Growing Fruit And Veg In A Cold Greenhouse
Saturday, November 14th, 2009Growing vegetables in a cold greenhouse - particularly those vegetables traditionally grown in warmer climes such as peppers, chilli, tomatoes, melons and cucumbers is really easy. The shelter provided by the cold greenhouses provide a long enough (and warm enough) season to successfully grow and ripen these vegetables and fruits. Because of the freshness and the lack of chemicals used, your own produced fruit and veg always tastes that mucg better than those bought in the stores. You are also doing your bit for the environment by not consumung all those air miles in the purchase chain. Especially if you practice organic greenhouse gardening techniques.
The additional costs involved in heating and ventilating a heated greenhouse will often overshadow the advantages to be gained with a fully heated greenhouse, even though the gains in crops can be very good. A cold greenhouse, however, provided it is situated in the correct place will provide enough shelter and heat in the early spring to ensure you can give your seeds a flying start and give you crops earlier than otherwise available. It will also prolong the growing season by providing extra shelter from those cold winds in the autumn. Whats more, if you double (or even triple) insulate it during the winter you should be able to overwinter plants which are marginally frost tender. You will get much more enjoyment from your greenhouse gardening
What to Grow in a cool Greenhouse
I have already mentioned the traditional crops grown during the summer in the cool greenhouse. However you can also use the cool greenhouse to produce high quality inexpensive fruit. Most fruit occupies little space in the greenhouse if grown against the wall or the roof. Some, however, like grape vines may exclude light during summer. However, since you would normally be providing additional greenhouse shading suring the summer, this may not be such a great problem.
Because of the additional early heat created in the cold greenhouse it is possible to get a number of very early quick catch crops such as radish and lettuce. It is also excellant for starting and raising seeds. However, bear in mind that there is no point in raising seeds too early since the light levels and heat in the ground outside will make it impossible to plant them out to early. The result will be vulnerable soft leggy plants that will be slow to establish.
Many of the herbs are from mediteranean countries, and these will thrive in the cool greenhouse.If these are grown in large pots, they can be placed near the kitchen door, for easy harvesting during the summer, and then kept growing overwinter in the cold greenhouse. giving you fresh herbs through the winter.
Some vegetable plants do much better if raised indoors first before planting out into the garden. Leeks and Sweetcorn should both be grown in 3″ pots until their girth is the size of a pencil, then plant them out. You will save the task of thinning out in your vegetable beds, and will also vave no gaps due to poor germination.
Many flowering and foliage plants can be raised from seed in the cool greenhouse. Both bedding plants and indoor plants can be inexpensively produced this way. Store bought plants will cost you perhaps 100 times more. It is worth having a cold greenhouse just for this reason.
Owning and using a cold greenhouse is so satisfying that once you have tried one, you will never want to be without it.














