Topic: Late sowings under glass

[GodfreyRob]

Whats the latest anyone has sown stuff to grow/harvets through the winter?
 I am sure it will vary a lot with where you live and if you care/dare to heat your greenhouse. I sowed Rocket,Mizuma,Pak Choy,Dim Sum, Swiss Chard and Yikuma on 15th September and all are doing well and there is more than we can eat already. Have had the heater (electric fan) on for the last few cold nights.
Would be good to know how late things could be sown and other peoples experience as it always seems a waste to have the greenhouse empty over winter.

[tim]

21/9 was my last date for salads outdoors.

[Barnowl]

Can't beat that Tim, but the week before that I sowed Merveille de Quatre Saisons and Bronze Arrow winter lettuces in the seed bed, which has an enviromesh cover. Planted half out under open ended cloches 4 weeks later (pigeons). Rest staying in the seedbed.

[saddad]

Two of my favourite winter lettuce there Barnowl... have you tried Stoke or Loos Tennis Ball ? Both from HDRA heritage seed library... both grown successfully in an unheated greenhouse over winter..
 ;D

[Barnowl]

I've only had the GH two winters and always closed down. It's only a small one but that sounds a good idea.

How do you start them off and what do you plant them in?

Oops OH called - time to leave work and go drinking. Have a good w.e. :)

[supersprout]

this is the first winter I've had the luxury of a g'house. Will sow stumpy carrot, lettuce, spinach and beet in modules and see what happens ;)
Might try transplanting into pots in the g'house, would expect to get baby carrot/beet and salad greens.

also pea sprouts in trays.

last winter lettuce (Winter Density and Marvel of 4 seasons) went out on Tuesday from modules, under fleece :)

[Merry Tiller]

Will be sowing sugar snap peas, lambs lettuce & mizuna in the polytunnel tomorrow

[calendula]

I sowed spinach, mizuna, indian mustard, mustards, last weekend in the greenhouse and they are just coming through today - I laid a soft fleece over the pots and trays etc during that colder spell  :)

[GodfreyRob]

Seems like  there is a lot of potential out there for growing stuff through the winter. I have set up a webpage to record late sowings: http://www.thevga.co.uk/new/research/resindex.cgi please feel free to add your info for all to share.
Inspired by others I will try another set of sowings this week. By the way, I used an organic peat free compost (Harvest Gold) in big seedtrays - I thought the plants would grow a lot slower than they have, so I will have to start feeding them soon!

[GodfreyRob]

Jim
It does have a thermostat but its quite old now (used to be great) and I am not convinced it turns itself off - it always seems to be on when I walk past it! (Its made by Jemp and has a 'Frost Guard' setting that is meant to just keep the air temp above freezing)
So I only turn it on after dark and off as soon as I get up. The GH is not insulated at all (shame on me) but its an intention to do that at some time.....

[wardeda]

This is my first year of serious growing, and after a successful season on some newly dug beds in the garden, in mid October I sowed Florence Fennel, Pak Choi, Cut and come again spinach and lettuce, Coriander, Parsley, and flat leaf parsley, in the greenhouse, using plastic window box troughs,

They all germinated and started at a great rate, but as the weather cooled they slowed down and some of the spinach and lettuce began to damp off. The greenhouse is only in direct sun for the first couple of hours of the morning. The compost in the troughs never seems to dry out, and little areas of mould have appeared on the compost in places where slug pellets were applied. I think it is unlikely that I will get a good crop without applying some heat, and I'm too mean for that, but I'm not too proud to take advise. Does anyone out there know the magic cure??

[GodfreyRob]

This time of year lack of sunlight and cold wet soil (are the troughs well drained?) and lack of ventilation (as its too cold to open windows) are going to give any crop a hard time.   A fan heater ciculates dry/warm air which combats 2 of the problems and its not that expensive to run if used carefully. If you look at the price of Pak Choy, etc this time of year you should recoup the cost. The sunlight is a different matter but you could surround the plants with light reflecting materials to help?
 

[wardeda]

Thanks,

The troughs were drilled, and crocks were placed over holes to help drainage. I have considered heating but even with the best results I don't think it would be viable

I think that I will have to accept that the greenhouse position is just not good for late season growing.

[saddad]

Re site it? Too good a resource to waste... I've had a 6'x8' Eden in the Garden for twelve years but the trees next door have grown up and give too much shade for winter... It's off up the Allotment, but not today as there are gales forecast!
 ;D