growing in covered containers

hi, im pretty new to all of this. is it possible to grow all year round in containers outside if the containers have a cover like a mini greenhouse? id lke to grow simple things such as cut and come lettuce, herbs etc. thanks for your help.

 

Hi katljohnston and welcome!

It's not just protection from the elements you have to worry about. Light levels are so much less in the winter months which will prevent plants or veggies from thriving. You may get seeds to germinate but often they will succumb to wilt or moulds because they don't have the strenght of growth. Covering them exacerbates the problem because the damp conditions encourage moulds. The trick with most gardeners is to use protection to encourage and extend the natural growing seasons not reverse them. Even then they sometimes get it wrong!

You can use growlights to immitate longer daylight for exotics but they are expensive to run and it's much cheaper and less hassle just to use your local supermarket for ordinary supplies.

 

thanks frogesque,
i came across a polytunnel which was growing salad all winter. is it possible to create something similar on a much smaller scale?
also it is possible to grow salad, herbs etc on windowsills so creating a similar environment outside is possible?? maybe i need to add light. thanks for your help!

 

There are some things that will grow OK - after all you can grow mustard and cress on a piece of wet blotting paper.

What you have seen growing in poly tunnels is probably a winter lettuce. There's quite a few varieties and they might be suitable for cloche growing in a small garden. They are prone to attack by moulds though and commercially chemicals are used to control it and other pests. Bit of a bruhuha about residues in winter lettuce crops a couple of years ago and regulations have been tightened.

It would certainly be Ok to try some as an experiment and seeds are readily available. Valdor is nice hardy butterhead type.(Google Winter lettuce and use a UK search option)

What you will not be able to do is grow tomatoes for Christmas outside in an unheated poly greenhouse. It's not impossible to grow them as an exotic (ie. out of season) in a conservatory or glasshouse but you would need heat, lights and ventillation to succeed.

Some herbs will be Ok for all year round use. Rosemary (Hyssopus officinalis) is evergreen and hardy so can happily live outside, bay (Laurus nobilis) will be Ok proving you overwinter it in a cool frost free place that's got reasonable daylight and it's kept out of the wind and mint will grow indoors during winter although it may be a bit straggly under reduced light.

As I said though, nothing is impossible - it's just how much time and money you are prepared to spend on doing it.