Greenhouse in Wales

[Shorty2506]

Hi,

I have recently moved to Wales and have been given a greenhouse. All has been set up now, but was looking for advice in best way to keep it hot in winter cheaply so I can grow 365 days.

Also am I too late to start growing summer veg? I have lots of winter veg going already.

Many thanks

Shorty

[rustylady]

Hi Shorty. I just said hello to you on the Saffron thread.

Could you add your location (nearest town) to your profile please? Then we won't have to keep asking you where you are.

Personally I wouldn't bother heating a greenhouse through the winter as it's not just warmth that plants need but high light levels and these just aren't available in the UK in winter.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Shorty - Croeso i Gymru (Welcome to Wales).Despite popular belief, its no colder in Wales than the rest of the UK - but you may need an umbrella more often
Like Rusty Lady, I don't heat my GH through the winter - I prefer to tailor what I grow to the climate. There are lots of threads on here about various methods of heating GHs and the pros and cons of them.
What size is your GH - and what were you hoping to grow through the winter?
I'm not sure what you mean by summer veg - its too late to start tomatoes and peppers but you may be able to find some plants on sale that you can grow on in the GH. You can still start lettuces and other salad leaves, radish, rocket etc.

[Shorty2506]

Hi veggiechicken,

My green house is 12x8. I just want to grow what ever I can through the winter to save the shopping bill!!
I have autumn and winter veg seedlings growing at the moment. Ill look for the posts on pros and cons of heating greenhouse.
Rusty I have added my location. Thanks.

[veggiechicken]

I've just acquired a 12x8 GH too http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...use_73839.html and am trying to work out what to put in it
Are you planting into soil or into pots?

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Hi Shorty, I am not far from you, know the area well used to drive through Seven every morning. You'll need webbed feet up there as VC says (the weather here has been a bit normal today :P).

I agree with what VC and Rustylady say, bit late now, though you could do potatoes in containers perhaps?

B&Q at Morfa had a variety half price plants the other day (some looked a bit sickly, but there might be some that are ok). Might be worth a look in Betts in cadoxton and there used to be a small independent nursery behind the co-op in Ystradgynlais - though not sure if they do sales.

Goodluck with the new greenhouse though and hope you like it here!

[Shorty2506]

Well at the moments I have pots, trying to decide if to put a couple of beds in there.

[Shorty2506]

Hi David,

Nice to meet u :-) we love it here and would never moved back to where we was from.
Yeah I have been planting seeds since beginning of June so have got loads of seedling and will just see what grows. They where old seeds from a few years ago. Already had one batch of pots, and have a few pots growing and will plant some ready for Xmas.
I have just got lots of seeds all ready for next year sowing and will sow autumn, winter seeds in next few days.
I am so looking forward to next spring to get everything growing :-)

I will pop into betts and see what they have tomorrow. Been past it but never been in their. Have tired a few garden centres but I too late.

[Two_Sheds]

best way to keep it hot in winter cheaply so I can grow 365 days.

Light is more important than heat Shorty, and it really is not economical to heat & light your gh just so you can grow something "out of season" like the supermarkets do.
You'd be better spending your money on a chest freezer so you can freeze your gluts. We live off our freezer all winter & spring

And get this book, it's just what you need. If you can afford it, get this Hessayon one too

I have been planting seeds since beginning of June

Your enthusiasm is great, but do bear in mind our climate: the UK has a fairly short growing season (May to August, really). You can't just plant things at any old time of the year, plants will only grow when there's enough of the right kind of light. Warmth is not as important as light.

What have you sown?

[Shorty2506]

Hi two-sheds, thanks for the advice, I think I will do that, save for another freezer and blanch next year to last the winter.

I have just planted some old seeds I had, I planted them back in June. I have:
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas - these have been harvest
Spinach
Beetroot
Onions
Spring onions- dont seem to germinate
Spring cabbage
Savoy cabbage
3 different potatoes.
French beans
Sweet corn.
Melon
Lettuce


I will just carry on and if before winter they haven't produced anything then ill throw them! Lol.
For this year I will now only plant winter veg and wait til next years and get everything growing by the load!! I will order those books as well.

Thanks for ur help and any other advice is appreciated :-)

[taff]

You won't get any melons and unlikely to get sweet corn. You might not get lucky with the brassicas unless you've netted them too.

You can grow miners salad, mizuna, pak choi, not too late for baby spring onions, they look like bent over stalks of tiny grass with the seed on the end if they are germinating.

Basically, you've got august, september and maybe a little bit fo october to grow something to eat this year. After that, you're planting for next year. Except the miners salad

[Shorty2506]

Hi Taff,

The brassicas is netted, some out in garden and some still in green house.

[Shorty2506]

Ok, I have decided to hold off planting anything else now ( apart from winter sowing veg but will all be grown in pots in greenhouse) and try and concentrate one getting everything ready for next year.
At the moment I have 4 beds in the garden:
Bed 1 - currently has some onions sets in, beet root and cauliflower. I know these shouldn't go together but at the time I wanted to get them in the ground. Better than not at all.
Bed 2 - wood has been put in place and that is it. What is the best way to remove the grass and prepare for next year? I have clay soil so it very hard to dig over!!
Bed 3 - has lots of cardboard placed all over.
Bed 4 - currently has French beans in it - this is only a small long bay.

Can I just lay newspaper over the top of the grass and water down, that will stop the weeds and help with the soil??.

Thanks for all ur help and sorry for all the what might seem silly questions :-)

[Shorty2506]

Any advice please??

[marchogaeth]

As regards getting your garden into play, why don't you search back through the veg/allotment forums. There are lots of posts about bringing overgrown areas into production and weed suppressing. Then if you have a specific question you can add to those threads. The title of this thread wouldn't necessarily make some one answer your last question anyway. It's very easy to come here and post a question (I know I do it sometimes) without searching first. If you don't like the search facility here you can always search google because 9/10 the Vine will come up anyway.