If you’d like to find something a little more exciting when you open the greenhouse door, these unusual crops will appreciate the extra heat.

Melons

Difficult to grow outside, melons enjoy the heat and humidity of the greenhouse. They are grown in the same way as cucumbers, trailing or climbing up nets, and are best planted on a mound, as they don’t like getting their stems wet.

You’ll need to prune them to encourage a good crop of fruit. Start by pinching out the growing tip to make the plant bushy, then restrict the plant to four lateral stems and pinch out their growing tips when they have six leaves. Plants fruit on sub-laterals formed on these lateral stems. You’ll also need to feed your plants and keep them very well watered once they start to flower and fruit.

Naranjilla

 
Naranjilla, also known as the apricot tomato, is a cousin of tomatoes. Originating from South America, Naranjilla fruit are orange (naranjilla means “little orange” in Spanish) and the size of a small tomato. They are covered with short brittle hairs that repel insects and are easily removed by rubbing. Naranjilla are finicky plants. They don’t tolerate frost and don’t like really hot temperatures.

Therefore, best bet is to start them early in a pot in your home or a greenhouse. Once the weather is warm enough, set out the seedlings six to eight feet apart, preferably in well-composted soil in an area with some shade. With generous watering, the plants will grow into a spreading shrub up to eight feet tall. A healthy plant yields up to 150 fruit per year. Once ripe, the fruits are about two inches in diameter, with a greenish pulp.

Their taste has been described as a mix between tomatoes, apricots, and pineapple. Although occasionally eaten raw, traditionally the fruits have been used to make a refreshing summer drink or even fermented into wine.


Chili Peppers

Chili peppers make a great greenhouse crop, enjoying the extra light and heat. They’re treated in much the same way as tomatoes,  you`ll be able to buy plants at your local garden centre and there’s a large range of varieties available mail order.

Peppers need to be given a feed every week once they start to flower and form fruits. And like tomatoes, they need to be kept consistently damp to perform at their best. The ‘heat’ of a chilli depends on a number of factors, including the variety you choose and the weather – so in the event that we have a long, hot summer, handle with caution!
Most peppers grown in NZ are Capsicum annum species, but if you can take the heat and don’t mind a bit of hunting around you can often find seeds and plants for some of the less well-known species, including Rocotos (or Lotocos).

Don`t have a greenhouse yet? Check out our greenhouse range on our website to get you growing! www.wintergardenz.com.au.

Using organic soil in a greenhouse is a wonderful way to produce organic vegetables for your home. Organic soil uses only those ingredients that are found in nature. This produces vegetables that are healthy and free of any chemicals that many people are trying to avoid.


What Makes Soil Organic?

The use of organic soils in the greenhouse isn’t enough to make your vegetables organic. You have to take care that everything you put in or on your soil is likewise organic in nature. If you use non-organic fertilizer, the chemicals in it will mix into your soil and ruin the organic composition.

Methods used to control bug populations must also be organic in nature. Especially chemicals that are sprayed onto the plants to promote growth, kill weeds, or dissuade insects will be absorbed by the plant. Chemicals that are absorbed by the plant will be passed onto the vegetables they produce. This will result in a failure to produce true organic vegetables. When you grow plants in your organic soil, those plants thrive by pulling the nutrients they need from your soil.


Keeping the Soil Full of Nutrients

In order to keep the soil in your greenhouse full of nutrients, you will need to treat it frequently. The health of your plants depends on having nutrient-rich soil available to them at all times. To replace the nutrients in your soil, you should spread fresh compost on the soil surface every couple of weeks. Making soil compost for your greenhouse is easily done by yourself, and will save you a lot of money instead of buying it. To make your own compost pile, you will need to build a small box in a sunny area of your garden that is at least three square feet .

Composting material can be found in anything from garden clippings to fallen leaves or branches. The balance between types of materials is important and will determine the type of soil you ultimately create. For more information on this, recipes for your compost piles can be found online. Make sure to turn the contents of the compost pile every two weeks if your pile is in your garden. If you are making soil in a composting device, the process is greatly sped up and in that case turning should be done once a day. You should also learn about what should not be composted and why you should compost.

Feeding Your Greenhouse Residents

One of the best ways to keep your plants well fed is to keep nutrients in the soil by composting. If you feel that your plants need an extra boost, you still have multiple organic options available to you. You can find organic plant food to feed your plants. These mixes are often found in stores, and many can be attached to a garden hose to make distributing them easier.

If you would like to create your own plant food, there are many ingredients available. Common ingredients that can be spread liberally over the soil include: cottonseed, worm castings, peat, seaweed, fish meal, and manure.
However, make sure that the food you feed to your greenhouse plants is completely organic. If you are buying the ingredients to mix or add straight, look over the ingredient list to check that nothing except the ingredient is included in the package.

 
Organic Situation Control

Like with anything else in your organic greenhouse, the choices you make regarding weed control will affect the overall organic nature of your garden. The best method to control weeds without chemicals is to pull them by hand. Also make sure to keep the soil in between plants loose and turned frequently and to control any pests that may get into your greenhouse make sure that any sprays you purchase are organic.

For other pests and plant diseases you could even introduce predators like spiders into your greenhouse. These predators will take care of all the pests for you without the use of harmful chemicals.

These methods will leave your greenhouse garden soil in its original organic state and still keep your plants healthy. www.wintergardenz.com.au.

 

While most people know that a greenhouse is used to grow plants, many don`t understand the benefits that come with the use of greenhouses. Whether you practice gardening as a hobby and you need to plant for domestic consumption, or plan to have a big garden, a greenhouse will maximize production, increase productivity and encourage plant health.

With a greenhouse, you have the ability to control the environment in which your plants grow.

The greenhouse keeps temperature at a level that tropical plants need, keeps certain humidity that many vegetables and peppers need, and keeps away pests, animals and children. In a greenhouse you can also keep constant the amount of water that plants receive, so drought or floods are no longer a problem.

You can grow fickle plants inside your greenhouse. 

Since you have control over the humidity, temperatures, water, and lighting to some extent, you can grow plants that are very particular.  This can be good for those who are growing for profit as those types of plants tend to sell for higher amounts.

You can extend the growing season.

This benefit is felt especially in plants that require a longer time for them to grow. Having to worry about climate change can be difficult as it`s hard to maintain consistency when growing veggies. However, a greenhouse gives you the ability to do just that as you have total control of humidity and temperatures.

Plants benefit from light and heat in the greenhouse

The sun enters the windows resulting in energy (or heat) which is then stored inside. Greenhouses have windows or ventilation systems to prevent excess heat. Since the greenhouse is a closed chamber, the heat is kept overnight, which helps plants grow freely without having to fight the cold. Although you may want to wet your greenhouse manually, there are also other options like sprinkler irrigation, drip tape or drip tube to automatically watering plants. There are sensors that monitor the temperature and humidity and start / stop ventilation when needed. With automatic systems for cooling the greenhouse, daily maintenance will require less time.

Healthier plants

A greenhouse keeps out pests such as insects and small or medium animals that can create problems in your garden, such as cats or dogs. Your plants will be protected from these much better as there is a physical barrier to keep things safe.

Better organization

A greenhouse allows you to organize your veggies into sectors. This makes things easier to manage, keep clean and tidy as well as maintain constant optimum conditions.

Growing consciously and fearlessly

You also have the opportunity to grow organic herbs, or at least know what chemicals were used. Another benefit is that you can start growing earlier without fear of seasons or that something unexpected can happen.

Consider using a greenhouse in your garden this year so that you can take advantage of all these benefits. As a tip, to minimize costs it helps to make a list of what plants you want to grow, how much you want to grow and how much space they need to grow properly, so you can choose the correct size and greenhouse facilities. Check out our wide range of sizes and extras at www.wintergardenz.co.nz to make sure you get what you need.

A tough member of the cabbage family, Kale is packed full of essential vitamins and minerals and it is one of the most nutritious garden vegetables. An excellent source of Vitamins A, B, C and E and minerals - calcium, iron and phosphorus. While it is generally thought of as a cold weather crop, it is fairly resilient and can tolerate temperatures as low as -7 °C and as high as 27 °C.

Kale was originally most commonly used in Mediterranean countries, especially Portugal and Italy, often in dishes with potatoes and garlic sausage. It can be used in salads to give ‘bite' or it can also be cooked. The older leaves can be quite strong, so the young leaves and central head should be used. The side-shoots that develop in spring are full of flavor.

Before you begin to grow, choose a variety that best suits your growing climate. Kale is usually grouped by leaf shape, and although growing times vary between varieties, most kale is ready for harvest between 45 and 75 days after transplanting.

• Curly Kale is sweet and mild and is one of the most commonly found kale varieties. It is characterized by its curly, wrinkled leaves.
• Lacinato or Dino Kale also has a wrinkled texture, though its leaves are tall and skinny.
• Premier Kale is known for its cold hardiness and its ability to grow quickly.
• Siberian Kale is the hardiest variety that (as the name suggests) can withstand harsh temperatures and easily resist pests.
• Red Russian Kale has impressive red twisting leaves. It is similar in its resilience to Siberian kale.
• Redbor Kale is a dramatic deep purple and red kale, perfect for adding color to any dish.
• Walking Stick Kale has a thick stalk that can grow up to six feet tall. The stalk can be used as a walking stick, hence the variety name.

Once you know your Kale, follow the steps below on growing your own.

Growing space

Kale is easy to plant. Choose a pot or a garden plot. Set plants at the depth at which they are growing in the container. Space them 18 to 24 inches apart. The leaves will grow bigger if given a lot of space, but smaller leaves tend to be the most tender. Choose an area with full sunshine if you’re planting during autumn, and an area with partial shade if you're planting in the spring.

Soil

Kale will grow in any soil, but make sure that you plant your kale in healthy soil. Sandy or clay-like soil will hurt the kale's flavor and production ability. Ideally use ground that was fertilized for a previous crop. The soil pH should be 6.5 to 6.8 to be sure about your soil pH, test the soil with a do-it-yourself kit.

Planting time

If you're starting your seeds or planting indoors, plant them between five and seven weeks before the last frost. If you're going to start your kale outside, plant the seeds two to four weeks before the last frost or at least 10 weeks before the first frost.

Harvesting

Kale leaves are sweetest in autumn, after they’ve been touched by a light frost. Pick the oldest leaves from the lowest section of the plants, discarding those that appear yellowed or ragged. Leaves can be picked off for use in salads or allow the loose head to form.


For ideal kale growing conditions, check out our greenhouse shelving kits on our website that allows them the space they demand to grow. www.wintergardenz.co.nz.