Last winter, I "constructed" (loose interpretation of the word!) my Cheap Plastic-Tent Greenhouse over an existing tomato plant (that was living in the ground in my garden).

It was a "Goliath" tomato plant that had produced numerous fruits thru much of the summer. It continued to produce well into January (to the point where my family and friends were sick of my endless bragging about how "I picked a fresh tomato today!"). Grant you, it wasn't *as* productive as it had been during the summer, but there's just something about eating a fresh, home-grown tomato in January...!

I *am* in a warmer climate zone than you, but still... Our temps drop into the 20*'s (and I had truly-minimal thermal protection on my plants), so hopefully you'll have success as well (???).

I'm going to try to do the same thing this winter w/my new 6x8 HFGH. I planted one Goliath in a large pot, and I'll be moving him into the GH in the next week or so... Good News: He's still flowering. Bad News: He's indeterminate and truly is a Goliath! (I'll find some way to make it work!).

I also want to start some cherry tomatoes and try growing them in the GH. Actually, I'm curious to know if anyone has any suggestions for good GH-friendly cherry toms...

I'll check back and see if anyone has any suggestions!

Cheers!

-Nancy

I'm glad to hear you had some success. My GHs are both heated so that's no problem. I was wondering if the shorter days of winter would stop production. We love fresh toms and peps. I also share them with my step-daughter, another veggie lover. I'm using 1/2 the 16' Rion for veggies and herbs. The 8 X 6' HGFH will be for my larger cacti and ferns and will only be heated to about 40 at night.

I also started some cherry toms for the GH plus I'm going to "keep over" a 2' Patio tom I bought last spring. It's still in it's pot and still producing small toms.

My MIL grows tom's in her GH year round (why not in the ground outside? I don't know, it's my MIL). She takes a bag of "Black Kow" (as in cow poopoo). She splits it open, pokes holes in the bottom and plants right in - that. The bright YELLOW bags are lovely sitting under her benches >(my bad). But the tom's from this method - WOW - nothin like um..........and Big too!!!
Pat in Florida

Pat - I might just try the Cow-Poop approach on one of the plants. Might be an interesting experiment! (I would've thought the plant might "burn" - but I'll give it a shot!)

Greenhouser - Production on Mr. Goliath definitely did slow (Maybe a couple-three tomatoes/month - as opposed to "Oh Gawd, I can't possibly eat another tomato!!!"). Our days sure seem short here in wintertime. But I guess they'd be shorter still in more northern climes...

FWIW: I didn't run any special lighting or anything; the heater was set to turn-on @ appx 32*; and the tee-mater plant did just fine.

By end-of-January, the plant was ready for the compost pile, though!

Natural light in the plastic tent was definitely diffused - tho' we do get quite a few sunny days thru the winter. But bottom line: I don't think the shorter days really had a significant impact on the 'maters (other than decreased production, like I said...).

What the hey - give it a try and see what happens!

(Then tell us about it! :-)

-Nancy
(Requisite Disclaimer: I am, by no means, an expert on ANY of this stuff!!)

I've done it.

Peppers are easy, but watch for whiteflies.

Basil, cilantro also easy, same pest advice.

Toms are a different matter. They just need lots of heat and light. I think your production from standard midwest summer tomato varieties will be limited, but we'll see. I grew 'Trust,' which is a greenhouse variety, and my production was just fair, even with MH lights for an additional 5H/day. Whiteflies are a problem, you'll have to watch them closely. This winter will be the first winter that I have no toms in the GH...the space is needed for other plants more valuable to me.

Good luck.

SB

If I lived in Florida I'd grow them outside. I have ammunition bins with 2 toms each. It's a mix of commercial topsoil, soil conditioner and composted cow manure. I'm hoping we get enough toms for at least the two of us. The peps are in large 5g pots and are full of small peppers now that it's below 100F. They're doing as well as those in the ground.

Well the toms are already in the GH in their "bins" with drainage holes. Three are from cuttings and three are from seeds. Nights will be around 60F out there and our days are short here in winter. I'm not sure what to keep the humidity at and Google was no help. The peppers are right outside the GH door waiting for the first "chilly" night when they'll join the toms on the south wall. I have to take some pics to post here. :-)

What did you do to control whitefly? I have several organic type insecticides I plan to use. They should be safe but I don't know if they'll work. The insects seem to be getting immune to everything. The toms may totally fail but that's OK as I have a lot of space to spare this winter. Next winter may be a different story.

I've not tried peppers in my greenhouse, but have had success with herbs and cherry tomatoes, as well as lettuces and peas, in the my greenhouse here in coastal NJ. This year I'm going to try growing the little heirloom "Yellow Pear" tomatoes also. I find that tomato production slows and to a halt mid-winter, because I don't use auxiliary ligthing, but it picks up again before long. You're farther south, so your daylight hours may be sufficient to keep some production going. The cherry tomatoes are self-pollinating, but for the larger varieties and the peppers, you might have to be the bee as far as pollinating is concerned. Also, you'll want to be sure that both day and night temps are suitable for flower and fruit set.

I also keep "mother" plants from which to take cuttings, and rotate many of the houseplants through the greenhouse for a little "R & R" ... they come back looking so much happier. Good place to overwinter rose cuttings, tender perennials, start forcing spring bulbs, and, of course, seeds for the flower and vegetable gardens. Also finally got a lemon tree, which does fine. No matter how crowded it gets in there, however, I always leave room for a chair, because it's just the best place to be on a sunny but cold winter day!

We're having a warm September, too, and it's still a little early for me to start moving things inside. Involved in a major front yard renovation just now, I've not had time (or cool enough weather) to tackle the annual greenhouse cleaning project. Also want to get the garlic planted soon so it gets a chance to get some root development going before the cold weather sets in. Our first frost date is October 31 ... how about you?

Sounds like you might be embarking on your first winter with your greenhouse. If you haven't already done so, think about a back-up plant in case of a power failure. Having said that ... Enjoy!

Diane

I controlled the whiteflies with a varied approach. Insecticidal soaps and neem oil sprays were the main approach, topped off with pyrethrin and/or permethrin sprays occasionally.

I'm going to try a bomb this year after the first hard freeze. ;-)

I have tomatoes growing now in the greenhouse here in WV I am trying for a late Nov. or early Dec. crop this will be my first winter trying this.I grow hydroponic I tried last spring with good results until the tomatoe roots pluged up the plumbing on my system I have now switched to a dwarf tomatoe that only gets about 18 inches tall time will tell if it plugs up my plumbing.
For growing in a greenhouse check on hydroponics more plants in less space and a faster growing time but once you start with hydroponics it is additive hobby if you like to garden you will be hooked drop me an email and we can talk more also I can send you some info

I had the small HFGH last winter and enjoyed it more than I can express. This winter I also have the 8 by 16' Rion. The Rion will be kept no lower than 60F at night - good for the veggies, herbs and other plants I have. Our frost date is Oct 15th due to elevation. Winter days are short here, as they were back home in NYC. I already have my chair in there to sit and relax with a cup of coffee come winter. For an emergency back-up we have a kerosene heater. I'll keep you all posted as to how my toms and peppers do this winter here in zone 6.

What does the "bomb" contain and is it safe for veggies?

I did some brief checking on hydrophonics some months ago but the cost was more than we could afford. Also, my husband doesn't care for the taste of toms grown that way. He says you can always taste a "greenhouse" tomato and tell it wasn't grown in soil. Can you give me a ballpark figure of what your system cost?

Greenhouser First let me say the taste of greenhouse tomatoes that you get at the market is not caused by the hydroponics or the greenhouse it is the type of tomatoe being grow and picked green. My hydropoinc tomatoes taste as good as my garden tomatoes. As for cost of my system this has been an ongoing project for three years and I never kept track.
The biggest cost to get started is your meters to test your
mix and the mix concentrate its self. You can build your own system for low cost.There are many different systems you can build here is a web site for a place to start
http://www.hydroponicsonline.com
The system they show you here is good for peppers but not big enough for tomatoes. if you decide to try it drop me an email and I will try to point you in the right direction. it's not that hard to do my first year I was shooting just to keep them alive I harvested tomatoes and peppers.

Here is a good book on low cost small scale hydroponics
The Hydroponic Hot House Low cost High Yieid Greenhouse Gardening by James B. DeKorne

Bombs with pyrethrum can be used up to 2 days before harvest.

What is the advantage of growing them this way instead of in huge pots as I'm doing? The PVC pipe, tools to cut it, glues, test kits, water pumps, timers etc aren't inexpensive. It also looks like a lot of time would have to be spent filling the thing with water, running tests, mixing solutions..... and there are no prices on that website.

Other sites advertise 12 pot starter systems for $300 to $549.00. This is a little more than retired people can afford to spend. It cost us $10 for topsoil and compost for the 4 ammunition bins we're using for the toms. The peppers will stay in their 4 and 5g pots. We always have liquid fertilizers such as Miracle Grow on hand.

Greenhouser,
One of the most important factors in tomato flavor is not greenhouse grown vs. outside, as has been mentioned. However, storage temperature of the harvested tomato does significantly affect flavor. Tomatoes stored at 55 F. or lower, compared to those stored at 65 F, have less sweetness, lower aroma and more off flavor, regardless of variety or how they are grown. If the fruit was shipped in refrigerated trucks, or stored by the grocery store (or the homeowner) in the refrigerator, the lower quality will be noticible.

Here is a link that might be useful: tomato flavor research

The two biggest advantages of the hydroponics in a greenhouse you don't need as big of a root base on your plants and you can get more plants in less space also faster growing time as the plant dosen't have to produce as many roots. As for the cost of a system you don't want to buy one make your own you can make a system as simple as a wood trough lined with plastic and filled with peat moss to grow in hand watering it you just need to keep it damp and keep your PH level between 6&8. Also Miracle Grow will not work for hydo. I use Dyna Grow and Dyna Bloom
Im growing Tiny Tim dwarf Tomatoes due to size of my greenhouse 10X16 they get 18 inches tall and produce alot of cherry tomatoes I have 35 plants on a 4X8 table top they are 45 days old 12 inches tall and in bloom. As for time testing and adding water I mixed up 25 gallons at the start I check it once or twice a week and add water and Dyna grow three tsp per gallon of water takes about 10 minutes. Check out the book in my other post it gives you cheep to build systems and even if you don't try hydroponics it has a lot of great information on winter growing in a greenhouse.

Thanks. I didn't know this about tomatoes.

So... Ummm... Are there any particularly good GH cherry tomato varieties that anyone would recommend? Preferably determinate (preferably grown in a small-ish pot w/dirt)? <:-d>Enquiring Minds want to know....................

-Nancy
(who might consider hydroponics next year - after she survives one winter in a "real" GH!)

I have read that if you use worm castings around the plants that there will be no white flys. I am not sure, but I am using worm castings with my lettuce so I will let you know. To date I have had no problem with them.

1eyedJack and the Dawg

The following cherry tomato varieties have been successfully grown in commercial greenhouses:
Sungold, Favorita, Redgrape, Golden Honey Bunch, Conchita and Golden Sweet.

I have been growing peppers in hydroponics for several years, using hydro systems I built. Pretty easy to build, and certainly a LOT cheaper than buying them. I'm not sure which systems rock22 is using but I built mine from plans I purchased (I can't remember where - it was a pdf file) that use 5" square PVC fence posts (can use 4" round PVC pipe).

Another good place to check out is http://edurink10.tripod.com/hydroideashobbyist/
Many of his ideas are easy to put together from stuff you may have around the house, and most all are adaptable to a greenhouse. (I have had problems getting to his site in the past, and no luck contacting him. I have built a mirror of his site at http://www.tomatoland.net/edurink_site/index.html that you can get to if you need to.)

My biggest problem with growing in the hydroponics is that the roots *can* get out of control, but are easy enough to trim back *a little* if they get too wild.

Also, be careful about the spacing, if you build the various rail-type designs. Many of the designs call for the pots to be 6" to 12" apart. For the average jalapeno plant, they should probably be 12" to 18" apart. They grow much faster than in dirt.

--->Rob

Tomatoes need a longer (higher) lighting for them, and they also need to be pollinated to germinate tomatoes. First, get a plant light going. An inexpensive shop light with plant florescent lights will do nicely. Second, You can self pollinate during the winter by using a dry Q-tip and gently going from flower to flower to pollinate them that way. keep the pollen on the Q-tip like a bee going to other flowers. This will help a LOT! Yes, it is time consuming, but for the fruits, it is definitely worth it. Same thing with peppers and other flowering plants that require pollinating. They won't produce fruits without a bee helping, so act like a bee and get busy!

I've been pollinating them and they have fruit. I'm thrilled as the sun is lower and the they're getting some shade from trees that still have leaves. Thanks for the tip on Q-tips because I'm sure once the real cold hits the insects will be gone. I'm not sure there's enough power out there to run the 2 heaters, the fans and lights. The Rion's roof isn't real high so the lights would be right on the tomato plants. The heat from the ballast may burn them. I can't believe how fast the plants are growing in the Rion.