Topic: Which of these in a 18 inch high coldframe?

[newbiemumof2]

Hi im a veg grower of 2 years and have stuck to the basics until now, my 8x6 greenhouse is always crammed with toms and peppers during the summer, however this year I have 6 strong healthy aubergine plants on the windowsill and I also wants to try a few melons.  My question is which of these will be ok in the coldframe in the summer, its completely made of glass so there will be good light levels all round but only about 18 inch high.  I know the tomaotes will have to stay in the greenhouse but im unsure whether the melons grown upwards or outwards, or if the aubergines would be ok in the coldframe also??

Replies greatfully receive, thanks for reading.

[BarriedaleNick]

Hi newbiemumof2 and welcome..

I think Aubergines will get too tall for that.  Melons are hard to grow at all but might do well in the cold frame if the temp keeps high as you can trail them on the ground

Im sure someone will have tried it and will be along in a mo..

[Unwashed]

Hi newbiemumof2, welcome to A4A.

Melons should be OK in the cold frame.  Depends on the variety, but the aubergine could get over 4' tall.  My experience if that aubergine attract whitefly really badly so you'll need to work out a strategy now before it's a problem.  I won't spray and the parasitic thingies take a better gardeners then me to care for, so I don't grow them.

[Stevens706]

I successfully grew melons in a cold frame 2 years ago, my advise id hand pollinate the flowers and stop the plant a couple of leaves past the fruit once it starts to form to restrict the size of the plant.

[antipodes]

I don't know where you are located but I grow aubergines outdoors here and they are in fact quite hardy. I wouldn't bother keeping them in a cold frame once the sunnier days begin and the plant is quite tall. Just plant in a sunny spot, with plenty of organic material, I usually plant mine out mid-May. They give several fruit each in August and September.
I am in southern Britanny but it doesn't get that warm here, and it is quite a rainy area, it's hardly Provence  ;)
A friend successfully grows melons outdoors but he does keep them fleeced all summer, except for the hottest days.

[jennym]

Agree about the height of the aubergines, and about trying melons in the 18" coldframe - good fun!
Don't know where you are in the Uk, I'm in north/west essex, and tomatoes grow well out doors if planted out from mid/end May. To be honest, if I had a glasshouse, I'd try a few aubergines on there  rather than all toms.

[newbiemumof2]

Ok thank you so much for your help. I'll put melons in coldframe, aubergines in greenhouse and hoist a few toms outside. Thanks very much for your replies.

[no-lottie]

Is there any way you can make the cold frame deeper, maybe using planks of timber or bricks, as it would make it more suited to other things too.