Journal October 25, 2013 Overwintering Tropical Plants

Our weather has turned cold, so it was necessary to make a decision regarding overwintering the tropical plants from the greenhouse.   I chose to discontinue growing the Marconi peppers and use the tent and light for the tropical plants.

The plants in the photo are a mixture of three varieties of gardenia, with some unusual plants from around the world. Still to come are another variety of gardenia and three or four coffee trees.   It became a question of tying up the tent for three or four months for peppers, or accommodating the tropicals.  As I plan on growing Marconi peppers in the greenhouse next season, I decided that the tropicals were more important than a dozen or so peppers.  Another factor I guess is that I needed a challenge after having grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers indoors over the winter a number of times.  

Also, to add variety to growing greens I have a nice crop of medium bok choi in process.  Now we will have to find some recipes on line as to how to prepare bok choi.

The olives in the greenhouse are finally getting their chill period, with daytime temperatures in the sixties and night temperatures in the thirties.   I would like to give them at least a thousand hours of cool temperatures, so I plan to try to keep them in the greenhouse until late November.

It should also be mentioned that all of the tropical plants are being grown hydroponically.