
  • 1742
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2010, 07:55 »
ta everyone esp CQ, off to see if B&M have any of the SoI stuff before I shell out on postage!

*

compostqueen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 16597
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2010, 09:53 »
I sowed a small tray of winter White Lisbon but zilch, nada. You win some .......

Those seeds of I packets are massive. I could send you a pinch  :)

*

michellela

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Herts, England
  • 146
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2010, 18:53 »
Thanks for reminding me!  I have some of the Winter Marvel lettuce seeds from Real Seeds that I'd forgotten about.  If you're interested it's at the bottom of this page.

In last year's severe weather I had lettuce, chard, spring onions and chives in pots in the unheated g/house, as well as container grown leeks, parsnips and carrots.

I have carrots in a pot on my balcony, actually in three pots.  The first two were planted in time and so now they are a small but good enough size to use.  The last pot I planted, not thinking I'd get anything from them but didn't realise that the seeds don't keep well so figure I had nothing to lose.  Are you saying that if I just leave them throughout winter they will keep for next year?

*

FN

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: West Dorset
  • 85
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2010, 15:30 »
Winter density and mizuna worked well for me last year, they even survived the really cold weather in Jan / Feb

*

swaine

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: Penistone Sheffield
  • 58
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2010, 21:07 »

I tried some Winter Gem lettuce last year in an unheated greenhouse. They grew ok until the end of December and then they just seemed to give up and wilt.

It seemed to me at the time that it was a lack of sun / light rather than either the cold or too much watering.

Perhaps there is a trade off here. A partially shaded greenhouse is fine when you want to avoid the worst of the hot summer sun, but you then suffer if you want to grow things in the winter?

I

*

Pip Judgeford

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: New Zealand
  • 90
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2010, 21:18 »
What a great list of greens.  My mouth is watering ::)

I have also grown coriander and miners lettuce with success in a winter glasshouse.  I cant grow coriander for nuts in the summer - it bolts too fast - but the winter crop is fabulous.

Pip

*

Kristen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Suffolk
  • 4065
    • K's Garden blog
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2010, 23:00 »
Perhaps a grow-light is called for? (But then a greenhouse would be a bit pointless - might as well have a warm / insulated cabinet I suppose ...)

*

compostqueen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 16597
Re: winter salads in cold greenhouse
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2010, 23:02 »
you don't need warmth for these crops in winter - they're hardy  :)



xx
Winter Salads

Started by vegman on Grow Your Own

2 Replies
1206 Views
Last post January 03, 2007, 20:23
by muntjac
xx
Winter lettuce cold frame

Started by sclarke624 on Grow Your Own

4 Replies
1628 Views
Last post September 26, 2008, 11:30
by compostqueen
xx
will the winter squash make it before the cold sets in?

Started by karooba007 on Grow Your Own

4 Replies
1706 Views
Last post June 22, 2009, 17:24
by celjaci
xx
Will winter brassicas sown in a cold bed in June bolt?

Started by herbiegrowsbananas on Grow Your Own

4 Replies
1443 Views
Last post June 01, 2014, 16:41
by herbiegrowsbananas
 

Page created in 0.357 seconds with 41 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |