What can i grow in a cold green house?

[Butterfly19]

We were given a green house a few weeks ago and would like to know what if anything we can grow in it over the winter months.
So far i've got strawberry plants and geranium cuttings,which i'm pleased have taken.
I would also like to know if and when i can grow potatoes un there in tubs.Thanks in advance.

[Two_Sheds]

Spuds ~ no, too late. They should've been planted by August (that's the only time I've managed to crop winter/Xmas spuds is from a summer planting. They are a tender, warmth-loving S.American plant. Xmas spuds are a Holy Grail, ie myth)

You can do cold-tolerant salad leaves of course, and I've just sown some more French Breakfast radish (which might not work as the days are getting shorter now)

[Butterfly19]

Spuds ~ no, too late. They should've been planted by August (that's the only time I've managed to crop winter/Xmas spuds is from a summer planting. They are a tender, warmth-loving S.American plant. Xmas spuds are a Holy Grail, ie myth)

You can do cold-tolerant salad leaves of course, and I've just sown some more French Breakfast radish (which might not work as the days are getting shorter now)

Thankyou for your reply.I guess i'm going to have to be patient and wait until the new year.

[donnakebab]

Yep. I'm with Two sheds again. Winter salads like Mizuna. Not sure your geranium cuttings will survive the winter though if they are the Mediterranean type I am thinking of. Might need a bit of warmth but depends on just how cold it gets I suppose. Worth a try.

[Snadger]

Garlic could still be planted in large pots, as could broad beans and japanese onions. The usage of the greenhouse in winter is something i've strived for for many a year.
It takes forward plannning well in advance........and a little bit of luck.
At present mine is quite full because I've just today harvested all the larger peppers and chucked the plants out. Still a few toms left, but not many.
On my shelves up a height I have late flowering apache peppers that may just ripen with the extra warmth up high.
My greenhouse is full of late flowering chrysanths,garlic, broadies,onions,grass leeks,grapevine,peach tree,passion fruit seedlings, small pepper plants,strung onions and shallots and soon would be a good time to sow annual flowers in pots.

[Rabidbun]

I've got winter lettuces in mine (most from plug plants a couple of weeks ago), some coriander and parsley that I am hoping will survive, and space to put the fig trees, sage pots and so forth.

There was going to be Mizuna, but the local cat of the day has put paid to that alas. Will get organised next year, I am hoping to get some chard established in summer and pop it in the greenhouse for winter as long as it lives.

If I've any space left I may pull in the broad bean seedlings in the pots currently outside.

[Two_Sheds]

Not sure your geranium cuttings will survive the winter

Tender pelargoniums? They won't. I'm bringing mine indoors onto a coolish lightish windowsill until spring

I am hoping to get some chard established in summer and pop it in the greenhouse for winter

Tough as old boots chard is, no need to bring it inside at all

[VirginVegGrower]

My pelargoniums are also inside now, along with everything else. Frost here tonight

[northepaul]

How about sweetpeas? Winter salad in a tray as a cut and come again?

[solway cropper]

Butterfly, if you can be patient you can get an early start to next season, especially if you can give a bit of warmth at night. This year I planted some spuds in containers in the greenhouse mid February and had my first meal from them on April 29th.

Apart from the salad leaves that others have mentioned you'll not get much to grow now so you could be planning what to grow under glass next year and where it's all going to go. You'll be surprised how small even a large greenhouse is when you really start to use it.

the recycled gardener

[vegnut]

You could try growing winter gem lettuces, they are designed for cold greenhouses, although you may be a little late for these as well

[Butterfly19]

Butterfly, if you can be patient you can get an early start to next season, especially if you can give a bit of warmth at night. This year I planted some spuds in containers in the greenhouse mid February and had my first meal from them on April 29th.

Apart from the salad leaves that others have mentioned you'll not get much to grow now so you could be planning what to grow under glass next year and where it's all going to go. You'll be surprised how small even a large greenhouse is when you really start to use it.

the recycled gardener

For years now we have only grown flowers in the garden,but i have talked OH into digging up the rockery and having it as a veg.patch.I did manage to grow 2 tomatoe plants which have given us loads of toms.I won't be growing too much as i know a lot would go to waste.Fortunatly we both live on salads in the good weather.

[Alison]

I have a smallish (6' square) greenhouse in the garden. Over winter it is mainly used for overwintering slightly tender stuff. In a mild winter geraniums will survive if kept dry but not the past couple of years. I have some flowering bits and pieces which don't like cold and wet, a bay tree in a pot, smallish olive etc. Not done it yet but quite a few herbs pots will be taken in there to keep them going better and although they would survive outside they spring into action earlier with protection. I've also got a couple of pots of spring bulbs in there to stop the squirrels digging them up and they'll be put outside when coming into bud.

At the plot I have a 10' by 20' polytunnel. Currently there are the last of the tomatoes, loads of spring brassicas (cabbage, caulis and some calabrese which worked really well last winter). They'll be out before I need the beds for summer stuff. I also have an autumn sowing of chard, pak choi and chinese cabbage which are doing well and will be far more productive than the ones outside. Have also some spinnach and winter spring onion seedings which won't do much over the winter but will give a nice early crop. Come spring I'll put potatoes in nice and early with a bit of protection if frost is predicted. Went on holiday when my winter lettuce seedlings were quite small and they died in the abnormally warm snap so won't have that this year but still not too bad. Oh yes, also have some winter peas and broad beans sown direct so the tunnel is as full now as in summer although less height to the plants