Greetings all. I have just joined the group and I look forward to reading the boards and sharing in the discussion.
I am pretty much a newbie gardener. I took early retirement last year and I am now starting to enjoy my garden, having spent the last 3 months building walls and beds! I have now put up my first greenhouse and I plan to do the usual stuff with tomatoes etc next year. My question now is, what can I do with it this year? It is a 6'x6' and is in a position such that one side i partially shaded whilst the other side gets the sun for most of the day.
I hope to sow bedding plants for the garden in readiness for early planting next year but for now I would be happy for any tips. In fact, I would be happy for any tips at all to help me get the most out of the greenhouse.


Many thanks

Ian

Nothing to stop you growing tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers etc now.

--

Baal

I smile and go off waving
(Amiably) - for that's my way

http://www.helden.org.uk
"IanM" wrote in message
...

Greetings all. I have just joined the group and I look forward to
reading the boards and sharing in the discussion.
I am pretty much a newbie gardener. I took early retirement last year
and I am now starting to enjoy my garden, having spent the last 3
months building walls and beds! I have now put up my first greenhouse
and I plan to do the usual stuff with tomatoes etc next year. My
question now is, what can I do with it this year? It is a 6'x6' and is
in a position such that one side i partially shaded whilst the other
side gets the sun for most of the day.
I hope to sow bedding plants for the garden in readiness for early
planting next year but for now I would be happy for any tips. In fact,
I would be happy for any tips at all to help me get the most out of the
greenhouse.


Many thanks

Ian




--
IanM


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

HI Ian

IanM wrote:
Greetings all. I have just joined the group and I look forward to
reading the boards and sharing in the discussion.
I am pretty much a newbie gardener. I took early retirement last year
and I am now starting to enjoy my garden, having spent the last 3
months building walls and beds! I have now put up my first greenhouse
and I plan to do the usual stuff with tomatoes etc next year. My
question now is, what can I do with it this year? It is a 6'x6' and is
in a position such that one side i partially shaded whilst the other
side gets the sun for most of the day.
I hope to sow bedding plants for the garden in readiness for early
planting next year but for now I would be happy for any tips. In fact,
I would be happy for any tips at all to help me get the most out of the
greenhouse.


You're going to have fun !

First off - it's a small greenhouse - so don't overcrowd it. Go for a
few of everything, rather than trying to cram 20 tomatoes into it...

Probably best to buy small plants as it's a bit late this year for
raising some stuff from seed.

A small greenhouse can very quickly get too hot - you may need to apply
some shading (either paint-on stuff a bit like milk or green plastic
shade netting). Plants like it warm - but not too hot. Ventilation helps
- if you can open vents or the door and get a through draught then
that's good.

Tomato plants are still available - we like the little 'cherry' tomatoes
because you can get a crop quickly, and just pick a few ripe ones at at
time. If you're planting in the soil - dig a decent hole and put some
compost in first - then plant the tomato plants in the compost. Support
them with a piece of string tied to the roof of the greenhouse - simply
twine the string loosely round the plant's stem, and, as the plant
grows, keep twining.
Whatever type you buy - make sure you know when they're ripe (some toms
are ripe when red - others are ripe when yellow - and you can spend a
long time waiting for already-ripe yellow toms to turn red !)

Another quick & easy crop is salad leaves. Can be tricky to germinate as
we approach the high summer temperatures (it's peeing down with rain
here in the south-west of Ireland as I write this!) - but you can buy
small plants in modules and grow them on. Get a mixture of types, and
harvest a few leaves at a time from each plant - just enough for a
meal...

Try a cucumber - treat it much like the tomatoes - it'll need support as
it grows.

Courgettes are good - but you don;t need too many plants as they'll turn
your little greenhouse into a replica of the Amazon Jungle, given half a
chance. Either plant from seed or buy small plants.

With a small geenhouse - space will be the issue. Most packets of seeds
(looking ahead to bedding plants for next year) will have way too many
seeds for your needs. Consider some sort of seed-share deal with friends
/ neighbours / gardening clubs etc.

Get a book from the library.... there's lots to choose from - and be
prepared for lots of conflicting advice !

Most of all - enjoy - and be prepared for it to become addictive.
We started with an 8 x 4 greenhouse many years ago - now have a 7m x 16m
polytunnel - and there's still not enough room for everything !

Regards
Adrian - West Cork, Ireland




Many thanks

Ian

snip

You're going to have fun !


as Adrian says you will have fun and by this time next year you will be
wishing your greenhouse was twice the size. You will get lots of very good
advice on this group. A greenhouse is a lovely place to spend a few hours on
a wet/cold day, good luck

kate

Wet Gloucestershire

"Adrian" wrote in message
...

(sic)

Get a book from the library.... there's lots to choose from - and be
prepared for lots of conflicting advice !

Most of all - enjoy - and be prepared for it to become addictive.
We started with an 8 x 4 greenhouse many years ago - now have a 7m x 16m
polytunnel - and there's still not enough room for everything !

Regards
Adrian - West Cork, Ireland


I would go further and say buy a book (or 2) on Greenhouse gardening .
There are several on the market.
Be careful though,some do rather tend to concentrate on the construction
phase, which you have passed.
Please let us know your location as it helps people to advise you on
matters.
You would for instance be in line for some freebee tom plants were you
nearby to me.
I also started small and have gone rather large.
Unlike Adrian - I definitely have room for everything !

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

"IanM" wrote in message
...

Greetings all. I have just joined the group and I look forward to
reading the boards and sharing in the discussion.
I am pretty much a newbie gardener. I took early retirement last year
and I am now starting to enjoy my garden, having spent the last 3
months building walls and beds! I have now put up my first greenhouse
and I plan to do the usual stuff with tomatoes etc next year. My
question now is, what can I do with it this year? It is a 6'x6' and is
in a position such that one side i partially shaded whilst the other
side gets the sun for most of the day.
I hope to sow bedding plants for the garden in readiness for early
planting next year but for now I would be happy for any tips. In fact,
I would be happy for any tips at all to help me get the most out of the
greenhouse.


Many thanks

Ian




--
IanM

Worthwhile getting a bit of netting to put across the doorway to keep pets
at bay while the door is left open for ventilation in these cough hot
midsummer days. Get your growbags/troughs in and start enjoying. You have
plenty of time to get crops off tomato plants snow peas and peppers.
Derek

Wow, thanks for all the replies guys!
I know the greenhouse is small but to be honest the garden is only 30'x40' and also includes a large pond. It will do until I see where my interests lie. I am in Morecambe, Lancashire where it is currently pouring down
I like the thoughts on the leaves, I had not thought of just taking the odd leaf off lettuces etc although it makes perfect sense once you know!
My wife works part time in the Library service and she has already requested a couple of books.

I already have some tomato plants growing outside in a sheltered (and sunny) location and they are coming on very well. There a re a couple each of Gardeners Delight, Ailsa Craig and Tumbler and they all have sets on. I have started feeding them once a week. I don't know if I should move them into the greenhouse or whether to leave them where they are so I have room for more stuff in the greenhouse?

I have 1 opening vent in the middle of the roof and of course I can slide the door. I will see how I get on with that but thanks for the tips on shading etc. I have not invested in an automatic opener as yet as I am at home 90% of the time. Again, I will judge that as the year goes on.

Thanks again for your advice.

Ian

IanM wrote:
Greetings all. I have just joined the group and I look forward to
reading the boards and sharing in the discussion.
I am pretty much a newbie gardener. I took early retirement last year
and I am now starting to enjoy my garden, having spent the last 3
months building walls and beds! I have now put up my first greenhouse
and I plan to do the usual stuff with tomatoes etc next year. My
question now is, what can I do with it this year? It is a 6'x6' and is
in a position such that one side i partially shaded whilst the other
side gets the sun for most of the day.
I hope to sow bedding plants for the garden in readiness for early
planting next year but for now I would be happy for any tips. In fact,
I would be happy for any tips at all to help me get the most out of the
greenhouse.


Many thanks

Ian




Congratulations,Ian.
I suggest that you keep your garden organic. In this way
you will have produce as Mother Nature intended - natural;
otherwise you may as well buy the supermarket stuff.
In my active gardening days I used the Spring for
seeds and potting on cuttings,the summer for toms,
cucumbers,sweet and chilli peppers,herbs especially
parsley , and Autumn for chrysanths (the Queen of
the Autumn).I still have a plumbago in the corner,
my one luxury.
Enjoy your greenhouse.
Sam
p.s. Do what Prince Charles does - talk to them.
He's got my vote for that.

Sam wrote:
Hi Sam,
This interests me greatly. I am looking for a site to place a composter and the various sprays (garlic etc) are simple enough to make. Have ytou any tips in particular? I have heard people avoiding peat based composts whem gardening organically. I wonder how you feel about this as in truth it occurs naturally

Ian

I prefer large pots (I use 18Ltr ones) to grow bags for tomatoes you get a bigger root system that takes up the food better, also I sit them on plant trays and water from the bottom as they don't dry out so quickly when it's hot and it keeps the pesky ants from making nests in the pots.

Find some good recipes for green tomato chutney as well you'll need them in October. :-)

In article , Granity
writes

I prefer large pots (I use 18Ltr ones) to grow bags for tomatoes you
get a bigger root system that takes up the food better, also I sit them
on plant trays and water from the bottom


Up till now my 8 x 10 greenhouse has been choc a bloc with cuttings and
seeds etc. but I ma due to get a new Rhino one 8 x 14 in a few months so
I shall dip my toe in the greenhouse crop world! Never grown much in
side though i did try tomatoes one year but they weren't much better
than outside in the raised beds.
However i don't want to have to forgo shelving so i may use your idea of
large pots.

What size is an 18 litre pot if that's not a silly question?
Is that a 12" one?

Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Thanks for the message Granity My outside Toms are in pots. I have one beefsteak in the greenhouse now, planted in a growbag via a bottomless pot to enable me to feed it from the bottom. The outside toms are coming on really well too Nice tip on the ants though, that is not one I had heard of (makes note in book).

Janet, you lucky thing getting that big greenhouse! I wish I had room/money for a bigger one!

Ian

In article , IanM
writes
Janet, you lucky thing getting that big greenhouse! I wish I had
room/money for a bigger one!


Well the Alton one is getting so out of shape it was a case of saving my
life!!
I found that the Rhino ones give you miles more for your money as
standard so i can get a sizeable on for much less than say the Robinson
range of smaller ones!!

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Janet, think big black bucket and yes about 12" diameter

Hi Ian,
If you like spring onions then get your self a packet of Welsh Onion seeds. Plant then in little groups of 10. Do this fortnightly till you have 3 bumches coming. Heres the magic part, when the forst bunch is ready for harvesting dig up the whole bunch, rip it in half and put half back in the hole. They will regrow and bunch again. These onions will grow all the year round in a corner of the greenhouse and last forever. Hence the common name Everlasting onions. I replace 1 bunch completely every 3 years as they tend to run to seed about that time.

Tony