Containers in winter

Hi guys,

Is there anything i can grow veg wise in containers in a conservatory this time of year or in winter??

it does get cold out there a bit still but wouldbe nice to grow something while waiting for spring next year

 

Welcome to the forum Lowrider.
You could certainly grow lettuce.
Tell us more about your conservatory and you might get other suggestions.

 

Hi Alice thanks for getting back to me

well i,ve never grown nowt before but always wanted to grow my own food of sorts so this is my 1st time growing anything this year,

i dont really have a garden for growing though i do have some sacks of spuds and stuff growing as we have a stone back garden,

i did have some cues growing in the conservatory along with some toms and peppers but now the cues have died off and the peppers and toms have all grown i wanted to just keep something on the go

i have put some photos below of what i have done up to now and so you can sort of see what it looks like out there in the conservatory, shame its not south facing as we tend to get the sun out the back in the morning and round the front of our house in the afternoon, but must say my cues did do really well and sort of took over my conservatory for a while it just never stopped growing and we got tons of cues :P

hope you like the pics and can get a better idea of what space i got

 

Very impressive!

 

Thanks SG

So is it just lettuce that will grow in winter then??

 

Hello Lowrider.
That's a good conservatory you have there and you've done very well with your plants in there.

The problem trying to grow in winter is not all about temperature but the lack of light. November through to January is the worst time. The light gets much better in February.

There are a few things you could try.
Pea shoots should do fine. I grow them in the cold frame over the winter.
Just plant the peas shoulder to shoulder in a pot and cover them 1/2 an inch. I soak the peas overnight first, they germinate faster.
When the shoots come up about 4" cut them for eating. They taste like fresh peas. You can eat them raw in salads or add to stir fries.
The peas will shoot about 3 times before giving in.

Chillies will germinate any month in the year. January can be a good time to start them when the light is getting better. Hungarian Hotwax is an easy one for a beginner and is very colourful.

January is also a good time to start ginger.
Look in the supermarket for a bit of ginger with a little growing point on it.
Plant it in a deep pot with the growing point just showing through the compost and keep it just damp.
It will take a year to get the ginger but you might want to try.

You could try some spring onions in a pot. They do allright in the coldframe for me.

It might still be too warm in the conservatory for lettuce and pak choi but you could try them when the weather cools down.

Don't know how they'll do over the winter but you could try a sprinkling of carrots in a pot.

And you can always get tomatoes and cucs started early next year.

See what other suggestions you get.