Who says you can only grow one plant in a greenhouse? It is entirely possible to combine different types of plants in one greenhouse. The result is a highly efficient and very intensive use of a small area of protected land, to the delight of the owner. In this article we will clarify when and how to plant in your greenhouse to achieve a good harvest of various vegetables.
Plant the greenhouse with mixed crops
If you want to plant a greenhouse, you have to make a good planting plan in advance. You don't have to grow just one crop, but of course you can't plant and sow everything in a row, because that wouldn't help. There should be a clear system of division according to time, culture and the space required for this. With the right approach you can achieve high yields of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and cucumbersunder one roofachieve.
In this article we will look at the order of greenhouse planting - when and which plants should be sown or planted. The planting plan is based on a tunnel greenhouse that is 3 meters wide and 6 meters long and houses a total of 3 beds. The schedule corresponds to the climatic conditions of the northwest, with the dates extending towards the south.
End of April: Prepare the beds and sow carrots, radishes and lettuce
Planting a greenhouse with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots and eggplants begins at the end of April/beginning of May. First, prepare the trench for sowing cucumbers, which is 25 cm from the greenhouse wall. Cover it with a strip of fleece. Make a 2 cm deep groove at the edge of the bed and sow a row of early carrots along the fleece strip. Add 1 teaspoon each of seeds and half a teaspoon of fertilizer powderMix coffee grounds. Cover the bed with white spunbond (Lutrasil).
On the opposite side, prepare a trench for planting peppers, keeping a distance of 25 cm from the greenhouse wall. Along this trench, right at the edge of the bed, plant a row of radish seeds by simply pressing them in with your finger 2 cm deep, 5 to 6 cm apart (approx. 40 per 6 m). Leave a distance of 20 cm from the edge of the bed, make two grooves along the entire length of the bed and sow lettuce seeds in the same way as carrot seeds. Now bury everything and cover it with white garden fleece.
Beginning of May: Sow cucumbers and plant dill
Between May 5th and 10th, sow cucumber seeds along the carrot plants in the prepared trench - 2-3 seeds in each nest. The nests should be created at a distance of 25 cm (24 nests in which you later leave one plant each, i.e. 24 cucumber plants). To avoid covering the rows of carrots, cover them with the black fleece that you laid over the row of cucumbers. Cover the sown cucumbers with cling film (or place plastic bottles with the bottom cut off over the nests).
In the remaining area at the edge of the bed, plant pre-grown dill at a distance of 40 cm (15 plants in total). Then remove the black fleece and cover the bed with two layers of white garden fleece.
Mid-May: Plant and tie tomatoes, plant parsley and flowers
Between May 10th and 15th, plant the tomato seedlings in the middle of the middle bed in 2 rows. Space the rows 30 cm apart and the plants 30 cm apart in each row. Plant the young plants in a staggered manner. There are about 20 plants in each row, so you will have 40 tomato bushes in total.
Tie each bush to a stick stuck next to the tomato stem, just above the shoots. To prevent the fleece you use to cover the bed from sticking to the ends of the bars, place beer cans or small plastic bottles on the bars.
Mulch the tomatoes with newspaper. Leave a 30 cm strip on each side. Leave about 10 cm free at each end of the bed and then plant early leaf parsley every 30 cm. A total of 6 bushes, 3 at each end, is more than enough.
In the remaining area behind the parsley, sow seeds of annual flowers (zinnias, sage, marigolds, nasturtiums and others). On the other side of the tomato bed, plant the cabbage and beetroot seeds one at a time in separate “apartments” and cover the remaining space with dill. Now cover the entire bed with white double fleece.
The lettuce in the radish bed should be planted at intervals or, better yet, eaten by thinning so that the lettuce bushes are 30cm apart after the peppers have been planted.
End of May: Harvest early vegetables, plant the greenhouse with herbs and flowers
Between May 25th and 30th, after removing the radishes, sow basil, marjoram and coriander in this spot. To prevent the lettuce from getting dirty in the bed, cover it with newspaper beforehand.
Plant the peppers and eggplants 30cm apart (20 plants in total). Remove the cover from the lettuce and cover the entire bed with white double fleece. If you need to water the plants planted in May, do it directly on the fleece. Do not forget to remove the cling film or bottles from the cucumber seedlings, but leave the white fleece on the entire bed,until the danger of frost has passedis.
At the end of May, transplant the cabbage seedlings into open ground and plant the beets on the sides of the bed with this culture. At the ends of the cabbage bed you can plant celery seedlings. Plant cabbage in 2 rows in a 40 x 40 cm grid and plant tall marigolds between the rows. As a precaution, cover all plants with double foil.
When the frost has passed (basically after Ice Saints), replant the flowers and sow green onions in the open area - just as you sowed early carrots. At the other end of the tomato bed, sow root parsley, just like you did with carrots. After eating the salad, sow radishes in its place. At the end of July, after you have harvested the early carrots, plant radishes in their place again.
Planting the greenhouse correctly: further tips
If you only have two beds in your greenhouse, think about how you can plant them as densely as possible. Simply sketch out your options on a piece of paper beforehand - and in the end you will find the right way to make the most of your protected soil.
Does all worry end with following a planting schedule? Of course not, that's not enough. There are simple growing techniques that can be used to make friends with different plants so that each variety feels at home in this diverse community. They also definitely need proper watering and aProtection against pestsand diseases.
