New Greenhouse installed - tips and plant suggestions requested

UpNorth

After much effort, a greenhouse now installed and i'm hoping for tips on getting the best from it and what plants i might now venture to grow.

everything from base to greenhouse entirely recycled from elsewhere 

it's 14' and has auto-venting openers.  far more space than we need.

in particular i'm curious over:

-how long after taking soft cuttings would you wait before bringing into the greenhouse?  i often have left them in shady area.  would you bring in straight away and ensure it has 100% humidity anyway, ie in a container or polybag of some sort?  or am i confused?

-i have some Fatsia japonica seedlings, presumably too bright/sunny for them in the greenhouse?  i was thinking of providing substantial shade for them in one area of it

-i have some Trachycarpus Fortuneii seedlings, only sprouted a month back at most.....i think they'll be okay in the bright/heat but anyone know otherwise?

-what new plants might i grow as ornamentals in the greenhouse?  we might do some veg/fruit, but not much, more interested in filling the garden not a veg plot.  i did think a citrus tree might live in there permanent?

any pointers very welcome, so thanks in advance.

Ceres

Soft cuttings might get overheated in a greenhouse so leaving them in a shady area might be best.

How about growing a fig tree in the greenhouse. They fruit more readily in the heat.

UpNorth

Thanks @ceres great idea, I have a Brown Turkey fig in a courtyard (okay, patio) for the big leaves, and tried to take three cuttings what must be three or four weeks back, I think they're taking, so fingers crossed i'll have a fig and i'll restrict roots in due courts to encourage the fruit.   

purplerallim

Or maybe a vine grown over the inside roof which would give a little shade to the greenhouse. If not a cucumber plant does the same, but temporarily. Lemons need outside, and limes wouldn't like the cold in there, unless you heat it in winter.

UpNorth

@purplerallim good idea the Vine, but i've seen how much work Monty does on his greenhouse vine, i don't think i want to spend so long on that!  Can you tell me more about Lemons needing outside, do you mean over winter, or summer?  i would envisage everything in the greenhouse being in a planter ( not enough soil depth) if that would make a difference.

purplerallim

Everything in my greenhouse is in planters. I am told, as I don't have one myself, that lemons do better outside, but need protection from cold so inside over winter. Ok till it gets too big to move around. I have a lime which spends the winter,as it won't tolerate below 5-10°C, in my conservatory so a cold greenhouse gets too cold overwinter for it to stay there. Oranges I don't know about.

I use my greenhouse for cucumbers,  peppers and tomatoes during the spring/summer and overwinter garden tubs with half hardy bedding in winter. Don't know what I would do without one now.😁

hogweed

The Beechgrove did a spot on growing veg in a polytunnel over winter - may be worth tracking down the fact sheet. 

UpNorth

Appreciating most people grow veg in a greenhouse, im not going to be growing veg, not much anyway, far more interested in ornamentals for now.   but because of this, it is much harder to find information online about greenhouses and growing, because almost everything written is about fruit and veg!

purplerallim

Cactus/succulents , at least the type I was given do well. Maybe things that need more "looking after" temp wise maybe a way to go, but would mean heating the greenhouse overwinter.

Buttercupdays

In my old greenhouse I had some netting attached to the roof and grew Eccremocarpus up it every year. Provided green shade and the flowers hung down nicely inside.

DaveGreig

I don’t know if you have power in your green house but it’s definitely to be considered if you want to get the best out of it. 

You'll be able for example to instal a heated propagation system. There are a few types depending on your needs, from electric propagator, heated mats to soil warming cables. If you want to go for it big time then a misting system for cuttings will greatly improve what you can propagate and how successfully. It depends on what you want and there’s plenty info online to research. Having decent lighting in your green house is also handy. A wee sherry on a dark night sorting the greenhouse out and looking forward to the coming season is one of the joys of gardening.