Late April Greenhouse Tour

It’s time for another virtual tour of our greenhouse to show what’s growing in there in late April. Spring is always a busy time as I move seedlings from inside under the grow lights to grow on in the greenhouse. I also have lots of greens growing in spring, which keep us supplied for salads and such.

looking in the greenhouse door

I grow most of the salad greens in salad boxes and containers. I have four salad boxes planted with lettuce, and as I harvest I try and fill in with a new plant. I tend to grow mostly leaf lettuce along with a few butterhead and romaine types.

salad boxes with lettuce

I also grow lettuce and other greens in planter boxes. Panisse is a French bred oakleaf type with lime green leaves that have a great texture and mild flavor.

Panisse lettuce

Oscarde is another French bred oakleaf with red leaves. Both it and Panisse do quite well for me in spring and autumn plantings. I add generous amounts of compost to the potting soil for these container plantings, along with an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen. Using the compost does make for weeds sprouting up, but it also makes good growing for the greens.

Oscarde lettuce

Navara is a red oakleaf I’m growing for the first time. The leaves on my greenhouse planting of it aren’t quite as red as Oscarde, but the heads are compact and full and it looks like a great addition to my lineup.

Navara lettuce

Something else I’m growing for the first time is Red Veined Sorrel. This relative of French Sorrel has the same tangy, lemon flavor plus leaves that add color to salads. The leaves are supposed to be best harvested young, since older ones can get tough. I think it is pretty enough to be grown as an ornamental. I’ve also got a pot of French Sorrel growing back in the corner of the greenhouse.

Red Veined Sorrel

One of my favorite greens is arugula, and I have several varieties growing in containers. Apollo and Speedy are two of my longtime favorites, and we use the leaves in salads and on pizza. I also make an arugula pesto that is quite tasty for pizza and pasta dishes.

Apollo and Speedy arugula

In the seedling department, the Wave petunias I started back in February are starting to bud up and bloom. I have six different varieties growing, and we will use these in containers and planters to give us summer color. The blooms also attract butterflies and hummingbirds, especially the red shades.

Wave petunias

The cucumbers I started earlier this month are about ready to be planted out in the greenhouse. I’ll likely let them go another week to let the soil in the greenhouse beds get good and warm, since the cucumbers love that warmth. Last year I set them out on May 10th, and we got our first cukes from Mini Munch a month later. We’ll see if I can improve on that harvest this year by getting them in a week earlier. I’m growing a mix of slicing types plus a couple of pickling cucumbers this year.

cucumber seedlings

I’ve also got tomato seedlings in the greenhouse now. These are in two 50 cell plug flats, and ready to set out whenever the weather (and soil) warm up reliably.

tomato seedlings

I have one plant of Red Racer cluster tomato planted in a 15 gallon Smart Pot. It is sizing up nicely, and I will set it and the containers of eggplant outside in the next week to make room for the cucumbers.

Red Racer tomato

Another ornamental I’ve got in the greenhouse is seed-grown canna. I started South Pacific Scarlet about two months ago, and they are ready to set out in the garden any time now. I’ve grown South Pacific Orange the last couple of years, and thought the Scarlet color would make a good addition to the garden. I dug up the cannas from last year and they are ready to set out as well.

canna seedlings

I moved the container herbs out from the greenhouse where they spent the winter. I’ve got oregano, rosemary, savory, sage and two bay laurel plants growing now. I’ve got basil seedlings indoors, and I have lemon grass and lemon verbena ready to set out in the ground soon.

herbs outside greenhouse

I hope you have enjoyed this look at what’s growing in the greenhouse in late April. I’ll be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres – including Harvest Monday!