Hello,

We have finally built our greenhouse and now need to start planting in
it. We would like to grow cucumbers both the "normal" type and a
gherkin type and also some courgettes and tomatoes, aubergines, etc.

I realise that we are a little late to do this from seed and that some
of you were doing this a couple of months ago but hopefully next year
we will be more organised. However, I can see on the back of seed
packets that some varieties can be sown in May, so hopefully all is
not lost, and I could always buy plants if it is too late for the
seeds.

I'm just wondering now that we have the option of raised beds or a
greenhouse, is it always preferable to use the greenhouse? Are
greenhouse varieties always more successful/prolific? Are greenhouse
ones less likely to succumb to problems such as blight?

I see some varieties of aubergine, cucumber, tomato can be grown in a
greenhouse or outside. I suppose at some point you run out of
greenhouse space, so what varieties do you grow outside and what do
you grow in your greenhouse?

All the outdoor cucumbers I have seen have male and female flowers
which you need to keep for pollination. From what I have read on the
internet, many greenhouse cucumbers are female only, however reading
the detailed description about the seeds, it says to remove the male
flowers. Does this mean that female cucumbers are not always just
female and sometimes have flowers of each sex? I thought female only
might save me some work but it sounds as if I would still have to
check the flowers, so there may not be any advantage over a mixed-sex
variety.

What varieties of cucumber, courgette, aubergine, tomato, etc do you
grow?

I'm in Staffordshire if that makes a difference.

Thanks,
Stephen.

On 02/05/2017 16:03, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

We have finally built our greenhouse and now need to start planting in
it. We would like to grow cucumbers both the "normal" type and a
gherkin type and also some courgettes and tomatoes, aubergines, etc.

Courgettes will easily grow outdoors in a normal UK summer. Don't waste
greenhouse space on them. I grow a couple on top of my year old compost
heap. The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

Peppers and chillis are also worth it in the greenhouse. Melons if you
are feeling brave and can pamper them enough to get a decent crop.

I have never had much luck with aubergines even when I lived in Belgium.
Everything else I have grown more or less successfully.

I tend to grow unusual tomato varieties not available in the shops (some
have tasted good and some like wet cardboard). Gardeners delight is easy
and reliable. Worst recent one was a newish nominally black variety
whose name escapes me. Looked bad when ripe and tasted worse.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 02/05/2017 16:03, Stephen wrote:
Hello,

We have finally built our greenhouse and now need to start planting in
it. We would like to grow cucumbers both the "normal" type and a
gherkin type and also some courgettes and tomatoes, aubergines, etc.

I realise that we are a little late to do this from seed and that some
of you were doing this a couple of months ago but hopefully next year
we will be more organised. However, I can see on the back of seed
packets that some varieties can be sown in May, so hopefully all is
not lost, and I could always buy plants if it is too late for the
seeds.

I'm just wondering now that we have the option of raised beds or a
greenhouse, is it always preferable to use the greenhouse? Are
greenhouse varieties always more successful/prolific? Are greenhouse
ones less likely to succumb to problems such as blight?

I see some varieties of aubergine, cucumber, tomato can be grown in a
greenhouse or outside. I suppose at some point you run out of
greenhouse space, so what varieties do you grow outside and what do
you grow in your greenhouse?

All the outdoor cucumbers I have seen have male and female flowers
which you need to keep for pollination. From what I have read on the
internet, many greenhouse cucumbers are female only, however reading
the detailed description about the seeds, it says to remove the male
flowers. Does this mean that female cucumbers are not always just
female and sometimes have flowers of each sex? I thought female only
might save me some work but it sounds as if I would still have to
check the flowers, so there may not be any advantage over a mixed-sex
variety.

What varieties of cucumber, courgette, aubergine, tomato, etc do you
grow?

I'm in Staffordshire if that makes a difference.

Thanks,
Stephen.

It's going to depend on the size of your greenhouse.

On Wed, 3 May 2017 10:49:28 +0100, David
wrote:

It's going to depend on the size of your greenhouse.

8x6

On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

My tomatoes were ruined by blight last year, that's why I am thinking
of going for greenhouse varieties this year. Or should I try a blight
resistant variety outdoors to free-up green house space. What do the
blight-resistant types taste like; it's no good them surviving blight
if they taste awful!

On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

Courgettes will easily grow outdoors in a normal UK summer. Don't waste
greenhouse space on them. I grow a couple on top of my year old compost
heap. The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

Thank you.

Do you recommend a particular variety of courgette?

What is the consensus about cucumbers: inside or outside? Mixed sex or
female?

On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

I have never had much luck with aubergines even when I lived in Belgium.
Everything else I have grown more or less successfully.

Oh. We'll see how things go then. I've bought the variety moneymaker.

On 05/05/2017 14:19, Stephen wrote:
On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

Courgettes will easily grow outdoors in a normal UK summer. Don't waste
greenhouse space on them. I grow a couple on top of my year old compost
heap. The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

Thank you.

Do you recommend a particular variety of courgette?

They are much of a muchness. I tend to grow bulky ones called Defender
and a yellow variety Parador something. Even with a just couple of
plants you will have to give them away or live entirely on courgettes!

You only have to miss one for a few days and it is a small marrow!

What is the consensus about cucumbers: inside or outside? Mixed sex or
female?

I reckon cucumbers need the extra warmth to do anything worthwhile and
aubergines even more so. Again they will produce more fruit than you can
sensibly eat (or none at all if they don't get going).

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 05/05/2017 14:34, Martin Brown wrote:
On 05/05/2017 14:19, Stephen wrote:
On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

Courgettes will easily grow outdoors in a normal UK summer. Don't waste
greenhouse space on them. I grow a couple on top of my year old compost
heap. The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

Thank you.

Do you recommend a particular variety of courgette?

They are much of a muchness. I tend to grow bulky ones called Defender
and a yellow variety Parador something. Even with a just couple of
plants you will have to give them away or live entirely on courgettes!

You only have to miss one for a few days and it is a small marrow!

What is the consensus about cucumbers: inside or outside? Mixed sex or
female?

I reckon cucumbers need the extra warmth to do anything worthwhile and
aubergines even more so. Again they will produce more fruit than you can
sensibly eat (or none at all if they don't get going).

You are only growing in a small greenhouse so don't try to grow
everything or they will be over crowded and all will suffer as a result.
It is not advised to grow cucumbers in with tomatoes as they require
more heat and higher humidity, though you can drop a polythene curtain
at the end of the greenhouse and grow a plant or 2 behind it.
Talking of cucumbers, don't get cought up with male and female flowers.
If the female is fertilized then she will become pregnant, the seeds
will start to develop and the fruit will develop what is called Bull
nosed and will become bitter. That's why the male flowers are removed
asap, you can always tell the female as she has an baby cucumber behind
the flower.
It you grow outdoor cucumbers then you don't bother deflowering.
There is a nice little round fruited courgette(Zucini) you might fine
worth growing, outside.
You could try a couple of peppers and a chilli in large pots 10inch+ and
move them outside in June for the summer and then move them back inside
in Sept to get a few more weeks growing.
Give your tomato plants at least 18 inches between plants.

"Stephen" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

Courgettes will easily grow outdoors in a normal UK summer. Don't waste
greenhouse space on them. I grow a couple on top of my year old compost
heap. The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

Thank you.

Do you recommend a particular variety of courgette?

Up here in the north of Scotland I have been growing the variety 'Defender' outside
for years with great success.

Phil



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On Fri, 05 May 2017 14:19:54 +0100, Stephen wrote:

On Wed, 3 May 2017 08:56:14 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

Courgettes will easily grow outdoors in a normal UK summer. Don't waste
greenhouse space on them. I grow a couple on top of my year old compost
heap. The others are properly tender although tomatoes will grow
outdoors in a good year they may get blight.

Thank you.

Do you recommend a particular variety of courgette?

What is the consensus about cucumbers: inside or outside? Mixed sex or
female?

Cucumber Burpless Tasty Green grows well outside and doesn't seem to have
the male/female problem.

Very tasty small cucumbers; eat a whole one not a few slices of a watery
indoor one.

Cheers


Dave R

--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

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