Thank you so much for these tips. I’ve not heard of these methods until now. I have a suitable plastic barrel that I can paint black! Can’t wait to give this a go.

I use an old black plastic dustbin filled with rainwater with a lid on as my ‘heat mass’ in the greenhouse. I use it for convenient watering (replenished by a water butt on a syphon) but it just sits there otherwise, stabilising the temperature to some extent. It is not doing much right now (it is frozen!) but I believe it helps chilly spring / autumn nights, keeping the greenhouse just that bit warmer, without more fuel; it also absorbs heat in summer. Other options are to put bricks, rocks or any similarly dense material in the greenhouse, so it warms up during the day and releases heat at night. I understand you can make paths with dense aggregate and the same principle applies. Presumably black polythene on top would increase heat gained. Hope that helps!

I do hope that you can get your vegetable garden up and running asap. I’m loving mine although with the snow there is very little that I can do at the moment. Meanwhile I’m busy with all the seed catalogues!

Hi Joanna

It might be worth considering bubble wrap in the poly tunnel. Even if it just extends the seasons for a few weeks.

My brassicas are out in the open – with no protection. They look a bit droopy when it gets below -5 but as soon as it warms up they are back to looking fine.

Hi S.O.L

Great idea putting a mini greenhouse inside the greenhouse! How nasty of those kids – I’d be so angry if I had an allotment there. We are lucky that we have a big garden and just have to deal with the pigeons.

My leeks look a bit unhappy too but hopefully they’ll perk up when the weather gets a bit warmer.

Hello Cathy

I’m so pleased that you are going to try out some biodynamic techniques this year. Danny thinks that it’s all a bit odd but is happy for me to try them out. There’s an interesting link here – where gardeners were experimenting with growing tomatoes
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/gardens/biodynamic_experiments.php

Thanks for the tip about dehydrating kale leaves!

Hello Small Pines

You done so much work on your property this year – I’m not surprised that the vegetables had to take a back seat!

We are experiencing the coldest winter for 18 years and the vegetables are holding up well in the snow.

Someone gave me a pair of French windows and I’m going to make them into large cold frames for next winter.

Hi Paul

Sutherland kale is now on my seed list! I can recommend cauliflower Lateman as it crops over a long period and it so sweet and tender.

I know what you mean about extending the veg patch! I’m thrilled with ours but am having trouble finding a place for everything.

Hello Carol

Of course it does!

Hi Kate

They are delicious straight from the garden. Wind is a problem here too!

Hello Tamar

I bought an Eliot Coleman book just before Christmas! It’s a fabulous book. So pleased that you mentioned him.

I’ve found that the winter vegetables are easier than the summer ones – fewer pests, less watering etc. The brassicas taste great compared to the stuff in the shops. It’s good to see the beds filled with food!

Hello LindaM

Oh that’s a shame. I’ve got Swiss Chard under cloches and it’s standing up well to temperature of -5. I haven’t heard of heat mass – thanks for the tip.

The greenhouse is lined with bubble wrap – which is supposed to conserve heat loss by up to 30%. I have a small paraffin heater in there which is lit when the temperature outside is below freezing. The home made cloches are working well too.