Possible to have an indoor garden all year round?

[headfullofbees]

I'm trying winter onions carrots and lettuces in my poly-tunnel.
I don't know how well they'll do, but here's what I'm thinking, and that is to give them as much light as possible, and as little heat as they need to keep them alive.

 

[Chuck]

I'm trying winter onions carrots and lettuces in my poly-tunnel.
I don't know how well they'll do, but here's what I'm thinking, and that is to give them as much light as possible, and as little heat as they need to keep them alive.

Where I live now is the time to plant carrots, onions and lettuce. Have you tried using tin foil as a mulch to reflect sunlight? Some folks with greenhouses here do and it seems to help they say

 

[headfullofbees]

Where I live now is the time to plant carrots, onions and lettuce. Have you tried using tin foil as a mulch to reflect sunlight? Some folks with greenhouses here do and it seems to help they say

Doesn't tinfoil cool the soil?
Here in the UK soil temp will likely, in the next few weeks, plummet to around 40F.

 

[Chuck]

Doesn't tinfoil cool the soil?
Here in the UK soil temp will likely, in the next few weeks, plummet to around 40F.

Maybe slightly but soil temp is controlled by the ambient temperature. The tinfoil will radiate and reflect heat and sunlight onto the plants and thus warm and raise the ambient temperature. As long as the soil doesn't freeze the roots will be fine on any cold weather crop. IMO any soil temp above 38F is perfect for winter greens and it has to be very cold for an extended period for the soil to freeze. In fact spinach seeds have a hard time germinating here at much above a 45F soil temp. I think it is more important to the growth of cold weather plants that they get as much sunlight as possible in order to help photosynthesis. I don't have a greenhouse but this is how it was explained to me'

My garden is outside and it routinely gets into the teens. Two years ago we had a low of 9F. Luckily it was only that cold for a few hours but it did stay below 32F for an extended period. In my experience low light and cold soil only lengthen the time to harvest. If I could figure out a way to try tinfoil in my garden I would give it a test but I can't figure out a way to keep it from blowing away or getting torn to shreds. You are in a semi-controlled environment in your tunnel. Why not test it on a couple plants

 

[headfullofbees]

Cheers Chuck, I think I'll try experimenting in an area, say 5x4 and see how it compares with a control area, same size, same plants.

 

[Chuck]

Cheers Chuck, I think I'll try experimenting in an area, say 5x4 and see how it compares with a control area, same size, same plants.

I was net surfing yesterday looking at the different ways people are using tinfoil. One method really intrigued me. This person made a series of panels which were made out of cardboard with tinfoil glued to it. He then stapled the panels to sticks and stuck the sticks into the soil at an angle making the panels reflect off of each other in a circle around what looked liked about 3 or 4 plants. I couldn't tell what the plants were but they resembled peppers. I think it would be an interesting experiment in a climate such as yours with limited sunlight

 

[headfullofbees]

Hmmmnn, I love playing around.
Going home tomorrow.
Tesco supermarket will wonder what I want with 300 yards of tinfoil...

 

[Chuck]

Hmmmnn, I love playing around.
Going home tomorrow.
Tesco supermarket will wonder what I want with 300 yards of tinfoil...

Tell them you are opening a hat factory for paranoids

 

[GenevB]

You should also try to plant some Paprika and tomatoes, they are great vegetables to raise indoor. Even sage would be a good plant to have inside your house. I wish you good luck with your new garden and keep us up to date.

 

[headfullofbees]

You should also try to plant some Paprika and tomatoes, they are great vegetables to raise indoor. Even sage would be a good plant to have inside your house. I wish you good luck with your new garden and keep us up to date.

If I could I would, but there is neither the light nor the heat for growing tomatoes and paprika in my polytunnel in the winter.