To
wrap up the first year of gardening in the greenroom – March 2013
to the present, May 2014 – I wanted to write up our greenhouse
growing successes and failures. This first year was highly
experimental, especially growing through what I’m calling the
“heart of winter,” and I think we learned some very interesting
things that will help guide next year’s plantings, both the timing
and the varieties. I’m more interested in “heart of winter”
greenhouse gardening than mere summer-season extension gardening
because this is all the fresh garden produce we get during the middle
of winter. Shoulder season (spring/fall) crops and using the
greenhouse to extend the summer season will be discussed in other
posts; this is all about what we tried, succeeded, and failed to grow
during the coldest and darkest months of the year.
Attempted
crops for the heart of winter greenhouse season included basil,
beets, Brussels sprouts, chard, cucumber, kale, lettuce, okra, peas,
peppers, radish, tomato, and a few herbs. The short version: we’re
going to become radish farmers! Much, much more detail is given
below.
“Heart
of Winter” Summary:
Successes:
Beets, Chard,
Coriander, Kale, Lettuce, Radish, Tomato
Semi-successes:
Basil, Broccoli,
Leeks, Hot Peppers
Failures:
Brussels
Sprouts, Cucumber, Okra, Parsley, Peas, Thyme
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