If you’re emptying your greenhouse or polytunnel of summer crops, then now is a great time to fill it again with veggies to keep you going over winter. You could plant any of our autumn plants in your greenhouse, but if you’re limited on space, then these are the ones we’d suggest giving first dibs:
Pak Choi & Tatsoi
A good reason to plant these in a greenhouse or polytunnel is that they are very popular with slugs, and it can be easier to keep slug numbers down in the greenhouse environment – the soil is not quite so damp all the time etc. Both tatsoi and pak choi can be used as cut and come again, making them a useful addition to the winter greenhouse for a supply of greens through till spring.
Beetroot
If you have a greenhouse or polytunnel, you can grow beetroot over the autumn. You can harvest the larger leaves to use as chard while the roots are growing, and should be able to pull them up in early spring, if not sooner depending on how much warmth and sunshine we get over the next few weeks..
Cabbage Greens
These do brilliantly in a greenhouse, and they don’t take a huge amount of space either so you can pack them in. A really great idea is to plant half your plugs in the greenhouse, and half outside to stagger your crop when it comes to harvesting.
Radishes
Quick growing, radish plants can easily be popped in between other veg plants in the greenhouse, and harvested within a few weeks. They’ll do well for the extra warmth which keeps them growing fast.
Carrots
Whilst it is getting a little late in the year for growing carrots outside, you could quite happily plant them in a greenhouse or polytunnel where the warmth will have them growing a little quicker. If you’re lucky, they may be ready to harvest around Christmas time.