"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
.217...
For a couple of years now I have been growing physalis edulis and physalis
pubescens in my cold greenhouse.

Each year I have had the same problem: they take a long long time to get
started at the beginning of the season. I don't think it's down to the
temperature, as the first year I kept the young plants on a warm sunny
windowsill for a long while, but they just stood still.

The second year I thought I might do better by over-wintering the mature
plants and thus getting an earlier start,but it took ages for big shoots
to
start emerging from the mature roots in spring.

So again this year I have the same thing as last year: they started
fruiting properly around the beginning of September, and are still
flowering and fruiting like mad, but they aren't getting enough sun now to
get the berries properly sweet and ripe.

As these plants come from Peru, I think my problem may be that our summer
is too short for them.

Are there any tricks you use to maximise the amount of light your plants
get? I'm reluctant to rig up lights in the greenhouse, but I did wonder
if
perhaps covering the soil in something reflective might help - any other
bright ideas? Do tomatoes (which I hate!) suffer from anything similar, or
are modern varieties bred to cope with our shorter summers?

--
Victoria Clare
gardening high up in South East Cornwall
http://www.clareassoc.co.uk/
--
You may also find that the general coolness of the cornish summer isnt
helping (it can be on average 10f cooler than the SE) we have trouble with
climbers like campsis for that reason.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
.217...
For a couple of years now I have been growing physalis edulis and physalis
pubescens in my cold greenhouse.

Each year I have had the same problem: they take a long long time to get
started at the beginning of the season. I don't think it's down to the
temperature, as the first year I kept the young plants on a warm sunny
windowsill for a long while, but they just stood still.

The second year I thought I might do better by over-wintering the mature
plants and thus getting an earlier start,but it took ages for big shoots
to
start emerging from the mature roots in spring.

So again this year I have the same thing as last year: they started
fruiting properly around the beginning of September, and are still
flowering and fruiting like mad, but they aren't getting enough sun now to
get the berries properly sweet and ripe.

As these plants come from Peru, I think my problem may be that our summer
is too short for them.

Are there any tricks you use to maximise the amount of light your plants
get? I'm reluctant to rig up lights in the greenhouse, but I did wonder
if
perhaps covering the soil in something reflective might help - any other
bright ideas? Do tomatoes (which I hate!) suffer from anything similar, or
are modern varieties bred to cope with our shorter summers?


I grew some Physalis edulis, from seed, last year. I over wintered them in
my seedhouse but they haven't done very much this year. Maybe I'll take
them into school to see if the, warm/light, environment there encourages
them to grow. The Passiflora quadrangularis is doing exceptionally well.
It has now reached the 15ft ceiling/roof light.

Natalie

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in
:

As these plants come from Peru, I think my problem may be that our
summer is too short for them.

Are there any tricks you use to maximise the amount of light your
plants get? I'm reluctant to rig up lights in the greenhouse, but I
did wonder
if
perhaps covering the soil in something reflective might help - any
other bright ideas? Do tomatoes (which I hate!) suffer from anything
similar, or are modern varieties bred to cope with our shorter
summers?

You may also find that the general coolness of the cornish summer isnt
helping (it can be on average 10f cooler than the SE) we have trouble
with climbers like campsis for that reason.

I was hoping it wasn't that, as they are still actively growing now, and
don't seem to mind the endless fog and general coolness of a Cornish
October. But possibly they need a max temp to get them started - or maybe
it is the day length that matters. Perhaps I should try one of those soil
warming cables as well as tin foil.

Victoria