The amazing thing about greenhouses is that you can grow a wide variety of plants successfully, without having to worry about the harsh winter weather. Greenhouses are perfect for getting a headstart on fruit and vegetable growing in the winter season. Not sure what to plant? This guide should help you decide.
Tomatoes
The ideal tomatoes to grow in greenhouses are the cordon variety. These are trained to grow in an upright fashion, rather than the bush types that spread across the ground. The most important things when growing tomatoes is to keep them sufficiently warm and hydrated. Tomato plants also grow well when fed regularly with a potassium rich feed.
Nectarines and Peaches
Nectarines and Peaches thrive best in a cooler greenhouse, so you needn’t worry about heating it during the winter months. You should always select a variety suitable for greenhouse growing before you plants, however. Self-fertile ones are often the best choice because they don’t need pollinating. Ensure that there is plenty of compost around the root area to improve the growth of your trees.
Leafy Vegetables
If your greenhouse is kept warm, you will be able to grow leafy vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce and kale throughout the whole year. Leafy greens will thrive, provided they have a plentiful supply of sunlight. They don’t require pollinating, thus have the basic needs of moisture and moderate temperatures.
Peppers
You can grow many different pepper varieties in your greenhouse, including sweet and chilli peppers. They require a minimum temperature of 12C, so it’s important that you keep the greenhouse warm during the winter. You should keep peppers watered regularly in order that they flourish. You should allow chilli peppers ripen fully before harvesting, they’ll be red when mature enough to harvest. Sweet peppers will change colour from green to red, yellow or orange.
Cucumbers
It is possible to grow cucumbers outside, but the warmer environment of a greenhouse will make for better growth and earlier harvesting. You should provide support for the cucumber plants to keep them growing upright and water them frequently. However, you should ensure that they don’t become waterlogged; if cucumber plants are watered too little or too much they will not grow well. Cucumbers will be ready to harvest around 3 months are sowing and should be cut when they are between 15 to 20cm long and are still green.
Grapes
If you have a heated greenhouse, there is a wide range of different plant varieties for you to choose from. However, ‘Black Hamburgh’ or ‘Buckland Sweetwater’ types will grow in cooler conditions. Young grape plants will need training in order that they grow correctly, canes will do this sufficiently. Grape vines will require regular watering, (but it is vital that their soil does not become waterlogged otherwise the plants will become seriously damaged) and to bed fed with a good quality fertiliser. Grape plants can be susceptible to mildew, but with the right care is is easy to yield good bunches of home-grown grapes.
Do you have any tips on what to grow in the greenhouse? Let us know
[Photo Credit: azmichelle]
