How to Grow Winter Vegetables and Salads

Winter vegetables and salads 

Leafy winter salads give very good value for the space available in an unheated greenhouse, and this need not mean just lettuce - many chicories, endives, and oriental brassicas, for example, are hardier and less trouble to grow. They will provide you with leaves of different reds and greens, and mild and hot flavours, that you rarely find in the shops.

Sowing these crops in late summer will ensure that plants are established and harvesting can begin before winter sets in. Although at this time the greenhouse borders are often taken up with tomatoes and other summer crops, the problem can be overcome.

• Set aside a part of the border to be cleared in late summer. You can use this space for an early crop of courgettes or beans.
• Sow in pots or modules for transplanting when summer crops are cleared.
• Space late plantings closely and cut them earlier, before they are mature. Many will resprout.
• Sow seedling crops (see helpful tip below).

Although many vegetables will give an early harvest if sown under cover in autumn or early spring, most take up too much space to give worthwhile yields in a garden greenhouse. Radishes, spring onions, and carrots are useful exceptions, whilst mangetout peas, florence fennel, and spinach may be worth a try if you have room. Usually, no special preparation is needed for borders that have already been manured or composted for summer crops, but it is important to maintain the crop rotation.

Helpful tip:

Seedling crops

A quick way to produce a salad crop is to broadcast a patch of seed relatively thickly, and to cut the leaves when they are very young, generally 5— 7.5cm high. Crops that can be grown like this include cress, salad rape, spinach, lettuce, and salad rocket. You can also buy mixtures of seeds, or mix your own. Only small patches are needed, but the seed-bed must be fine and weed-free. The crop can be ready for cutting in as little as four weeks, even in late autumn or early spring. The seedlings will usually resprout, and can be cut several times.

Cut-and-come-again crops 

Many plants will resprout even if they are cut when more mature: for example, many chicories, endives, and loose-leaf or cutting lettuces. Often, plants cut in autumn will overwinter as not much more than a stump, but will produce a fresh crop of leaves in the spring.

How to Grow French Beans

French beans - Phaseolus vulgaris 

Varieties

Dwarf varieties crop earlier and over a shorter period, although climbing varieties give higher yields for a given space.

Sowing

Sow in deep trays or individual pots at a temperature of about 15°C, approximately four weeks before planting.

Planting

Plant out in the greenhouse border as soon as conditions are sufficiently frost-free — usually in late spring in an unheated house — up until mid-summer. Space climbing varieties 30cm apart, and dwarf varieties 20cm each way. The border should contain plenty of organic matter, but need not be very rich.

Growing

Grow tall varieties up canes or strings. Ensure that plants are kept moist and that ventilation and light are good.

Harvesting

Dwarf varieties produce the earliest crops from early to mid-summer; or from early to mid-autumn for early summer-sown crops. Climbing varieties take longer to crop but have a longer harvesting time. Pick regularly.

Pests, diseases,and disorders

Beans, when grown in a greenhouse, are particularly prone to red spider mite.

How to Grow Courgettes

Courgettes and squashes - Cucurbita spp.

Varieties

Fl hybrid courgette varieties usually begin cropping earlier and produce more fruit. Look out for varieties resistant to cucumber mosaic virus. Other summer squashes could also be grown, but look out for bush varieties — many other varieties will be too rampant.

Sowing

Sow in individual 8-9cm pots at a temperature of 18-21°C, approximately five weeks before planting out.

Planting

Plant in the greenhouse border as soon as conditions are frost-free — usually in lath spring The border should be well manured or composted. Allow 1sq m per plant. Keep with cucumbers in the crop rotation.

Harvesting

Harvest from early summer to mid-autumn, or until cleared to make way for autumn crops. Harvest regularly, or you will quickly end up with marrows! 

Pests, diseases, and disorders

The plants are generally vigorous enough to overcome most problems, although cucumber mosaic virus can ruin the crop. Powdery mildew may affect established plants in hot weather.

How to Grow Aubergines

How to Grow Aubergines - Solanum melongena 

Varieties

Both purple and white varieties are available. Early-to-mature purple varieties are the best for an unheated greenhouse.

Sowing, planting, and growing 

As for growing peppers, although aubergines are more difficult to grow successfully.

Harvesting

Late summer to early autumn.

Pests diseases disorders 

As for peppers, but they are particularly prone to red spider mite.