All this space!!!

[caz999]

Hello, I`m new to forum and am growing veg for the first time this year and am having a great time.
I started with a tiny plastic greenhouse for my cues and toms, but went mad last week and bought a real 6x6 greenhouse so I have all this greenhouse space now and am wondering what I can grow from seed in it at this time of year as my cues and toms are a little lonely in there!!!! and also the plants need to stay in the greenhouse as my outside plot is full to bursting!!!
Please help..........Thank you.

[nick the grief]

Hi Caz welcome to the vine.

Congratulations on getting a greenhouse ,will you be heating it ? If so you can plant some spuds in tubs around now till setember & have new potaotes for xmas. Add to that some early carrots sown in the borders as well. If you can get hold of some Kelly's lettuce seed you can grow some winter lettuce. Start some early cauli's off in there & pot them up & just keep them tiking over till you plant them out next year around march.

Make the most of the space you have in there at the moment, come next year you'll be wishing you bought on twice as big!!!

[caz999]

Thanks for your kindness, unfortunately it will be an unheated greenhouse for this year.........any ideas???????

[nick the grief]

Not really Caz,

It depends what your gardens like for frost etc. You may get away with it if it's a mild winter. How about you get a little parafin heater (or two of the coldframe heaters they'll last 2 weeks on 4 pints of fuel) this may just keep the worst of it off. Especially if you line it with bubble insulation (go for the one with 1" bubbles it's loads better than the small stuff & you don't loose so much light)

[Alice]

Hello Caz, welcome to the Vine. You can insulate your greenhouse with bubble wrap, and further protect plants with fleece. You can buy the fleece in B&Q (not expensive) and it will protect plants from several degrees of frost. Do let us know what you are growing and how it gets on.

[caz999]

Thanks for your help both of you. I live in the south of England, Somerset and so we have fairly mild winters. I am now thinking I might actually get myself a little paraffin heater as was browsing E-bay and see they are brand new for about £20 which sounded good to me, I haven`t yet looked up the cost of paraffin to see how much it would cost to run during the winter. I just so want to make the best use of my precious greenhouse for as much of the year as I can!! So any advice on cheap, economical greenhouse heating and winter greenhouse crops would be much appreciated. Thank you. Caz

[smallblueplanet]

We are growing aubergines, toms, peppers (chilli & sweet), melon (small type) & a cuke in our 8'x6' ghouse. Probably too late to start any from seed but maybe there might be some plants in the garden centre?

At the front of the beds we grow basil - I love fresh pesto and basil adores the extra heat. Also pop in a French marigold or two to entice in the pollinating insects.

[nick the grief]

Hi Again Caz,

Parafin is around £5 for 5litres. the small heaters you mention are twin burner ones & will last about a week on a gallon but you may find that it keeps it too warm. thats why I suggested two of the frame heaters, they don't give out so much heat but will run for about 2 weeks on a tankfull (4-5 litres) & as your not trying to grow exotic stuff you won't need so much heat.

The other favourite would be a gas heater (either bottled gas or mains) but then you're looking at around £100 for the heater alone plus fuel, the saving grace with these is they have a thermostat so you can keep the temperature better regulated.

One thing I would get is a max/min thermometer & then you can keep a check on the temperatures in the greenhouse & that will tell you what you can & con't get away with.

[caz999]

Hi Nick, You were so right!! I have just got back from Homebase with a cold frame heater for £10.99 and the fuel is £4.99, I am so happy, I can grow, grow, grow!!! and I must have read your mind as I also bought a min/max thermometer while I was there. Do you think I will need two of these heaters or will the one be enough? Thanks. Caz

[nick the grief]

I'd get 2 Caz that way you should be OK.

Can you tell Mrs Grief I was right as she thinks I'm incapable of that

[caz999]

Mrs Grief, your man is a star!!!!!!!!!!!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Here we go!

Hi everyone! Have been reading your comments with interest, as I only got my greenhouse a few weeks ago off ebay. Thanx for info on heaters - will be off to B&Q this weekend in readiness for the winter, but am experimenting at the moment with growing things in the greenhouse. Grew some squash from seeds in my "plastic" greenhouse and then transplanted some outside - which are doing well (even better in this hot weather!) but I kept a few back and planted them in very large pots and have kept them in the greenhouse - WOW! they are SO big and well grown. Q: should I keep them in the large pots or transplant them to the last remaining space in my garden? Also, have got a couple of pepper and chilli and tomato plants from the garden centre - they are doing well. Started off a few melons, beetroot and cauliflowers - lets wait and see, but they are doing very well at the moment. Will transplant beetroot and caulis into garden at earliest opportunity. Waiting and watching the melons - dont know growing season, so lets wait and see! Very interesting, and learning opportunity! Dexterdog

[nick the grief]

The melons will do OK in the greenhouse DDL. Just make sure that you plant them on a mound as they dont like to sit in water. You can train them up some canes or wire & allow 2 or 3 fruits per plant. Feed & water like you would tomatoes you should get some by late summer/early autumn.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Ta!

Thanks Nick - as Im still learning, its nice to know that something will work out OK.
Dexterdog