UK greenhouse gardening?
Question:I live in Sussex. I have moved house and want to make use of a small greenhouse to grow soft fruits - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries etc. Will these grow well in a greenhouse, and are there particular fruits that would be easy/successful for a beginner?
Answers:
I live in Sussex. Strawberries will do well outside if they are sheltered. Mine have done for a few years now. Every year i pull the old shoots and make sure the new runners get pegged in.
Blackberries grow wild at the back of my garden.
I would say you don't need a greenhouse but a coldframe would be usefull to get the early things like tomatoes going.
This year i have managed to germinate 5 watermelons. I am going to put them in growbags and let them trail.
At my daughters old nursery they had a vine growing outside and some plum trees too.
Biggest thing for me is the wind. It plays havoc with my sunflowers and tomatoes, despite them being staked.
This year i'm doing runner beans.
One tip is that many fruits prefer sandy loams over multi-purpose compost in my experience.
Most Sussex soil is quite heavy clay. Look after your soil and it will look after your fruits i always think.
I also live in Sussex. I have Strawberries, Raspberry, Gooseberry, Blueberry, Rhubarb plants all in containers on the patio and they do not require any greenhouse. Yes the plants will need a little cover for the winter, but that is move them towards the wall and maybe a net curtain cover just in case of frost.
If you are going to use the greenhouse, use it for early Feb - April for progating and bringing on seeds. Possibly use it for Tomato, Chillies and Peppers, but you should again have enough warmth and sun for them outside once June arrives.
Our Polyhouse just got too hot and killed a number of seedlings this April as it was so hot here.
Anyway Good Luck and enjoy the Sussex Enviroment.
Strawberry's in greenhouse will fruit about 4 weeks earlier than those outside, even if unheated. Raspberries and black berries will take up too much space. How about a peach tree if you want something a bit more exotic?
Go to www.bbc.co.uk. and click on gardening join the club and they will tell you all you need to know.
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