The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: johnmac on December 31, 2010, 06:21:38 pm
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It's some way off I know... But trying to figure out what's going in the greenhouse this year... Year two with my new 8.5ft x 12.5ft greenhouse.
Everything bar the tomatoes went well last year... Lack of sunlight I think?!?
This year it'll be cucumbers, maybe two tomato plants
then I don't know. I fancy a seedless edible grape vine?? Any recommendations??? Or give it a wide berth?
Also fancy trying melon? Again any advice?
Other than that... Anything a bit different?
Cheers.
John.
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Hi John
I had great success with Melons last year and will def be doing them again, I have 3 greenhouses, 2 are positioned in full sun and one is under the trees so it gets early year sunshine (when we have some) and is cooler during the hotest months. The melons were grown in one of the full sun houses along with cucumbers and the tomato were grown in the other one with peppers and interplanted with lettuces. The greenhouse under the trees I use to raise all the seedlings before potting them on, then I use it to raise fast batches of salad leaves etc. I also accidently planted some melons outside with other squash plants and they did well too, maybe it was just a good year for them!! Tomato and cucumbers like different levels of humidity so bear that in mind when you are planning, I know some people that have sectioned off the greenhouse with a sheet of plastic in the middle to get the different humidity levels they need.
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John hi, If you have a sunny wall you can grow grapes outside, that leave some space for something else! If you want i could give you a cutting off our vines that do well here in the arctic, LOL
Emma T
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Thanks for the advice... Am I correct in thinking that a melon plant foliage is pretty massive?!?
And pikililly... Thanks for your advice and offer of a cutting! Are you grapes edible.. And tasty?!?
If that's a yes I may take you up on the offer. Also, how's my cockeral coming on?!?
I have plenty of trout for swapsies!
:-)
hope you are well!
John
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Hey John, Yes they are edible and tasty. some years we have had better than others1 the vines are relatively young still and we are still learning how to get the best from them. eggs going into incubator very soon....So Mr Green #2 is a wee twinkly at the moment!!!
Trouts swapsies!!
yum yum
ET x
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peppers and chillies! And another try with Cape gooseberries, they got whitefly last year and flowered in October ::) :&>
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butternut squash, the plants get quite big so I don't grow them in my little greehouse and they never 'do' outside.
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Do a whole summer spread. Pole beans, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are all good candidates as you can train them upward to grow vertically and capitalize on what little space you have. You said your tomatoes didn't do well last season.. maybe try an early variety for cold-tolerance, and give them the spot nearest the south-facing wall. Melons can be trellised as well, though weight can be an issue. There is farmer near us who supports his fruit with old braziers hung from the trellising stakes! I've had personal experience growing them on the ground outdoors but the space requirement is huge.. maybe try sweet corn instead (thinking vertically).
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Hello,
I find melons a real space invader. It's best (for me) to hack the plant back when two fruit have formed and concentrate on them rather than lose all the ground to these greedy thirsty triffids. Cayenne peppers are good if you like spicy and are a nice small bush, so are aubergines. Peppers and aubergines have to be started early indoors on a window sill to give them a good start; the same as tomatoes. Unless you have heating in your greenhouse. One note on grapes, they are usually grafted on a root stock so I'm not sure a cutting would give good results. You would also have to have the vine planted outside. Then train the stem inside. The roots of a grapevine aren't something you want in your greenhouse.
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Just to germinate seed and to do cuttings of what ever you want to replicate in your garden. I am setting one up at present but a home made job. I want to increase some of the plants I have in the garden to a border setting to block out some of the wind and a green house will speed up the roots taking on the cuttings. Seeds germinate quickly as well and then you can harden them off by opening part of the green house and then transfer them outside. Same as the cuttings once you see green shoots on them they are away.
Most vegies can be grown in a green house you just have to open them up during the day to allow fresh air to come in a stale air to leave the house. :wave: