Greenhouse growing - time for a change ?

Discussion in 'Greenhouse Growing' started by ricky101, Aug 14, 2022.

  1. ricky101

    ricky101 Total Gardener

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    Hi,

    For some years we have grown plants all year round in the greenhouse like Fuchsias and Streptocarpus which need a semi shaded environment , but even well shaded and with solar fans these two heatwaves have really taken there toll on quiet a few plants, mainly loss of the current flowers and buds etc.

    Although we are a good way north and in the lower Pennines wonder how folk in the South and East run their greenhouses in these ever increasing temperatures ?

    Do you think its worth continuing with such plants or should we be moving to more sun and heat tolerant plants like Cacti, Succulents and flowers like Begonias etc ? or simply leave the greenhouse to heat lovers like Toms during the summer months ?
     
  2. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    There is never much in my greenhouse in the summer apart from cacti and succulents, most of the half hardy stuff I grow does better outside in summer anyway.
    I've got two tomato plants, my early ones and will be getting rid of those next week, white fly have found them.

    In fact a some friends visited a while back and said, you seem to be growing outside, the kind of things I grow in my greenhouse.:smile:
    But my greenhouse is mostly a winter place for the tender stuff.
     
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    • Michael Hewett

      Michael Hewett Total Gardener

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      We don't know what next summer is going to be like yet so don't make any drastic changes.

      My late partner and I grew many Fuchsias and had nearly 200 varieties. We put them outside in the summer, in dappled shade.
      Most of them have died now but the ones I still have are either hardy ones in the ground all year, or tender ones which I put outside in the summer, as said. I've never kept them under glass in the summer, it gets too hot for that here.

      I also have many cacti and succulents which live in a perspex shelter (greenhouse coming soon) and also many house plants some of which live outside in the summer ... so you can grow anything you want. You haven't got to keep to one type of plant.

      Actually I grow tomatoes and cucumber and peppers in the same perspex shelter as the cacti and succulents, and they all grow quite happily side by side :smile:
       
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        Last edited: Aug 14, 2022
      • noisette47

        noisette47 Total Gardener

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        Tut! :biggrin: Don't you grow Marigolds with them? It really does work.....the one year they didn't self-sow in the tunnel, the toms were decimated by whitefly. Never see one otherwise...
         
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        • noisette47

          noisette47 Total Gardener

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          I'd steer clear of Begonias, ricky101, at least the tuberous ones. I planted some in my terrace pots this year and they've been a total disaster. The leaves burn up and the flowers too. I have a pretty fibrous-rooted double pink with purple leaves that seems to resist the sun and heat a bit better, but on the whole, they do better in shade.
           
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          • ricky101

            ricky101 Total Gardener

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            We used to be able to grow some really good Fuchsias all summer in the greenhouse but think you are right its just geting too hot and expect with that the Gall mites will not be too far behind !

            Often thought about a bench of Cacti and Succulents, be intertesting to hear /see how you go on with your dedicated new greenhouse.
            Have a pot of seedling Cacti, about 10-20mm tall, think they seem about ready to pick out, though of the 20 or so, looks like just 4 varieties.
             
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            • ricky101

              ricky101 Total Gardener

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              Ah, thought they were good at handling the heat ? We had a couple of tuberous ones in the greenhouse and they survived and held their flowers ok in the heat, but not the best of looking plants.
              Just that we like to go into the greenhouse and see a nice display during the summer as well,
              could try a few Cannas etc and create a jungle theme ! :biggrin:

              Are you still suffering with the heatwave ? thankfully is started to cool down here tonight.
               
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              • Michael Hewett

                Michael Hewett Total Gardener

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                @ricky101 if you're going to grow cacti remember they don't all like strong sunshine, many grow naturally in amongst grass and other shrubs which provide some shade. One of my most spiny ones has turned brown from scorching in this hot sunshine.

                Well done on growing them from seeds :smile:
                I've been growing them since I was a teenager in the 60's
                 
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                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  I think there is a difference between heat and hot sunshine.
                  Also humidity with heat is often easier on leafy plants rather than just dry heat.

                  I mostly gave up on fuchsias long ago, even outside they never seem to do well until autumn comes along.
                   
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                  • noisette47

                    noisette47 Total Gardener

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                    They don't like 40°C in the shade, that's for sure! Then there's the annoying habit of producing 1 double flower surrounded by 2 singles.....
                    When I work out how to send plants over to UK without nosy HMCE confiscating them, I'll happily send you some Canna rhizomes :biggrin:
                    It's slightly cooler here now we've had a storm. More forecast for next week, and temps of 25°C to 28°C which is positively chilly :roflol: We only had 5mm of rain, but what a difference it's made to the garden!
                     
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                    • JWK

                      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                      All my tender ornamentals go outside in the spring to make way for vegetables. I find things like chilli peppers and tomatoes are good to look at in their own way plus of course you can eat them. In my shaded greenhouse I grow french beans over the summer and in the two bigger ones I have the usual edible suspects: peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. I've tried Melons and Aubergines with little reward but it's fun to experiment. I would find it a bit boring just having the same thing all year. So over-winter I bring the tender plants into one greenhouse that gets insulated and heated, it's not an interesting place to visit in winter, it's just a store room and the plants tick over, some defoliate, all are a bit crammed. The bigger greenhouse is not heated and the borders are mostly planted with lettuce over winter plus a few of the hardier ornamentals brought from outside, such as carnations and alstromeria which flower sporadically. I've tried forcing early bulbs in there but it's a lot of faffing about to get say daffodils a couple of weeks earlier than outdoor grown ones.

                      In my greenhouses, this year's hot spell is not much different to other summers to be honest, any sunshine warms them up from March onwards to 30c plus very quickly. Shading and ventilation are necessary to stop plants being crisped, but that would go for anywhere in the UK or am I being naïve? The difference this year is that day time air temperatures have been higher than other years but we only saw that single day when it got to 40C, I usually record that temp in my greenhouse every year for a few odd days. This year, night time temperatures have been relatively lower compared to other years, usually in the summer we get nights of 20+c which are a problem for setting of tomato fruit, but it rarely lasts for a week.

                      I used to grow lots of fuschias and the big tuberous begonias, all went outside for the summer, I think we all go through phases of having plants we like then grow tired of. I wouldn't want to change anything because of a hot summer.

                      The Streptocarpus you gave me @ricky101 are currently indoors on a north facing window sill, they are doing really well there. Maybe you could have an outdoor shelter for yours over the summer months ? I should think fuschias would do equally well with a bit more light but sheltered from the wind and rain.
                       
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                      • ricky101

                        ricky101 Total Gardener

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                        Many thanks to you all for your interesting comments, think we will have to have a serious rethink of our greenhouse growing for next year.

                        @JWK afraid our greenhouse is a leanto against the back of the house and being a small garden little room to move it or have another greenhouse in a shadier place, though we do have three auto roof and base vents and plenty of external shading on it.
                        We also have a little heated enclosure within the greenhouse for growing phal orchids etc all year round so that does give a nice display even in winter.
                        Though the Streps do give a lovely display we had just about given up on keeping them as overwintering them has also been a bit of a trial, plenty of good size plants if you want them ?

                        Pic from just before both heatwaves -

                        IMG_20220622_101157309_HDR.jpg


                        Thanks for the offer, might take you up on it should we go down the jungle route :)


                        Yes, found that out a few weeks ago when the seedlings were turning brown, posted a pic at the time and @pete said to move them to somewhere shadier, as you can see they look a lot healthier now in that 90mm pot, seem ready to pot on to us ?

                        Will do some research on making a cactus bench etc, we can give it plenty of shading within the greenhouse, though like @JWK mentions, we have recorded temps of 44c this last week.

                        IMG_20220815_094032657_HDR.jpg
                         
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                        • pete

                          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                          If your cacti are going to be unheated through the winter Ricky, personally I'd not pot them on this late in the season.
                          They will over winter much better in that established pot will be less likely to rot off.
                          Then next April you can let them rip.:)

                          You will also find that as the plants get older the need for shading becomes less, mainly with the true desert cacti, but knowing your plants is something I'm sure you do, and a bit of research usually helps.
                           
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                            Last edited: Aug 15, 2022
                          • pete

                            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                            My Streptocarpus that you sent me are still doing well in total shade, I've propagated a few, but I've picked up some mealy bugs from somewhere and they are becoming a pain.
                             
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                            • ricky101

                              ricky101 Total Gardener

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                              Hi @pete,

                              Thanks, will do as you say and pot them on next year. :smile:

                              Had a bad infectation of MB on the Cacti on the houses windowcill, but the Streps always seemed to stay clear of most bugs, just had the odd greenfly which seemed to go onto those slender stems so were very easy to spot and deal with.

                              MB used to be a very common problem on Orchids, but find just giving them a wipe with a cotton Bud soaked in Meths soon clears them out, though never used Meths on Streps, might be worth testing on just one leaf first.
                               
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