Now’s the time to sow sweet peas in a cool greenhouse for an early display next year. Soften the seed coat by putting the seeds between two layers of kitchen towel on an old dinner plate. Dampen the towel, drain off excess water, then sow those that swell or sprout, after about 48 hours. Leave […]
Early October is the time to check your glasshouse, so it is ready when temperatures drop. Pick the last of your last tomatoes, sweet peppers and chillies, and ripen them on a sunny windowsill or in a paper bag with a ripe banana or pear (the already ripe fruit will produce ethylene will ripen your […]
Aubergines and tomatoes that have finished cropping, as some of mine have, can be composted, creating more space in the greenhouse border and between pots on the bench, admitting more sunlight and improving air circulation around the plants that remain. Early in the month, remove individual leaves around aubergines, peppers and cucumbers and continue feeding […]
Blossom End Rot, where the end of tomatoes becomes circular, black and flattened, occurs in peppers and aubergines, squashes and watermelons but is most often seen in tomatoes. It is caused by lack of calcium in the fruits. Plants in soil, growing bags and potting composts rarely lack a supply of calcium but what they […]
July is a busy time in the greenhouse, not just for maintenance but sowing and harvesting, too. Maintain a regular regime of feeding and watering with tepid water. Find out if your containerised plants need watering by sticking your finger into the surface of the compost, if your finger is free of compost particles when […]
In June there is plenty to do. Aubergines, peppers and chillies should be transplanted as they grow into pots one or two sizes larger when there is a good root system but before they become pot bound, finally transplanting into 23 cm pots or two per growing bag. You can instinctively tell by the size […]
Sow: outdoor cucumber, marrow, squashes, pumpkins on edge, individually in 7.5cm pots plus French and Runner beans and Sweetcorn in gentle heat in multipurpose compost in a propagator. Tie in the leading shoots of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines as they grow to support growing stems. Continue to prick out and pot on seedlings, gradually increasing […]
Sow broad beans, spinach, cabbage, calabrese, kohlrabi, cauliflower, lettuce, peas for pods and shoots onions, salad onions, turnip, radish, beetroot, leeks, leaf beat and chard under glass. From the middle of the month onwards, sow dill, basil, coriander indoor cucumber, courgette, squash, sweetcorn and tomatoes for later transplanting outdoors. Protect peas, broad beans and sweetcorn […]
At this time of year, investment in a glasshouse is paying dividends by extending the growing season. Sow aubergine, celeriac, celery, lettuce, parsley, sweet and chilli peppers, tomatoes and French beans in pots, trays or modules in a propagator. Larger seeds like peas can be sown in multipurpose compost; smaller seed like tomato and lettuce […]
Peppers, chillies and aubergines should be sown this month. Gardeners who find, that theirs haven’t ripened by late summer, usually sowed too late. The third week in February is ideal; mid-March is fine and the first week in April is the limit. They need light, warmth and constant temperatures for germination; if you can’t provide […]
If you missed sowing broad beans in autumn, sow some now under glass for an early summer harvest, 5-8cm apart and 2.5cm deep in deep trays of multipurpose compost or singly in small pots. Put them in a cool frost-free greenhouse, and harden them off before planting outdoors in early spring. Use the hardy varieties […]
The winter months, when apart from popping into the garden to enjoy the winter flowers and harvest vegetables are one time of year when you really appreciate the pleasures of having a greenhouse to potter in. It’s not the busiest period of the year but you can still weed the benches, continue to sow ‘Cut […]
