A sunspace winter garden for lean times

OK, you sunspace owners, it’s time to make that multi-thousand dollar investment start paying for itself. You may have bought your mini-greenhouse as a luxury item, but these are leaner, tougher times. Why not consider growing a few vegetables under glass this winter? You’ll find that growing greenhouse veggies adds a whole new dimension of interest to your solarium.

If the idea of home-grown winter vegetables appeals to you, now is the time to get started. Shorter days mean longer crop times, at least for tomatoes and peppers. So order some seeds and buy in a bag of Pro-Mix or other peat based growing medium. You don’t actually need a greenhouse, a sunny south facing window will do for many crops.

If the idea of indoor vegetable gardening appeals to you, but the potential mess does not, consider growing all your plants as hanging baskets. These neat, self contained modules of plant life combine convenience with eye appeal. It’s a perfect time to dump that frosted fuchsia, wash out the pot and refill it with fresh potting medium. If you plan on growing leafy crops, make four to six holes an inch or so in diameter in the sides of the pot, to increase the growing surface several fold.

My favorite winter greenhouse vegetable are the chinese greens: Pak Choi, Tatsoi and Chinese cabbage. All three are quick growing, even in the short days of winter, and their heat requirements are minimal. Just keep the greenhouse above freezing at night and these plants, all members of the mustard family, will come right along. The sweetness and tanginess of their leaves in winter is a treat, indeed.

Mainers have a fondness for fresh cucumbers that borders on the passionate. Short vined cukes make excellent hanging basket subjects in the winter greenhouse. Most of the hybrid short vined types will set fruits without being pollinated, and the resulting fruits will be small seeded. Slicing and pickling cukes are now available as determinate growth varieties.

Tomatoes are day-neutral plants, meaning that the length of day doesn’t influence their production of blossoms and fruits. Bush cherry tomatoes will fill a 10-inch hanging basket splendidly, and give a prolonged yield of tasty fruits. It may take as much as three months to obtain your first picking, because of the low solar energy levels of winter.

Peppers are a tricky crop indoors or out. If you fancy those pricey yellow and red peppers in the supermarket, you should know that commercial growers (mostly in the Netherlands) to baby their plants for up to six months before picking the first fruit. Better to stick with a green pepper such as Johnny’s Northstar.

Lettuces of all types make super greenhouse plants in cold weather. They don’t need much heat and remain bitter free much longer than when grown outdoors. The trick is to keep successive plantings going, so that you don’t eat yourself out of business.

Spinach and radishes are two quick crops that enjoy the cool short days of autumn and winter. Pole beans and short and long vined pea varieties are two good options if you have the space. Zucchini and summer squash can be done, but you will definitely have to hand pollinate, as these plants produce pollen in male flowers and squash from female flowers.

Potatoes grown in pots are most appealing. They have lush, dark green foliage and pretty purple flowers. After a while, you will notice the pot begins to bulge, and eventually it may even split, revealing luscious new potatoes with skin so thin you can