What's been most successful in your greenhouse/tunnel?

[Colin_M]

For the last few years we've tried and had only average results with:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Aubergines
- Melons

Can anyone advise other things that you find do well in your greenhouse/polytunnel?

Also do you follow any particular approaches? My greenhouse isn't that big & I've "whited" the upper glass & keep it well ventilated. However the temperature seems to regularly go over 30 C on sunny days. Maybe that's the cause of some of the failures above?


Colin

[Jenny Green]

The thing I find always does well in my greenhouse is peppers. I'm usually picking peppers from July to November. However, I found a good variety that I bought out in Spain (they're like huge chilli peppers in shape, but taste like bell peppers). Sometimes hitting on a good variety is the answer.
I wouldn't worry abo'ut the temperature going over 30 degrees - if well watered most greenhouse-grown vegetables will thrive on high temperatures. It may be that you're keeping it a little cool for some of them.
Also, different species enjoy different conditions. Melons and cucumbers enjoy a more humid atmosphere than peppers and tomatoes for example, so you may find that one thing thrives while another suffers, simply because you can't provide a variety of conditions.
So there could be a few reasons for your lack of success.
Aubergines are notoriously difficult anyway.

[Colin_M]

you may find that one thing thrives while another suffers, simply because you can't provide a variety of conditions.

Good point! I'd be happy to stick with sweet & chilli peppers, but that still leaved me plenty of room for other things. Any suggestions for things that like the same conditions as peppers?

Aubergines are notoriously difficult anyway.

Well that's useful to know. It's always been a bit of a struggle with them. I think it's time to stop!


Colin

[Jenny Green]

I think tomatoes and peppers and chilli peppers enjoy the same conditions, as do aubergines, but the latter need a long growing season and it's hard to give them the warmth they need in February!
I just looked up the variety of pepper I grow and it's called Cristal. As I said I got it in Spain, though so not sure if you can get it here. If you pm me your address I'll send you some seed from this year's crop if you want.

[Tigger]

Usually.......tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, peppers, melons, cucumbers. This year, the cucmbers and aubergines have been hopeless, the melons non-existent and the rest average.

We have had the best grapes though - I put 4 vines in 3 years ago to give shade in one of the tunnels and they've been excellent!

[Deb P]

My melons have finally given up the struggle in both my home greenhouse and little lottie one

They got to flowering stage, grew a few tiny fruit and promptly succumbed to mildew...

Not sure I will try again....

[Geoff]

Over wintered lettuce, Winter Density and All the Year Round, were my first crop, Primo Cabbage propagator sown on 21st January, Dok Elgon Cauliflowers propagator 19th February were next early successes. Best experiment was Cobra French Beans propagator 4th March then 3 plants per 12" square tub in heated greenhouse for a while but unfortunately I haven't recorded the date I moved them to the cold greenhouse where they gave us an excellent early crop, 2 meals a week for a while from 6 plants. Most greenhouse crops have been struggling but the Sweet Corn Northern Sweet is just starting to have darkening tassles on quite decent looking cobs.

[Essexboy]

As in my other posting, Tigerella tomatoes exellent, as with the chile peppers. Melons have been a disaster, all types, the cucumbers have been prolific but a lot smaller than usual.
The aubergines, after sulking for weeks have just started to bear fruit. I dont know if anyone has had a similar experience, but for the the last few years I have been sowing the mixed hot chile seeds from various suppliers, the round scotch bonnet type never seem to germinate?
Regards, Essexboy.

[mazmezroz]

I have lots of chillis, some good bell peppers, and the tomatoes have been OK. Cucumbers not good, and some small aubergines coming at last, but not optomistic that they will ever grow enough.

[helixdesign]

I've been really surprised at how well the sweet peppers have done in the greenhouse without much effort.

I find sweetcorn does well in the greenhouse. It takes up quite a lot of space so I tend to grow it in my inaccessible corners. This year I've got purple french beans climbing up the sweetcorn.

[Weed]

Last year I had a wonderful crop of sweet and chilli peppers, they were each grown in a separate tub resting on gravel
This year I planted direct into a greenhouse border and they just haven't developed at all....very disapointing.

The tomatoes have done very well although the plants don't look as good as usual they have cropped exceedingly well
Sungold, Gardeners Delight, Shirley and an old local variety called the Blaby tomato

[Colin_M]

Thank you to everyone for posting your results. It sounds as though many of you have been successful, but this year's weather hasn't helped.

I'm still not decided on what to try next year. Sweet peppers sound the most promising and maybe I'll put them in growbags, instead of pots on the staging.


My greenhouse is around 8' by 10'. However I guess those of you growing sweetcorn or green beans must have something bigger (or polytunnels?).


Colin

[FatB]

Tomatoes, peppers, yard long beans, melons, calabrese all OK, and Spring Onions have grown almost as big as leeks, never grown spring onions like them. I'm talking polytunnel, and I'm talking seep hose watering, on for a day or two every few days.
But we always seem to do well in the polytunnel.

[arthur e]

My Garlic and Winter onions were superb, got 50p per clove from my local veg in a box shop for my surplus.
My Asparagus which we are now sick of, it's still throwing up shoots even though I let it go to seed as instructed at the end of the Asparagus "season". I planted some in the garden at the same time as the tunnel 3years ago and it doesn't do very well at all.
I have got my first ever Mellon, about the size of a cricket ball, never been this far before and nearly gave up on them altogether.
Tomatoes are a good size (Shirley) but are a bit flavourless, Lack of sun I suppose.
Mini cucumber very prolific and goes down well at the shop, 35p each.
Trying Pac Choi for the first time and that grows fast but the earwigs seem to eat it as fast as it grows.
Sweetcorn as good as usual.
Nectarine was bountiful but again the earwigs liked them as well, I think I have found the answer to them though, it is a spray which I never looked at before because in big letters on the bottle it says ANT destroyer but in small letters it tells you its good for wiggys. gave it a go where some were collecting under a compost bag and it did a good job, got to find a way to get the critturs without getting it near my crops.
Disappointed with my Peppers, normally have a good crop but not this year.
Writing this with hailstones bouncing of the window so I think I can finally say goodbye to Summer
Arthur