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Citrus queries

gerrard.kategerrard.kate Posts: 22
in Fruit & veg
Hi there,

I’m a fairly established gardener but have just purchased a second greenhouse to be able to heat one over winter, and am a bit out of my comfort zone now!

I’m hoping to use this for citrus amongst other things.

I’d be really grateful for advice on:

- which Orange varieties are good to grow in the UK, and any suggestions on where to source.

- I found an FT article on growing citrus, which says “In a greenhouse they (citrus) drop their leaves if they are heated by temporary oil or paraffin heaters. Electric fan heaters, though, are fine”. Is this true/why would it be? I had planned to use an oil heater tapped off from our main oil tank given the low cost this way but electricity could be an option if needed.

Thanks so much (and any other thoughts on fun/different things to grow in a heated greenhouse also welcome, I heard Bob Flowerdew talking about year-round cape gooseberry crops in his was very exciting! I’ve also got some pineapples going which just about seem to be surviving in an unheated greenhouse so far but I’m sure will love the heat once I have it).

Kate

Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    The problem with oil/paraffin heaters is humidity, burning them creates water and CO2. In those grand old Victorian greenhouses powered by coal there was a separate boiler house which fed pipes just like modern central heating. Pineapples were grown using a hotbed system using the heat from composting large amounts of manure.
  • gerrard.kategerrard.kate Posts: 22
    Ah - that makes sense, thank you: sounds like I’ll need to do some more thinking about the heating.

    Have seen some of those original hotbeds at Victorian gardens, they look amazing!
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