Why on earth would you grow carrots in your greenhouse? After all there’s seldom shortages in the shops, they’re usually on sale year round and are inexpensive. Well simply because carrots are crunchier and sweeter when home grown especially when pulled just before eating not stored for months. Then of course there are so many […]
Sweet corn’s not your commonest greenhouse crop but one that benefits hugely, and has imposing foliage. Now the sweetness is the essence of good sweet corn, and is continually reducing from the moment the cob’s picked. If you’ve grown your own you’ll know, cobs from shops or even roadside stalls are never ever as sweet. […]
With a warm glasshouse you can grow this succulent salad crop year round. Originally from India long ago this self seeding annual is now found wild, worldwide. Introduced to England in 1582 it was in Maine, in quantity, by 1605. And by 1819 it had spread across the entire Americas in such local abundance it […]
Surprisingly there are several tropical root-crop plants well suited to frost free or better warm glasshouses. Probably the best value are Colocasias as many of the same family are already valued glasshouse specimens. Sold in Ethnic shops and some supermarkets these are known as Cocoyams in Africa, Taro in the Far East, Dasheen or Eddoes […]
Some interesting and useful glasshouse plants can be grown without ever finding any seeds first. Although most plants grow from seed using these can give variable results. When we want exactly the same characteristics as the parent we use vegetative propagation. That is we grow on a small bit of the original and not a […]
Not often considered a worthy greenhouse subject the humble potato can actually be a rather rewarding crop. Really freshly dug new potatoes are delicious. Much better than those from out of store, or even those just dug a few days before. Well with a frost free greenhouse you can already be eating your own new […]
Often the most rewarding greenhouse will be one you’ve filled with plants you’ve grown from seed. It’s that personal connection, you’ve known them at each stage, rather like your own children. And if you have children little will give them such an appreciation of nature as growing plants from seeds in fruits they’ve eaten. There […]
I recently blogged how simple it is for you to use your greenhouse to force, that is bring on much earlier, crops than by growing these out of doors. Now as winter approaches we can also use our greenhouse to extend the productive life of other crops, and produce many for eating fresh throughout winter. Obviously […]
I’ve been asked which greenhouse plant is top of the GYO essential list, practical, productive, with the most outstanding nutritional value? Unfortunately this would be trays of kale and watercress. However also high in the ranking is a little grown relative of tomatoes that I featured here a decade ago. Still not widely known the […]
Your greenhouse can increase your GYO production in so many ways. Naturally one’s most often used for starting plants off earlier and in summer most greenhouses are filled with tender annual crops. Recently they’re becoming utilised for growing salads and other leafy crops almost year round. Of course the frost free greenhouse was actually effectively […]
Some may want to move from a purely ornamental greenhouse to also producing items for the table but worried this may result in the greenhouse not being ‘quite as pretty’. Well Citrus may be your answer. No other choice is so good looking the whole of the year, so neat, so reliable, and gives a […]
A greenhouse of foliage and flowering plants is easy to tend. Naturally you water, feed occasionally, maybe dead-head and sometimes propagate. It’s important to open and close ventilation unless you have an automatic set-up. And to keep watch for pests or diseases, and then take action. The care required is not huge however it increases […]
