Indoor growing

[EbonyH]

Hi All,

With the growing season ending, we're keen to hear about any good ideas or troubleshooting tips to successfully grow veg or fruit indoors.
For example, do you grow on windowsills or in a greenhouse? Do you plant seeds indoors or do you prefer to start outdoors and then bring your plants inside?

Please share your advice with us, thank you!

Your comments may be edited and printed in the November issue of GYO magazine

[VirginVegGrower]

I sow all my early seed sowing in trays on my windowsills as the greenhouse is too cold until March. We play the game of shuffle between the living room and the orangery. I overwinter my figs and grapes in the greenhouse. They come out in Summer though to make room for my tomato, cucumber, gherkins, peppers and chillis that are in there right now. I move the chillis and peppers into the orangery for winter along with lemon and orange trees. It's a constant foxtrot with plants, pots and seed trays. Get a veg plot and you don't need a gym membership!

[arpoet]

Yes.. i too play musical windowsills with seed trays, but the boss wont let me start until after Crimbo.
Roger

[zazen999]

Hi All,

With the growing season ending, we're keen to hear about any good ideas or troubleshooting tips to successfully grow veg or fruit indoors.
For example, do you grow on windowsills or in a greenhouse? Do you plant seeds indoors or do you prefer to start outdoors and then bring your plants inside?

Please share your advice with us, thank you!

Your comments may be edited and printed in the November issue of GYO magazine

The growing season is ending? Nobody told me.

There is no end to the growing season if you grow all year round. All there is is different crops being harvested and the next ones in to replace them.

[SarrissUK]

The growing season isn't ending for me - I just sowed some kale and cabbage to replace the ones that got eaten on the plot, and even trying some late broccoli. If it doesn't work, at least I've tried
I put potatoes in only a couple of weeks ago and they're taking off like mad, so I'm hoping to have Christmas new potatoes!

In terms of indoors, I have peppers and chillies growing still, and I intend to keep them on the window sill for as long as they look happy.

I will keep herbs in the kitchen too over winter, and start sowing for next season in September, October. The garlic soon needs to go in, doesn't it!

[rustylady]

The growing season definitely is not ending just yet. However, looking forward to next year (still quite a long time away) I start tomatoes, chillies, etc in a heated propagator on the kitchen windowsill before pricking out into individual pots. These stay on windowsills before transferring to the unheated greenhouse. The only thing that get brought inside during the winter is the lemon tree.

[pauco]

As for myself i like to give the ground a rest over winter, give the soil a good feed and let the frosts do their work, if it's anything like the last few years.
Then i can plan the next years planting, i will start my Onion seeds of the last week of December indoors
to give them a heads start.

paul.

[VirginVegGrower]

Net your brassicas and keep those pesky eaters away. Garlic and overwintering onions very soon yes.

[VirginVegGrower]

The growing season is ending? Nobody told me.

There is no end to the growing season if you grow all year round. All there is is different crops being harvested and the next ones in to replace them.

Slightly concerned at your avatar - that coffee may be off. Am I to be shot..?

[horticultural_hobbit]

If I listened to Pops and his 'nothing grows in winter' then yes, it would be over. I like my pots and grow bags occupying a sliver of his garden, so try to sow more after stuff has cropped.

Everything starts off on Ma's window sill or on the kitchen radiator. I'm too cheap and a bit scared of pops to get a heated propogator. The BNS and courgette went wild on the window sill as I started them really early. Now that I have a small blowaway greenhouse, I guess I will use that next year as a half way house. Will probably be too cold to germinate anything in there.

[VirginVegGrower]

If I listened to Pops and his 'nothing grows in winter' then yes, it would be over. I like my pots and grow bags occupying a sliver of his garden, so try to sow more after stuff has cropped.

Everything starts off on Ma's window sill or on the kitchen radiator. I'm too cheap and a bit scared of pops to get a heated propogator. The BNS and courgette went wild on the window sill as I started them really early. Now that I have a small blowaway greenhouse, I guess I will use that next year as a half way house. Will probably be too cold to germinate anything in there.

With an open fire we find ourselves in a permanent heated propagator :-)
Wish I had got my BNS squash done early as I have not one fruit as yet :-( TELL ME YOUR SECRET!

[zazen999]

Slightly concerned at your avatar - that coffee may be off. Am I to be shot..?

Only if you are being negative.

[Thelma Sanders]

I have Joy Larcoms book Grow your own veg, and the advice in there is just great :- there is so much stuff you can grow in the greenhouse overwinter. Lots of different salads, like Seeds of Italy's Misticanza, Rocket, corn salad or oriental stirfy leaves, spinach, Red Russian kale and chard for early leaves...there's lots to grow

[VirginVegGrower]

Only if you are being negative.

noooo! Have you got a new camera?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Oh, don't, VVG, Gladys is a curious creature. I ignored the seed packet. Can't remember if it was feb or march. Took a seed from the packet, figured out which way around it had to be-point up, point down, sideways, whatever-stuck it into a pot and left it on the window sill with cling film. Watched it like a hawk, tied it it a BBQ skewer as it grew and nearly decapitated her before she had a chance. Nurtured her, whilst watching through my fingers, and then flung her out in may; she has remained there ever since. Have five babies, but two have snuffed it before now. Still precarious.