What to Grow in a Greenhouse in Spring
Once you have your greenhouse installed ready for the season ahead, the question then arises – What to Grow in a Greenhouse in Spring? In the UK the climate is variable, but generally Spring brings milder temperatures and longer and brighter daylight hours. When growing in a greenhouse you have the ideal opportunity to start early and extend the growing season for a variety of crops. It is possible to plant a full month earlier in a greenhouse than outside planting dates.
Leafy Greens
Lettuce, spinach, kale, swiss chard and rocket are all great for growing in a greenhouse and, as lots of garden creatures also like these green leaved vegetables they are considerably safer tucked under glass!
Brassicas
Cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage can be planted in the greenhouse during Spring, plant them outdoors when the weather warms up if you want to free up space for new crops.
Root Vegetables
Carrots, spring onions, radishes and beets all love a bit of sunshine so will do extra well in a greenhouse during Spring. Carrots, however prefer to be cool so transfer them outside for the hotter months. Radishes are easy to grow, need little space, and will be ready to harvest in around 4-6 weeks when planted from seed. Beets from seed to harvest will take around 8-10 weeks, and love plenty of sun, but will withstand some shade.
Herbs
Basil, coriander, mint, parsley, chives and thyme all thrive growing under glass. This means you will enjoy an extended growing season with freshly picked herbs to compliment your culinary creations.
Early Fruiting Plants
Tomatoes, bell peppers and strawberries will all grow well in the warmth of a greenhouse producing an abundance of sweet fruits. February is the best time to start chilli peppers in your greenhouse, they take a while to grow and a top tip is to start watering them with warm water so as not to shock them, gradually reducing the temperature of the water.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers can be started in late spring or, if you have heat in your greenhouse from February/March. They will take around 12 weeks to grow big enough to harvest.
Potatoes
First early potatoes can be planted from the end of February for harvesting from June. Buy seed potatoes from a garden centre. It’s best to chit your potatoes once you have bought them. Chitting is the simple process to encourage your potatoes to start sprouting before you plant them in your greenhouse. Place your seed poatoes with the blunt end facing up in an empty egg box or similar. Plant them in to soil when the shoots are 1-2cm, rub off the smaller shoots leaving 3 or 4 of the largest, strongest shoots. Each shoot will grow to be a large potato. Or, if you would prefer more potatoes but smaller then don’t rub off the excess shoots.
Garlic
Garlic can be planted during Spring, in fact it will do well all year round in a greenhouse, and is a tasty, healthy and versatile addition to many savoury dishes, with both its leaves and bulbs being edible. Save a clove from your harvested bulbs and you can restart the growing process.
Summer Bedding Plants
So far we have just covered vegetables, but when you ask What to Grow in a Greenhouse in Spring, you may also think of flowers as well. Now is a good time to start growing your summer bedding plug plants in your greenhouse. Get prepared for flourishing hanging baskets and pots of colour by making the most of the protection and warmth of growing under glass.
Always use a good quality soil that contains fertiliser and nutrients, or be sure to add them to the soil if it doesn’t already have them, your plants will show their appreciation. Spray mist water in to your greenhouse to create humidity if required, or consider a greenhouse with a mist irrigation system. If a cold spell hits, protect your plants with bubble wrap, and to increase the amount of light that hits them, cover some card with aluminium foil and place it behind the plants to reflect the sun.
So in conclusion, this blog gives you plenty of ideas for What to Grow in a Greenhouse in Spring. By following these tip and ideas you will make your greenhouse much more productive in the peak growing season. For more in-depth information, the RHS website provides more information on vegetable growing in the greenhouse.