In the spring, the greenhouse serves as a growing area for your vegetables and flowers and in the summer it provides shelter for tomatoes, peppers, paprikas and cucumbers, among other things. But what do you do in the autumn and winter period? Leaving it empty is not an option, after all, you want your investment to yield the best possible return. We give you tips!
Give the tomatoes some more time
At the end of September and the beginning of October, you will still be harvesting tomatoes in abundance, but it is not over at the end of that month either. Leave the tomatoes hanging for a while, as long as it is not freezing in the greenhouse. With the help of a weak autumn sun, most fruits will still ripen. Harvest the last aubergines, peppers and paprikas at the same time and finally clear away the cucumber plants at the end of October. By then, most plants will have been affected by mildew and it is advisable to remove the fungus.
TIP
Never simply throw diseased and affected plants on the compost heap, put them in the organic waste bin or go straight to a container park in the neighbourhood.
Ready for winter
When the greenhouse is finally empty, it is better to apply a sturdy bubble wrap. You attach the wrap with clips, which easily hook into the profile and the construction of your greenhouse. Bubble wrap has the property of raising the temperature inside by a few degrees. It protects your winter crops so that you can continue to harvest without worries.
TIP
If the weatherman or woman predicts heavy frost, you can also use fleece or frost cloths to provide your plants with extra protection.
Plant now?
Many gardeners think that the vegetable garden will stop in the autumn, but in the greenhouse the harvesting pleasure simply continues. You can still plant early lettuce varieties in October, but also give lamb's lettuce, winter purslane and chervil a chance. It is too late to sow them yourself now, but you can still find planting material at various garden centres.
Overwintering exotic plants
If you want to use the greenhouse mainly as a frost-free place to overwinter your plants in the autumn and winter, it is advisable to wrap them in bubble wrap. Try to provide an electric fire in case of severe freezing temperatures, or opt for heating elements based on petrol. Wrap exotic potted plants in freezer or fleece cloths and – importantly – water them regularly.
About ensiling
During the summer, you can harvest vegetables and process them immediately. In the autumn and winter, that is a different story. Ensiling is the message. You can easily store potatoes, leeks, carrots, beets and cabbages for months in this way. You usually do this in a sheltered spot in the vegetable garden, but it can also be done in the greenhouse, where the conditions are usually slightly more favourable.
This is how you ensiling
- Make a hole of about 25 centimetres deep.
- Line the hole with chicken wire to keep pests like mice and rats out of your harvest.
- Fill it with straw and put the vegetables in it.
- Arrange the vegetables so that they are just barely touching each other to avoid diseases and mold. This will give you optimal air circulation.
- Seal it with straw and soil.