alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Wehave, (my wife has), a little greenhouse about 8' x 6'. It has one side open earth, the other side is wooden staging at half height, and a little paved path down the middle.

We used it for the first four years or so for tomatoes and then it had a grapevine in it which took over and precluded anything else, before dying last year.

This year I'd like to do a bit in there.

It's a bit of a mess, so what do I need to do to clean it out? Chemicals?

Secondly, when should I start with tomatoes? And should I change the soil, add extra compost etc etc? I'll probably buy plants, rather than seed, (?????), any varieties to look for? Or should I have like 6 plants, each a different variety?

Lastly, what else is interesting to grow, given that I'll be away for August, but can get a neighbour/the lads to look in on stuff, although I would like to taste whatever I grow?

TIA

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

After a few years you must change the soil, remove some, add new and lots of nutrients. Wait until about April onwards to plant toms. Cucumbers and melons and peppers are good to grow. I grow them every years in my GH and outside and always have big yields.

Chicken manure pellets are good to use in the soil.

I only ever grow my veg in big troughs with fresh compost. If you use the same soil you can end up draining it and you may also get unhealthy things in it you dont want.

I clean my GH with soapy water then i get a thing from B&Q that gives off smoke over night, this will kill any spores and stuff that you dont want such as mildew.

Clarebabes

Happens every year, I plant **** loads of tomato plants, then go on holiday the day before they are ready to harvest

I don't grow them in a green house tho, just outside. Last year my daughter had a loads of seeds in a kit, so planted 24 and got 24 plants.... I ended up having to throw loads away, so this year I will be getting some hanging basket ones.

I always grow carrots, the small variety in tubs, radish are excellent and very quick so you will have a crop every 2-3 weeks if you plant at the same intervals. My garden doesn't have a specific veg area, so I usually do pots on the back patio, but I might dig up a bit of the front garden this year, not sure tho if people will nick my produce

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

I plant carrots in troughs of compost but not in the greenhouse. All my fruit bushes are in the garden with all the veg.

Carrots are so easy to grow, my freezer is full of them. I still have leeks growing from last year. All my onions are now in the garage with the garlic. I couldnt imagine buying it from shops now

Clarebabes

Fancy doing leeks this year, are they difficult?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I hadn't thought of POTS of carrots and radishes, I have to say. More work then
I wish I had somewhere suitable for peas, I love them and they are damned expensive to buy in their pods. AND not very nice usually from the supermarkets.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Google it: it's a clat, but doable. Just time consuming apparently.

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

They take a long way to get started and need a long time to grow but i was eating last summers leeks before xmas and some are still growing now. Once they get about ***** size in girth you need to earth them up, that way you get more ususable white leek. They are easy to grow and need hardly any attention

I grow my carrots in long troughs in rows of 4. I usually have about 4 troughs on the go. I use the black troughs from Wilkinsons, they are about a foot deep and 3 foot long. You can get the long water trays there as well but watch out for carrot fly

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

Early Nantes carrots, Marketmore and Telegraph Cucumbers, Moneymaker and various toms all good and reliable.

Clarebabes

I did mange tout in a massive pot with sweet peas which looked lovely. Used canes for them to grow up and put them just outside the back door so I could grab a few when I was cooking dinner. They have to be one of the easiest things ever to grow!

Pots aren't more work, in fact, my M-I-L grows her tomatoes in pots inside her greenhouse.

Clarebabes

Whose ***** size do we use though?

ChrisB

I tried spring onions (from seed) last year and was chuffed with the results. Tom's outdoors were very good, better than other people I know who did them in a greenhouse.

I built-up my own automatic irrigation system as well - geektastic

Hozelock Garden Irrigation Systems

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

LOL at the irrigation system, automatic tomatoes. Now all I need is a variety that pulls out it's own sideshoots, harvests itself, washes itself and jumps onto my plate

I've been reading about toms in pots in the greenhouse, apparently less likely to pick up nasties from the soil.

Think I'll have a wander down the garden centre, see if they have any offers on big pots.

Can anyone say WHEN to start off, or plant out, tomatoes? I can find loads on GROWING them, but nowt on WHEN.

Coffin Dodger

If not I'll come round and **** on it for you

Coffin Dodger

Clarebabes

To start from seed, plant now, then once frost has past, (April-ish) put them in the green house I guess. Do you know about the 1 stem and 3 truss rule?

Clarebabes

BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides - Techniques - Growing tomatoes

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

The old debate

I have about 6 trusses on mine. ******* though, when you pinch the top out the side shoots spring out all over the place. One always to go unnoticed and grow into a new plant

Dedrater

You don't need to change the soil, you think farmers with hectors of land remove thousands of tons of earth every few years. The key is crop rotation.

The things I have found easy to grow are; Toms, peppers, peas, courgettes, aubergines, all of these were sowed last weekend in a propagator.

I planted, last weekend also, direct into the ground, parsnips, potatoes and onion sets.

Start of next month, broccoli, leeks, lettuce, beetroot, carrots and kale get sowed.

My front and back gardens in the summer are completely rammed with food

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

farmland is in the open, its a bit different when it is a confined plot in a small greenhouse. It is not open to the natural elements so is not best healthy after a few seasons. Plus,farmers rotate their crops, you cant really do that in a greenhouse

I have a raised veg area that has mesh caging to protect it from the pigeons and cabbage butterflies. I have so much i am giving it all away every day. I had red grapes for the first time last year so i am hoping to get tons this year. I grew swedes and onilons in my front garden but the caterpillers got the better of me. I have also got an acid bed for the fruit bushes and had loads of blueberrys and cranberrys. Great for a smoothie

Cant wait to get properly started this year.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I've grown them before, just can't remember when in the year to start them.
Also, no-one has commented about getting the g/h to rights yet?

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

Well its quite small so it could be anyone

Leslie

I was once told about a surgeon who produced outstanding tomatoes by feeding them with discarded human blood!

Les

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yeek

When I was very young, about four, I went out with my dad and helped him collect a jute sack full of sheep droppings. When we got home my dad tied it up at the top, and placed it in an old dustbin full of water. After two weeks he started using the water to feed his tomatoes, topping the old bin up with tapwater as necessary. It stank to high heaven, but the tomatoes WERE pretty good.

No one know owt about cleaning out greenhouses, then?

Clarebabes

Sara said, I haven't got a greenhouse, so no idea...

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Can't see what Sara said, sorry

I've googled a site with info, now, thanks.

Leslie

I have heard that growing the tomatoes in grow-bags with a hole in the top for each plant is as good as anything-and less hassle.

Les

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

Just been out to B&Q toget my little tin to defumigate the GH. Will light that tonight and its ready for use.

I am going to keep secret my GH washing methods as no one is interested

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

The plants arent very stable as the roots have no where to go but you can place a tom pot on top of a grow bag for deeper roots. Troughs for me.

shooter007

yes done that three plants to a bag then after wards just throw away or use in garden no problems with soil this way