Ideas for GH in the summer

**Dukerdawg** · January 29, 2012

I thought of putting this in the growing under cover area but it really isn't a typical GH question. My GH is 18x6 and I use it in the spring to slowly harden peppers and tomatoes mostly and then the 'maters get put out in the garden and I plant the peppers in big 15-20 gallon pots in the greenhouse...they love the hot summer sun. Last year was just a bonanza for the peppers (hot mostly) that I was thinking of growing something else in there this year.

What would also tolerate if not like the extra heat? I would have to plant bush varieties of something. Thinking beans and cukes and maybe a couple of dwarf tomatoes....but I have plenty of room in the garden for my 'maters and other years were not that lucrative with Patio type tomatoes in there.

Throw me some ideas please!

Duane

janezee · January 29, 2012

I'm putting eggplant in mine this year. Can't get them otherwise here.

saltmarsh · January 29, 2012

Hi, Duane

Don't know what your setup is, but I've had problems with too much heat in the summer since I put mine up 7 years ago.

It's 24' W x 48' L x 13' H /w 8' sidewalls.

When I recovered it in 2011 I added 3 windows on the north and south sides. With 60% aluminet on the roof, the temp stays about 3 degrees cooler than the ambient temp outside.

If you can add a small window in your side walls and shade part of the roof, you should see similar results. Claud

Worth1 · January 29, 2012

A cacti collection.
Dwarf okra.

Worth

kath · January 29, 2012

Dehydrating fruits and vegetables?

barefootgardener · January 29, 2012

How about some small melons that could climb up a trellis, or armenian cukes..I grew those in my GH last 2 seasons and they did really well.

Ginny

rxkeith · January 29, 2012

hey duane

have you been hibernating or what

eggplant as already mentioned, and you can do melons vertically and for support use some old panty hose or nylon stockings that will expand as the melon grows. might be too hot for beans in there, but i would try pole beans along the fence somewhere where the dogs won't rip them down or pee on, maybe along the back of your garden or on the fence outside of the gate along your driveway. if you decide to do pole beans i have some good ones i can send you. just let me know.

keith

barkeater · January 31, 2012

Duane,

18'x6' GH? I'm really jealous. I would grow what I really love but can't get a harvest from outside. #1 for me would be eggplant. #2 would be sweet potatoes. After that, maybe some okra or a couple habanero types in pots.

FarmerShawn · January 31, 2012

barkeater - I'm in the Connecticut River Valley about 30 miles from the Canadian border, zones such as you describe, and I've had success with both eggplant and sweet potatoes. I admit I haven't tried very hard with eggplant, because my wife can't stand it, so we don't eat it, but I grew some for market last year, my first year selling. And I've been growing sweet potatoes for about 5 years now, each year growing more and more. This year I've ordered a bunch from Sandhill Preservation, choosing early ones to see how they grow. I was charmed and taken in by his dismissive attitude toward the varieties I have grown in the past simply because that's what the seed companies offer. I can't wait to see the difference.
Anyway, I just start the eggplants early and they go into the ground the same time as the rest of the transplants - after Memorial Day. The sweet potatoes go into hilled rows whenever they arrive - last year it was mid-to-late June. I worried they were too late, but they grew and produced just fine.

PaulF · January 31, 2012

Duane:
Good to see you posting again. But okra? Northern boys don't do that stuff.

Post often and keep us informed.

barkeater · February 1, 2012

Shawn,

The CRV is likely a great area for growing compared to the middle of the NEK at 1400 feet elevation. My only advantage is probably a better chance of avoiding late or early frosts being up high. Believe me, I've done everything to grow sweet potatoes and eggplants here. For 2 years running I tried 3 different early varieties and got great vines and tiny sweets using plastic, row covers, etc. In 5 years growing Rosa Bianca eggplant I got 3 fruit one year. I'm sure Orient Express or some ofthe other skinny ones would crop, but I just like the big ones for eggplant parm.

January 31, 2012	#8
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Duane, 18'x6' GH? I'm really jealous. I would grow what I really love but can't get a harvest from outside. #1 for me would be eggplant. #2 would be sweet potatoes. After that, maybe some okra or a couple habanero types in pots. __________________ barkeater

January 31, 2012	#10
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Duane: Good to see you posting again. But okra? Northern boys don't do that stuff. Post often and keep us informed. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 1, 2012	#11
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Shawn, The CRV is likely a great area for growing compared to the middle of the NEK at 1400 feet elevation. My only advantage is probably a better chance of avoiding late or early frosts being up high. Believe me, I've done everything to grow sweet potatoes and eggplants here. For 2 years running I tried 3 different early varieties and got great vines and tiny sweets using plastic, row covers, etc. In 5 years growing Rosa Bianca eggplant I got 3 fruit one year. I'm sure Orient Express or some ofthe other skinny ones would crop, but I just like the big ones for eggplant parm. __________________ barkeater

January 29, 2012	#1
Dukerdawg Growing for Market Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westland, Michigan Posts: 861	Ideas for GH in the summer I thought of putting this in the growing under cover area but it really isn't a typical GH question. My GH is 18x6 and I use it in the spring to slowly harden peppers and tomatoes mostly and then the 'maters get put out in the garden and I plant the peppers in big 15-20 gallon pots in the greenhouse...they love the hot summer sun. Last year was just a bonanza for the peppers (hot mostly) that I was thinking of growing something else in there this year. What would also tolerate if not like the extra heat? I would have to plant bush varieties of something. Thinking beans and cukes and maybe a couple of dwarf tomatoes....but I have plenty of room in the garden for my 'maters and other years were not that lucrative with Patio type tomatoes in there. Throw me some ideas please! Duane __________________ May I aspire to live my life so that I may be the man my dog thinks I am.

January 29, 2012	#2
janezee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Whidbey Island, WA Zone 7, Sunset 5 Posts: 931	I'm putting eggplant in mine this year. Can't get them otherwise here.

January 29, 2012	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	A cacti collection. Dwarf okra. Worth

January 29, 2012	#5
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Dehydrating fruits and vegetables?

January 29, 2012	#6
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	How about some small melons that could climb up a trellis, or armenian cukes..I grew those in my GH last 2 seasons and they did really well. Ginny

January 29, 2012	#7
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	hey duane have you been hibernating or what eggplant as already mentioned, and you can do melons vertically and for support use some old panty hose or nylon stockings that will expand as the melon grows. might be too hot for beans in there, but i would try pole beans along the fence somewhere where the dogs won't rip them down or pee on, maybe along the back of your garden or on the fence outside of the gate along your driveway. if you decide to do pole beans i have some good ones i can send you. just let me know. keith

January 31, 2012	#9
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	barkeater - I'm in the Connecticut River Valley about 30 miles from the Canadian border, zones such as you describe, and I've had success with both eggplant and sweet potatoes. I admit I haven't tried very hard with eggplant, because my wife can't stand it, so we don't eat it, but I grew some for market last year, my first year selling. And I've been growing sweet potatoes for about 5 years now, each year growing more and more. This year I've ordered a bunch from Sandhill Preservation, choosing early ones to see how they grow. I was charmed and taken in by his dismissive attitude toward the varieties I have grown in the past simply because that's what the seed companies offer. I can't wait to see the difference. Anyway, I just start the eggplants early and they go into the ground the same time as the rest of the transplants - after Memorial Day. The sweet potatoes go into hilled rows whenever they arrive - last year it was mid-to-late June. I worried they were too late, but they grew and produced just fine.