Using the greenhouse in winter

[amandaandherveg]

I'm new to greenhouse growing, my OH managed to get the door fitted on out 8x6 this weekend. Whilst I'm happily transferring everything that's been sitting on my windowsills for weeks it got me thinking on house to make the most of greenhouses in the winter.

Want to make the most of it all year 'round. What do you grow in it?

[Snadger]

Round here the usual thing is to grow your toms and once they are cleared bring in your winter Chrysanth plants to flower until February. By that time you'll be needing it again for propagation of plants so this should give you 365 days usage. Christmas potatoes are becoming popular as well.
I've always struggled growing Toscana De Nero kale (which I love!) so this year I'm going to grow it in the greenhouse.
If you think about it, any crop that you would normally grow through the winter outside can be grown in the greenhouse inside, to give stronger, earlier plants which won't suffer from winter gales.
Possibilities are kales, spring cabbage,savoys,psb(though you'll need a lot of room for this one) winter radish,lettuce,Japanese onions,leeks etc etc etc need I go on?
The permutations are endless but you'll need to put a bit of thought into it and be spot on with your planning by having plants ready at the right stage of growth!

[amandaandherveg]

Lots of good ideas there Snadger. I love the thought of having home grown spuds an veg at Christmas. Will pick your brains again nearer the time.

[Garden_girlie21]

Ooooh me too - I'm trying to grow as much veg to last as much of the year as possible for my family!! ;-) I'm determined to be able to eat my own veg in winter - Seeing how much of stuff everyone is growing, it makes me wonder whether I'm planting/sowing enough - but then I look at my greenhouse and think, "Jen, if you put any more in there, you won't be able to poke your nose in, let alone tend to the plants!"

Jennifer

[Cutecumber]

Be warned - it is all too easy for plants to suffer fungal disease in the winter greenhouse. Small greenhouses in particular don't get good air movement.

I grew lettuce, land cress, claytonia and rocket last winter - the most successful was Valdor lettuce which kept the mildew and grey mould at bay. The Claytonia and land cress got aphids and the rocket was visciously hot! Comparatively, outside, the crops were much healthier - lettuce, kale, leaf beet and psb overwintered pest free.

It's usually best to keep the winter greenhouse for finishing off late crops in containers that you can bring indoors (calabrese, carrots, potatoes) and starting off the new season crops in pots and modules - broad beans, garlic, onions then early brassicas and lettuce, for example.

The greenhouse may be sheltered, but remember that it's still winter - it's cold and dark and most plants don't grow!

[Flummery]

All the year round lettuce and an Heritage Seed Library one called Stoke were in my greenhouse this winter. Been eating home grown lettuce for months! The later ones were transplanted into the garden so I could fill the place with seedlings and a couple of big pots of potatoes from Feb. Just eaten the first of those.