Greenhouse advice/new to forum

[GinaD]

Hi I am new to the forum. I would like to grow some fruit and veg in my greenhouse. I have two large veg trugs in which to grow them. I have grown tomatoes now for three years but every year they get mosaic virus so I am growing outdoor tomatoes this year. I'd love some advice on what to grow in my greenhouse. I'd really like to try grapes but am I right in thinking the plant roots have to be potted in soil outside? My greenhouse is built on paving slabs.

[WendyC]

Welcome to the vine. I'm doing the opposite to you this year and growing my tomatoes inside as blight has been a problem for the last few years.
My greenhouse is stuffed full at this time of year with bedding plants and plants for the allotment. When they're all out I generally grow a couple of cucumbers and sometimes peppers. Probably too late to start peppers from seed but cucumbers are a possibility from seed now. Or most garden centres are full of young plants now.
Over the winter salads are good to grow if you sow something hardy like mizuna or Winter Density. As far as grape vines go I think you'd struggle to keep it watered in a tub as the roots need to be in the ground. Outside is good as watering is less of a problem. Certainly that's how my dad grew his.
How big is your greenhouse.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Gina and welcome to the Forum.
My greenhouses are also on paving slabs so I've sectioned off the sides and far end to make small beds about 6" deep. I grow salad leaves and shallow rooted veggies in them. Tomatoes are grown in open bottomed pots resting on these beds. I have a grapevine, growing outside but, to be honest, it creates so much shade inside the GH that I've cut it right back this year and am thinking of making it grow outside again.
If you have a look at the "Undercover" thread you'll find lots of ideas about growing in GHs.

[Capsid]

Are you sure it's mosaic virus? Tomato leaves will go yellow and old when grown in pots as there will be nutrient deficiencies (eg magnesium) with time.

[BertieFox]

Start thinking of your greenhouse as a year-round place for vegetables and not just for summer. First, take up those paving slabs and dig out the ground to make a deep bed, into which you can mix good top soil and compost. That way you can grow things which will put down their roots and most things like tomatoes will need far less watering. All the stuff about needing new soil all the time is just not true if you have clean plants from seed, and I've been growing in the same soil in our polytunnel for ten years without problems. All I do each year is dig it over and work a lot of fresh compost into it.
For early spring, you can so easily raise a few top quality cauliflowers, which should be hearting up around now. Being in the greenhouse they will be protected from the elements and pests and you can control watering, as they don't want checking. I grew a cauli this way which won 'best vegetable' in our village show, though someone accused me of buying it from the supermarket is was so good for so early in the season.
Spring cabbage is also great as you can plant this a few inches apart and then get lots of leafy greens, allowing the others to heart up early. Or can you try cut and come again greens like Pak Choi, or best of all, Mizuna greens which go on and on. Turnips, radish and baby beet are dead easy too.
Most of these crops will be clear by the time you want to plant your tomatoes, peppers and aubergines.
When these finishing cropping in the autumn, get them out straight away and then refresh the soil for another autumn and winter crop of sprouting broccoli or more salads. Things like corn salad and American cress can be harvested all winter long, like closely planted Pak Choi.
I know this will be difficult in a small greenhouse but you will be amazed at how much you can grow all year round.

[GinaD]

It is 14ft by 8ft.

[GinaD]

Hi Mark
Yes I'm pretty sure it was mosaic. My dad has been growing tomatoes for 40years and we did treat for mag deficiency but to no avail. It definitely looked like mosaic and the cucumbers got it too. The way it happened too was like a virus spreading from one leaf to another then one plant to another. My dad thought maybe it was coming from a plant nearby or the trees. Every year I get new pots and grow bags, canes, everything but still happened. I love tomatoes and cucumbers, I grew cucumbers in the conservatory last year and they were fab. I'm not a smoker and neither is my dad so not from that. I'm at loss really so thought I'd give up and try hanging basket and/or outdoor tomatoes this year.