Topic: Green House newbie.

[boldielocks]

Just got a new greenhouse. Its 6 by 4 feet. How many tomatoe plants should I being growing in a green house of this size. I also intend to to sow chillies, cucumber and chillies.

Thanks

[Tee Gee]

I would have thought no more than six plants total be it tomatoes cucumber or chillis.

What you have to remember is you have to get in as well.

This is a picture of an 8 x6 with tomatoes in and I can only get 16 plants in at the most.

[terrier]

That's a lot of plants in a 6x8, TeeGee. Do you not get problems with air circulation? I was always warned to leave more space between the plants.

[boldielocks]

Thanks for that Tee Gee

[Tee Gee]

Do you not get problems with air circulation?

Too many draughts in that greenhouse to get a build up of humidity ;D

In summer I remove two pieces of glass at either end of the greenhouse and replace them with fine alloy mesh, this with the overhead vent fully open all summer keeps it about right!

I was always warned to leave more space between the plants.

I find 15" apart is about right particularly when growing. as these ones are, by the ring culture method.

[terrier]

Do you not get problems with air circulation?

Too many draughts in that greenhouse to get a build up of humidity ;D

In summer I remove two pieces of glass at either end of the greenhouse and replace them with fine alloy mesh, this with the overhead vent fully open all summer keeps it about right!

I was always warned to leave more space between the plants.

I find 15" apart is about right particularly when growing. as these ones are, by the ring culture method.

Thanks TeeGee, I'm certainly going to try more ventilation this year and shading. I can't tell from your photo, but do you cut back the foliage on the tomato plants? Yours look more compact than mine. Some growers say cut off excess greenery and others say bad idea?

[Tee Gee]

I'm certainly going to try more ventilation this year and shading.

I have already discussed the ventilation and I don't use any shading!

but do you cut back the foliage on the tomato plants?

No this is my shading!

Yours look more compact than mine.

That could be a 'variety thing'!!

Or else your feeding programme I don't feed until the first truss sets. To do so only encourages more leaf growth in my opinion!

Some growers say cut off excess greenery and others say bad idea?

I am one of the 'bad' guys in this case ;) effectively to do this is to cut off the hand that feeds the fruit.

I only takes leaves off if they are diseased. Sometimes I will take the ones under the first truss off, but this is for air circulation purposes only.

[laurieuk]

Hi Tee Gee
Glad to see you also do not remove foliage from tomato plants. I have never understood why any leaves should be removed from any plant unless as you say they are infected .

[terrier]

Thanks for all the help TeeGee. It seems I'm doing pretty much the same as you with the toms, but last year my plants were quite badly sunburnt, so this year I'll try them closer together with more ventilation.

[Hyacinth]

Hello Boldilocks! (love your name 8) ;D)

My greatest joy, some 5yrs ago, was when I was given my 6x4 'house. The door is on one of the 6'lengths and the floor is slabbed.  I bought 8 of those storage containers 12"x15"x9" deep from Wilkos* - and they did them in pink 8) and these configure v. nicely and tidily around the glass walls. I grow 7 varieties of toms, mostly beefsteak,  in these using ring culture with freebie black bukkits ::) and one cucumber plant (Marketmore) goes  in the near l.h.corner to take advantage of the extra spread. I grow 2 Apache chillies in pots & they can be moved outside if the weather gets hot in the summer ;D + a long trough  planted with 3 chillies which get the same treatment. But even with a lousy summer there's still room to access everything.

* since buying them I see that the Pound shops also sell them.

Hope this helps,

Regards and have fun!

[thifasmom]

come on Mrs Bucket ;) piccy please :-*

[Hyacinth]

come on Mrs Bucket ;) piccy please :-*

Bit too high-tech for me :-[

I'm still growing with Percy Thrower & cooking his produce with Fanny & Jonny....all in Glorious B&W wireless of course ;D

[thifasmom]

come on Mrs Bucket ;) piccy please :-*

Bit too high-tech for me :-[

I'm still growing with Percy Thrower & cooking his produce with Fanny & Jonny....all in Glorious B&W wireless of course ;D

oh :'(