greenhouse with not enough sun

Lizargh

Ive been resurrecting my elderly parents garden. They have a large greenhouse but it is frustratingly sited under some mature trees, so only gets a few hours of sun a day. is there something I can plant in there that would benefit from such a setup? 

agoodrum

Hi.  I find that salad leaves such as rocket, mizuna and mustard grow well in lower light levels.  Also perpetual spinach.  
All good for lower temperatures than a greenhouse in full sun.  Although in a few weeks with a drop in temperature, it wouldn't matter.
Worth a try as I managed last year to keep salad leaves going all through autumn and winter.

Fairygirl

Lettuce generally prefers a slightly cooler site, so that would certainly work. Other than that, overwintering cuttings, or protecting small, vulnerable plants, or half hardy ones,  would be perfect, but I'm guessing they wouldn't be doing that.  
The alternative is to remove, or prune the trees to some extent. 

bédé

You could be drastic and remove the trees.
Removing the lower branches would be the next best thing.

My grapevine creates a lot of shade in the summer.   

Currently I have one etiolated courgette plant (Zucchini) reaching the eaves, supported on a string.  It's a bit later in cropping than the two outside.  It gave early crop of male flowers that serviced the females outside.

Apart  from that, right now I have hydrangea cuttings & year-old plants, and auriculas and other primulas.

My greenhouse's busiest time is in the winter, when it my oleanders, scented, flower-tender rhododendrons, and evergreen agapanthuses fill all the space.

Butterfly66

My sister grows tomatoes in a little grow house which is quite shaded, I doubt it gets more sun than your greenhouse. Probably not the biggest of crops but may be worth a try.

Lifting the canopies of the trees could make a big difference 

steephill

I guess that they didn't build the greenhouse under the trees and they have grown up since. Trees dropping branches onto greenhouses isn't an ideal situation so I would look at having the trees taken down.

JennyJ

Or move the greenhouse, if there's a more suitable position available.

Lizargh

thank you so much everyone. great advice. best wishes lizzie x