Winter greenhouse bounty Sowing hardy edibles

Don't let your greenhouse go to waste this winter - in the first of a new three-part series, Lucy Chamberlain shows you how to enjoy indoor harvests for months on end

- Lucy Chamberlain

Once the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are cleared away at the end of summer, does your greenhouse sit devoid of plants through winter? I urge you, have a rethink!

Your greenhouse is a magnificent vessel for growing crops during the cooler months of the year and no costly heat is needed. From the tiniest microgreens to salad leaves, robust leafy veg and beyond, think of your greenhouse as a huge cloche that will encourage lush, palatable foliage. It's an excellent space for the more tender edibles, too, like lemongrass and ginger, offering them a protected environment so they can safely grow through the winter period once conditions outside become too harsh.

This month is a key time in the greenhouse grow-your-own calendar - so it's time to get sowing. In this feature, I'll explain what hardy crops can be sown in September, ready to jump into your greenhouse borders as soon as the summer crops have been cleared.

This is such an efficient use of that valuable growing space during the colder months, but it's crucial to sow these crops now (please, don't wait until October). So, follow my advice here for harvests all winter long.

Maximising late summer harvests

Summer greenhouse crops will still have plenty of life in them come September. Encourage maximum yields before the summer sun fades by tweaking their management. Reduce watering to stress plants out a little (don't kill them, though!). This shifts the crop's mindset from growing leaves towards ripening its crop. Also, remove immature fruits, as these won't have time to develop.