Topic: Growing in a greenhouse border

[Garden Manager]

.. Is it worth doing?

For my first growing season with my greenhouse i decided to create a border inside and grow my tomatoes in it. However whilst the plants grew OK and cropped well enough, the plants did not seem to stay as healthy as those grown in pots, and were not as forward in ripening as i would have liked. There has also been the problem of weed growth and the general untidiness of the greenhouse as a result of having the border in the 'house.

It is possible the soil is not as good as it could be, and I could change it (as i would have to do eventualy anyway), but instead i have decided it would be better to stick to pots for my indoor tomatoes in future and instead of a border have a graveled area on which to stand the pots.

I am wondering what experiences others have had with greenhouse borders and if they have found them worthwhile.

[terrace max]

I guess a border is only ever going to be as good as its soil...I added 8 barrowloads of compost to mine this year and it still looks it would like more. Those tomatoes are hungry so and so's...

I think the big advantage is less watering, and less faff generally, once you've got the thing established. I guess plants will always prefer to stretch their roots down into open soil than be confined in pots/growbags. Which might mean fewer pest and disease issues...

Geometrically speaking, you can probably get a bigger yield from a fully utilised rectangle than from the same area covered with pots? I do lots of underplanting and interplanting to boost supplies...

The clincher for me is that soil and homemade compost is usually free - a good potting compost rarely is...
 

[Garden Manager]

This is the dilemma. Soil offers the advantage of freer root run, less watering, and its usualy free itself and be improved with home made compost.

When I grow in pots i find a mix of loam based and ordinary multipurpose better than a purely loam free for tomatoes. trouble is loam based compost (ie John Innes mixtures) is more expensive than loam free composts.

On the flip side growing in pots offers more flexibility and given a good compost (see above) can produce good results. Tomatoes in pots can be moved around  or removed easily once they go over and be replaced. As it happens i grow my outdoor plants in pots and this year with the benefit of a greenhouse have been able to extend the cropping by moving potted plants into the greenhouse to finish ripening.

[terrace max]

I have one possible solution: do both.

My border toms are still going strong, although pollinating insects are a bit thin on the ground now! (I let pak choi go to flower among the tomato plants and until the last few days the place was buzzing). But I have my peppers and lemon grass in pots which are now inside standing on the perimeter of the border...

I've got choy sum, mustard, various winter lettuces seedlings planted out in and amongst in the border area...I wouldn't want to miss out on my winter greenhouse border.

[Derek]

This has been my first year at growing stuff in a greenhouse border.
I have tomatoes growing in pots (in another greenhouse) and some in the border. The border grown plants are still green and producing whilst the pot plants are going over a bit now

Derek

[Delilah]

Same here Derek my potted toms finished ages ago while i,ve still got some in greenhouse border