Using A Cold Greenhouse To Raise Fruit And Veg
Growing 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.
A heated greenhouse is great, but costs a great deal to fuel and also requires specialised ventilation systems to ensure a free flow of air and to ensure it does not everheat. A well situated cold greenhouse can provide a lot of sheler and aditional heat in early spring, allowing you to sow seed earlier and get your crops growing earlier. 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
Your main crops to grow will be the previously mentioned traditional cold greenhouse summer crops. Don’t forget that you can also grow high quality low cost fruit crops in the cold greenhouse. By growing tight against the walls or acroos the roof, most fruit crops take little space. Some, however, like grape vines may exclude light during summer. This should not be a problem, since during summer you are often shading the greenhouse to keep it cooler.
Because it is that much warmer inside the greenhouse than outside, it is possible to grow early vegetables in it, lettuce and radish come to mind. The cold greenhouse is also good for raising plants from seed, for planting out later. You need to bear in mind the earliest date at which the soil will be warm enough to plant out, before deciding to sow seed in the greenhouse. There is no point in sowing too early. You will only end up with leggy, soft plants which will be open to attack from pests and diseases.
The cold greenhouse is also great for growing many of the herbs from the mediteranean countries.These can be grown in pots so that when the weather is warm enough outside, you can put the pots by the kitchen door to provide for easy harvesting when you want to use them.
Many outdoor vegetables can be given an early start by raising small plants from seed in the greenhouse, and then planting out when large enough, and the weather is suitable. 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. That in itself makes the cool greenhouse a viable proposition.
Owning and using a cold greenhouse is so satisfying that once you have tried one, you will never want to be without it.
