The nearness of Spring makes me motivated to get my glasshouse into production. I've almost missed the boat for the big winter clean-up but it's never too late.
The glasshouse is such an asset for getting seedlings underway, ready for spring plantings.
I've often grown early tomatoes, courgettes, capsicums and and cucumbers in my glasshouse too.
What are other greenhouse owners up to at the moment?
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Thank you Rana. He must have had good soil biology to get the tomato plants to decompose. I will do some more investigations about soils in glasshouses. Katherine
Hi Katherine,
I once did some 'home help' for a gentleman in his late 80's. He had a large greenhouse and the entire floor was soil. He said that he planted special Dutch greenhouse tomatoes(from seeds) in the same soil every year for 18 years. He never added any fertilizers ( I think he also said he never topped up with more soil). All he did was- slash the plants at the end of the season and left it to decompose.Every year,at some stage b4 planting more seeds, he treated the soil with the same anti- fungal agent(?copper sulfate).
He swore that his crops were always highly successful. Not something I would do but interesting all the same.
Katherine Lucas said:
Hi everyone, I think this will be a very helpful group. I haven't used my glass house all winter so it never got a watering. Of course the soil is dusty and barren. I plant in the soil in the glasshouse, not in contianers. I am thinking of digging it out and adding verimicast and some compost and then covering that with a layer of the old soil. What would anyone else do? Katherine
Hi everyone,
I think this will be a very helpful group. I haven't used my glass house all winter so it never got a watering. Of course the soil is dusty and barren. I plant in the soil in the glasshouse, not in contianers. I am thinking of digging it out and adding verimicast and some compost and then covering that with a layer of the old soil. What would anyone else do?
Katherine
Hi Sean
I've sown cougettes and cucumbers inSseptember.If it's warm enough in the glasshouse they will germinate.I've grown courgettes in big tubs in the glasshouse and had an early crop.The growth takes off once the days are warm enough but if you get them started early you have a bit of a head start. At least they'll be the same size as the plants you buy in the shops and if you start them from seed it's a lot cheaper.
Sean Kemball said:
My first year with a greenhouse so I'm making it up as I go along. I currently have several chillis overwintering there (although it has been down to single digits overnight so I don't know how they'll cope), plus a bunch of seedlings: some kale, lettuce, beetroot, spinach, mizuna, mibuna, pak choi, some black-eyed beans (just experimenting). Also my strawberries, coriander, cress, a curry plant, a sick gooseberry, and a bay tree (very small). This week I also put in my first set of tomato seeds of this season - some old favourites plus a variety I haven't grown before, meant to do well in bad or cold years, and some other things: pimentos, other chillis, cape gooseberry (a bit optimistic I know). basil, shallots, and some others I can't remember!
I need to build some more shelves though. Maybe tomorrow's job, along with filling a planter box with compost and planting out some dwarf bush beans.
How early can courgettes and cucumbers be started? I thought they needed consistent good temperatures overnight.
Progress with the clean-up.
I've swept the shelves, taken out all the old pots and junk and started scrubbing the shelves.
That's Simmy the Burmese. My cats love the glasshouse.
My first year with a greenhouse so I'm making it up as I go along. I currently have several chillis overwintering there (although it has been down to single digits overnight so I don't know how they'll cope), plus a bunch of seedlings: some kale, lettuce, beetroot, spinach, mizuna, mibuna, pak choi, some black-eyed beans (just experimenting). Also my strawberries, coriander, cress, a curry plant, a sick gooseberry, and a bay tree (very small). This week I also put in my first set of tomato seeds of this season - some old favourites plus a variety I haven't grown before, meant to do well in bad or cold years, and some other things: pimentos, other chillis, cape gooseberry (a bit optimistic I know). basil, shallots, and some others I can't remember!
I need to build some more shelves though. Maybe tomorrow's job, along with filling a planter box with compost and planting out some dwarf bush beans.
How early can courgettes and cucumbers be started? I thought they needed consistent good temperatures overnight.
Like you, needing to do the winter clean up. Not a big task, but other thongs are more urgent, such as clearing wood cut for firewood in a paddock that is need for our (12) sheep for feed, but they are due to lamb, so we need to remove the cut wood, and branches for the lambs safety.
Replies
I once did some 'home help' for a gentleman in his late 80's. He had a large greenhouse and the entire floor was soil. He said that he planted special Dutch greenhouse tomatoes(from seeds) in the same soil every year for 18 years. He never added any fertilizers ( I think he also said he never topped up with more soil). All he did was- slash the plants at the end of the season and left it to decompose.Every year,at some stage b4 planting more seeds, he treated the soil with the same anti- fungal agent(?copper sulfate).
He swore that his crops were always highly successful. Not something I would do but interesting all the same.
Katherine Lucas said:
I think this will be a very helpful group. I haven't used my glass house all winter so it never got a watering. Of course the soil is dusty and barren. I plant in the soil in the glasshouse, not in contianers. I am thinking of digging it out and adding verimicast and some compost and then covering that with a layer of the old soil. What would anyone else do?
Katherine
I've sown cougettes and cucumbers inSseptember.If it's warm enough in the glasshouse they will germinate.I've grown courgettes in big tubs in the glasshouse and had an early crop.The growth takes off once the days are warm enough but if you get them started early you have a bit of a head start. At least they'll be the same size as the plants you buy in the shops and if you start them from seed it's a lot cheaper.
Sean Kemball said:
Progress with the clean-up.I've swept the shelves, taken out all the old pots and junk and started scrubbing the shelves.
That's Simmy the Burmese. My cats love the glasshouse.
I need to build some more shelves though. Maybe tomorrow's job, along with filling a planter box with compost and planting out some dwarf bush beans.
How early can courgettes and cucumbers be started? I thought they needed consistent good temperatures overnight.