What vegetables grow the best in the Helsinki Region?

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NewEnglandNative
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:26 pm

What vegetables grow the best in the Helsinki Region?

Post by NewEnglandNative » Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:09 pm

Well Finland Forum brain-trust, I need your help with getting my garden up and running this year. I will be starting seeds for an allotment this year in a few weeks, and I would like to know what other people have had luck growing here.

The carrots and onions Im not worried about, but I want some bell peppers, Acorn squash and Swiss chard as well. If I start them indoors, do you think they will produce fruit by the fall? I have a friend that had great results with jalapenos last year, so I am hoping all will be well, but I would like to hear what the other green thumbs have had luck with lately. :)



What vegetables grow the best in the Helsinki Region?

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Rosamunda
Posts: 10650
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:07 am

Re: What vegetables grow the best in the Helsinki Region?

Post by Rosamunda » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:44 pm

Bell peppers will not fruit before the autumn unless you have a greenhouse (it doesn't have to be heated though) and start them off indoors. We planted ours in pots indoors last autumn and will probably keep them in all summer unless it is really warm. I have a small plastic "greenhouse" that I can use but they tend to burn up in there.

I grow tomatoes against a white south-facing wall. Even last year I had a good crop but I didn't have to ripen them off indoors, usually I manage to ripen them in the garden by removing most of the leaves at the end of summer so the sun gets at them.

Courgettes (zucchini) do really well, I cut them small (about 4-6") and they crop for weeks. Use a growbag if you want a really bumper crop (not organic though I think).

Beetroots do well too. I eat some of the leaves in salad and then pull the beets when they are not too big.

French beans are good if you can find a Nordic variety... I start them off indoors then plant them out when the ground is warm and dry (they don't do well in the rain) but last year I also cropped French beans that I had sown directly in the ground.I have never had success with runner beans but I grow them for the flowers which are pretty.

Peas, dead easy to grow and delicious to eat fresh.

Spinach is easy to grow. And then lettuces and rocket (I did really well with the rolls of seed last year, planted about one metre every couple of weeks). Radishes (try different varieties).

I always grow my carrots under fleece. Carrot fly can be a problem.

We grow pumpkins for decoration but some years we get nothing, other years we get HUGE ones. They need to go in early,I usually start them indoors and then harden them off in my plastic greenhouse and them plant them out. They will need a long growing season (a sunny slope and no late frosts while they are flowering) and you have to water them almost daily (we had good results last year as it rained so much)

Garlic can be planted in October for next year.

Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. I'm going to try and find some unusual varieties this year. Last year we just did Timo, Sikli and Rosamunda.

Lots of herbs.

I haven't tried kale but might do this year. I haven't tried Swiss chard. I haven't tried turnips, swede or parsnips but in theory they should all grow here quite easily. I haven't grow cabbages either but now that my kids have decided they like cabbage I might try some.

Rhubarb (not sure if it is a fruit or vegetable), takes a while to get going but is delicious. I force mine under black plastic buckets as soon as the snow melts.

I don't have green fingers, I just do what it says in the various gardening books I have accumulated.

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Bubba Elvis XIV
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Location: Smogtown. Domestic Violenceland

Re: What vegetables grow the best in the Helsinki Region?

Post by Bubba Elvis XIV » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:43 am

Interesting - I was gonna ask a similiar question...I enjoy a bit of gardening and nice to know what I have grown myself.

I was thinking of turnips, swede etc -should be p/ss easy. The only problem is - I live in a flat but I have heard you can rent allotments but dont know if it would be worth it. I have a flat cap already.
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JuliaB
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Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 7:38 pm
Location: Turku

Re: What vegetables grow the best in the Helsinki Region?

Post by JuliaB » Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:46 pm

Swish chard comes up nice and easy, I did not start it indoors and it grew great.
Julia B
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