[TMAK]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for a bit of advice as usual !!!

My 9 X 7 greenhouse survived Ophelia and I am looking to put it back in full use as I am under using it at the minute. All I am using it for at the minute is to overwinter some cuttings taken last month. I am looking for suggestions of what I can grow in it over winter. I have some winter lettuce that I will be sowing this weekend.
I'm just looking for some more Ideas. I am not really looking to grow veg I would prefer to start some ornamentals for next year. Is it too late? I don't mind adding a little heat to keep it above freezing for a few weeks if needed

Thanks

Tommy

[kindredspirit]

You're still in October so I'd just go for it with ornamental cuttings.

[tagwex]

Take the opportunity to give it a good cleaning whilst it is bare. Gets rid of the spores and bacteria. If you don't you may have diseased produce next year.

[TMAK]

Cheers Kindredspirit and Tagwex
I gave it a good cleaning a couple of weeks ago so all set there.

What sort of cuttings are good to take this time of year?

Thanks

[tagwex]

Not my area Tommy. Can't advise you as I only grow veg.

[kindredspirit]

I took some Loquat and Drimys cuttings a couple of weeks ago, 50% are doing OK. The 50 have either wilted or gone brown.

[Sue Deacon]

Just experiment, you might be surprised at what will grow.

I always have loads of pea seeds left over - they do send so many in a pack! This year I tried sowing some in a large seed tray. I packed them in and just barely covered them with compost. Within a couple of weeks I had loads of really sweet pea shoots. They are lovely in salads and sweet enough to snack on. They don't need much heat, just a little shelter from the worst of the weather and if you cut them back they just keep producing shoots. It saves wasting seeds.

[Blowin]

You may know about this already, TMAK, but being further north than me you may experience frosts later on. To just keep the temperature above freezing you can stack plastic containers, filled with water, up the north wall of your greenhouse. They should be painted matt black (blackboard paint is ideal) and aluminium foil behind them will also help. It's said that, even when the sun's NOT out, there'll be enough heat coming in to warm the water a degree or two and the black paint makes the surface more heat absorbent to get the most from it. If you back it with foil, any heat that is escaping from the back will be reflected. With all the area of moderately warm water, it will give off just enough to stave off the frost until morning.

[tagwex]

Did you ever get around to building that greenhouse of your own Blowin with that system installed?

[Blowin]

No, T, I'd only get criticised by Management and, with only two of us, it couldn't really be justified economically. We're also heading back to the East Island as soon as we can, so that's an even better reason for stalling.

[tagwex]

Well i put mine up 4 years ago and I get great satisfaction out of it. I can spend hours in there sometimes and just lose myself.
East island???? The UK?

[Sue Deacon]

East Island Blowin? You're not leaving us?!

[Blowin]

Yep! Although I voted for Brexit as the best option for the UK, it could rebound on pensioners like us fairly drastically so self preservation suggests we head home. I can still keep an eye on you though!!!

[tagwex]

Will you have to buy a house or do you still have one there? I only ask as, and don't take this the wrong way, the thoughts of starting up a new garden again to at least match what you have built up over the years would be a daunting task at your time of life.

[Sue Deacon]

Oh NO! I do understand your fears, but we have decided NOTHING could be worse than having to move back to England, especially Stoke!

We have the double whammy - living right on the border and the incompetent buffoons at Stormont squabbling over flags and whose turn it is to rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic. Or to keep on topic - throwing stones in a greenhouse.