Protected growing

My greenhouse tomatoes reflect the benefit of protected growing, as this is the weekend that people in my growing zone, 5B, can safely put their tomatoes in the ground. The greenhouse plants already have several trusses in flower and have set some fruit. I am thinking that perhaps I will have my first ripe tomato sometime in June.

 

Is the greenhouse heated?


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The plants have been in the greenhouse since mid April. I have a small efficient oil filled electric heater that I will turn on at night, only if the temperature is forecast to be very close to, or below freezing. The heater is on a timer that turns it on at 9 pm and off at 8 am, when I activate the timer. I would guess that since the plants have been in the greenhouse the heater was on perhaps five or six nights.

 

Well, the protected growing is paying off, as we have been picking tomatoes and cucumbers for several days, with lots more coming. This year's tomatoes are huge, and the only thing I can think of is that they are due to the change in growing media to my homemade media.

The fruit is not only larger, but there seems to be much more of it, to the point that I am giving some away.