Autumn cultivation and cover crops in the greenhouse

When you have cleared the greenhouse of tomato plants and other summer vegetables that are withering, there is still a great opportunity to utilise the greenhouse space for cultivating vegetables during late summer and autumn. You can also grow cover crops that help improve the soil for the following year.

Cultivating vegetables in autumn

Several vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures during the off-season and help extend the greenhouse season after the last harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, chilies, and other heat-demanding vegetables. Below, we have gathered some of the vegetables that are suitable for cultivation in the upcoming months after clearing the greenhouse.

Ideas for easy crops in the greenhouse

• Leafy vegetables, such as spinach and rocket salad.
• Peas and broad beans for delicious and fresh shoots.
• Beetroots for delicious and fresh baby-leaves.
• Other beet greens
• Radishes

Many of the above-mentioned vegetables, such as radishes, spinach, peas, and broad beans, are both easy and fast-growing, so you won't have to wait long for the first harvest. Peas and broad beans are cultivated in autumn not for their legumes but for their leaves, which can be used for several dishes. The same goes for beetroot, which can be cultivated for its leaves. The leaves have a mild beetroot flavour and can be used in salads or added to hot meals.

Cultivate autumn crops for soil improvement!

In addition to cultivating edible crops in autumn, you can also grow crops that help improve the greenhouse soil.

Vegetables in the greenhouse continuously absorb nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil to grow and provide a good harvest. To ensure that the soil has the necessary nutrients, continuous soil improvement is required. Along with adding compost, wool pellets, soil coverings, nettle fertilizer, or other available fertilisers, you can also cultivate cover crops or green manure plants. These crops add nutrients to the soil, as well as improve soil structure and micro-life.

 

Ideas for autumn crops / green manure plants in the greenhouse:

• Tansy-leaf phacelia
• Crimson clover
• Corn
• Buckwheat
• Charlock
• Lucerne

Spread the seeds so that they cover the entire greenhouse soil when they sprout. Some autumn crops wither after the first frost, while others are more resistant and can be chopped up or dug over in spring before the first greenhouse plants are planted out.

 

 

Best wishes, Team TagTomat