Topic: Big greenhouse space on offer

[Jeannine]

Hi, I have been asked if I want to use a big greenhouse on our gardens  to start anything that can be grown now to share plants .Any help with varieties this late?

Plus I may be able to do the same thing in the spring with warmer loving vegs.

Part of our commitment to the gardens is community work so this is ideal for me.

I would start seeds, pot on then they would be available for garden members.

The winter one is mine  for sureif I want it, the Spring one  is probably OK too.

I can grow stuff for sharing with the food bank in the winter one too rather than transplants.my choice..ideas??

XX Jeannine

[galina]

Great offer, Jeannine.

However, there are many questions before any suggestions can be made.  What is the actual size?  Can it be heated?  What zone and what latitude are you (winter cold and winter light levels question).  What are your frost dates?  Is it possible to rig up a smaller greenhouse inside, perhaps a pop-up or a large cloche.  Double protection cuts down on light levels, but increases warmth, if no heat is available.  Will you be growing pots on staging or plant into the greenhouse soil?  Growlamps?

You will have to balance the warmth and light because plants need both and that can be costly.  As a very rough and ready rule of thumb, a reasonably insulated greenhouse adds one month to the growing season at both ends in the colder US states and Canada.  

Eliot Coleman (Winter Harvest Handbook and other book titles) gives the best advice for North American growing.  There are a number of Eliot Coleman's Youtube clips on the subject too.

[Jeannine]

No heating, Zone 8b, first frost 15 th November, I could fleece inside or put a mnigreenhouse inside . about 10 x20 at a rough guess, and it is plexiglass. No growlamps. I know the poential for growing as I did it for years before going to the uk for a bit so I would just do what I have always done.

I have the books mentioned,also the Binda  one.I am OK for the spring but there is so littles left for this year for transplants..

I just can't come up with anything exciting to share this year.

XX Jeannine

[1066]

the only things that come to mind this late are the winter salads and the oriental greens. But when you say for potting on, is that for other people to pot on the plants in their plots or to continue to grow in the greenhouse?

Sounds like a lovely project though

1066  :)

[star]

Thats wonderful Jeannine, I cant think of anything at the mo either. But like you say, springtime will be  brilliant  :)

[Jeannine]

Well this year I can do what I like, but the idea is to share. So instead of going to the shop to buy transplants members could get a few from the greenhouse. I thought that might be good for the UK stuff they don't see much of next year and for some of my rare toms.

Folks wouldn't come and do their own stuff in there.

It is a way of me being able to pay back to the gardens as we all have to give 10 hours a year as volunteer work. and I will enjoy it too.

I think winter salads for the  food bank is best over the winter.

XX Jeannine

[galina]

I hadn't realised that it is so warm where you are over winter.  Most of Canada is so much colder than zone 8b.  That is a great start for a lot of overwinter gardening.  

It is hard to think of something that would need starting in the greenhouse, that could not be started outside at the moment.  Unless the ground outside is fully occupied.  Maybe a crop of kale seedlings, which garden members could transplant and leave over winter to give greens in spring, might still work.

In the greenhouse you should be able to mature early carrots.  Certainly lettuces, cress, rocket.  But also turnips (thinking soup kitchen),  kohlrabi, potatoes, chinese cabbage, the very fast type of broccoli.  Oriental brassica.  Endives.

It will really help in spring for an early start on tomatoes and squashes.

Thinking winter and Christmas time.  Are there any flowers that could be coaxed into developing early, so they would flower at Christmas?  I am not experienced with flowers, but there are bulbs in flowers in shops at Christmas: amaryllis, hyacinths etc.

It's a great offer.

[Jeannine]

I just remembered I have a few packets of strawberry seeds I think they need starting around about now.that might begood to share in the spring, I  think I have some asparagus and artichoke too for later.

[chriscross1966]

20x10 and you want to share?.... Next year I'll have a GH that size (picking up over the bank holiday) and hopefully the 14x6'6 poytunnel will survive to be moved to the allotment.... and having made an initial list for what I wanted to grow under cover I am having to trim it cos it won't all fit.....

chrisc

[Jeannine]

I don't understand the first part of your post about sharing

[chriscross1966]

I'm finding that I can probably uise all of the space myself... there wouldn't be any left for sharing :D

[Jeannine]

If you read the post, it is a sharing project, it is not for me XX Jeannine