What can I not grow in a greenhouse??

[Muppet194]

Hi all, I currently have a 6 x 4 polycarbonate greenhouse which I use each year for my tomatoes, cucumbers and seed starting. Directly next to it (and new this year) I created a 6foot x 6foot veggie patch which I’ve experimented using square foot gardening on and it’s going really well. Only problems I’ve had are cats pooing on it and pigeons scratching up the seed and new plants. I’ve decided to invest in a larger greenhouse later this year 10 foot x 6 foot which will in effect cover the veggie patch making it all undercover. Are there some veg I won’t be able to do as the greenhouse will be too hot for them? I’m interested in growing the usual cucumbers and tomatoes also a combination of strawberries, lettuce, spring onions, basil, courgette, peas, beans, radish and garlic as these are what I have in my sfg bed. Also can anyone advise what I might be able to grow over winter undercover please? I don’t plan on getting the bigger greenhouse until around October but I’m excited to get planning ! Thank you !

[nickdub]

If you think about the conditions that some of the traditional 'English' like summer cabbage and cauliflower do best in then that would be a guide as to 'plants not to grow in a GH'.

[Muppet194]

You’re right, I steer clear of brassicas anyway since having my allotment previously, no matter what I did they were eaten by caterpillars. Spring cabbages might be ok though would you think? Standing over winter ?

[burnie]

I grow earlier veg in my greenhouse to get more out of the season, salads can go in as soon as there's enough light to grow, peas and spring onion too, some stuff does not like too much heat in the summer under glass, radish don't grow well, but I am growing french beans under glass at the moment. Remember that things need pollinating, I grow strawberries under glass, Mara des Bois are a good perpetual, I am eating them now and will be until October, I grow those in big clay pots and then plunge them in the greenhouse soil in winter. I am too far north to get anything to grow over winter, not enough daylight or heat, so I don't bother trying.

[Eoghan]

Too far north? Try Caithness!

From memory blackurrants need a cold winter to fruit. So maybe they would not do well planted in a greenhouse. I also seem to remember being told to plant grapes outside my tunnel and have the stem inside?

[Muppet194]

Thank you for the advice! I’m in Bedfordshire so quite mild winters, I’m hopeful that il at least start some things before spring. I will look at those strawberries burnie, strawberries are my absolute favourite grown fresh without all the commercial pesticides but usually have such a short season. I planted raspberry canes in Feb which haven’t done a lot, would they be ok transplanted into a greenhouse ?

[burnie]

Raspberries are grown commercially round me in polytunnels, no idea what varieties they grow though, I grow sweetcorn in my greenhouse as we rarely get enough warmth to grow it outside.

[burnie]

Too far north? Try Caithness!

From memory blackurrants need a cold winter to fruit. So maybe they would not do well planted in a greenhouse. I also seem to remember being told to plant grapes outside my tunnel and have the stem inside?

We used to have a regular poster who was in the Shetlands, without artificial light it was too difficult to grow in the winter up there. I tried growing in the winter, but nothing would grow.

[annie8]

I find garlic is much better outside. If you start them in autumn they need a bit of cold over the winter.