Greenhouse in winter - what to grow?

[Mobile Chicane]

If anything?

Previously it's been used for overwintering delicate shrubs, however I'm thinking perhaps it could be put to more economic use.

It isn't heated, but is built into a south-facing wall which gets the sun all day. Nice and warm in there. I can also set up automatic watering from rainwater recovery.

Apart from overwintering herbs, any ideas for what I could grow?

Thanks very much in advance.

[zaphod42]

Mizuna is a Japanese salad leaf and very cold tolerant, tastes nice as well. Might survive with some polystyrene blocks around the roots.

[Mobile Chicane]

zaphod42 said:

Mizuna is a Japanese salad leaf and very cold tolerant, tastes nice as well. Might survive with some polystyrene blocks around the roots.

Any other sorts of 'salad' stuff I could try?

My absolute ideal would be a continuous leaf crop over winter when such things are ruinously expensive to buy.

[zaphod42]

Might work in a greenhouse:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/g...

[dickymint]

Definately worth getting some new potatoes in foe Xmas - Charlottes every time for me. Also still time to get some carrots going in large tubs. Pak-Choi will work well too.

[Simpo Two]

Sounds like one for Gardener's Question Time on R4!

[Stu R]

Chilis!

[anonymous-user]

Have you thought about a parafin greenhouse heater? my uncle haas one and growns toms and peppers right into the winter!

http://www.greenhousepeople.co.uk/accessories/heat...

[RichB]

Paraffin heaters produce too much condensation increasing the humidity of the greenhouse which is the last thing you want in the winter. Best (assuming you have power) is a thermostatically controlled electric fan heater. I use one of these by Parwin and they last for ever, mine is 15 years old may Dad's one is 35 and still going strong!
http://www.parwinheatersukltd.co.uk/heaters

[Mobile Chicane]

Hmmm...

Interesting thought about heating. The foundations and brickwork for the greenhouse date from Victorian times whereupon it would have been heated and used to grow all manner of exotics year-round.

I can't justify the cost of heating, however the thing has clearly been built with energy-efficiency in mind: the brickwork traps an amazing amount of warmth from a sunny day - enough to overwinter a grape vine and a fig tree quite happily.

I've been down to the garden centre and taken a punt on mizuno, winter lettuce, corn salad and cavallo nero seeds.

Will report back.

[mattman]

dickymint said:

Definately worth getting some new potatoes in foe Xmas - Charlottes every time for me. Also still time to get some carrots going in large tubs. Pak-Choi will work well too.

Hmm - interested in this - currently got peppers and cucumbers growing in the greenhouse - whats the latest date you could get away with planting potatoes to be ready for xmas?

Also - I seem to get the same results crop wise planting potatoes bought from the supermarket with tubers just starting as i do from seed potatoes - should there be any difference?

[dickymint]

mattman said:

dickymint said:

Definately worth getting some new potatoes in foe Xmas - Charlottes every time for me. Also still time to get some carrots going in large tubs. Pak-Choi will work well too.

Hmm - interested in this - currently got peppers and cucumbers growing in the greenhouse - whats the latest date you could get away with planting potatoes to be ready for xmas?

Also - I seem to get the same results crop wise planting potatoes bought from the supermarket with tubers just starting as i do from seed potatoes - should there be any difference?

Spuds - I've done them in tubs on the patio for 3 seasons now, moving them into the garage when the frosts arrive. You need to get them in at least 12 weeks before Xmas using first or second earlies. About 16 weeks I would say is the optimum.

We have a greenhouse now so should get even better results this year.

Seed potatoes are less likely to carry disease apparently and it's very difficult to get rid of this from your soil.

What the garden centres don't tell you is that you can cut your expensive seed potatoes into pieces to grow. As long as each piece has a shoot it will grow just as well. In fact I have read that in the USA that due to the logistics and costs of posting seed potatoes long distances - they post quite small slices (with an eye). Apparently you just let the slices dry out for a few days before planting.