At last temperatures have risen and there’s been some sunshine. Keep twining cucumber stems round their supports and cut back the side shoots two leaves beyond the flowers and fruits, as they grow. Increased air movement, keeping the foliage dry, plants well-watered at the base and mulching all combine to reduce chances of powdery mildew […]
I hope that your greenhouse tomatoes are growing well, despite the lack of light. Itit is time to remove the side shoots of ‘cordon’ varieties, as they appear, using your finger and thumb, to create a single productive stem and channel moisture and energy into fruit rather than leaf. Keep the compost constantly moist, particularly […]
It’s a busy time in the greenhouse. Sow courgettes, climbing and dwarf beans, chard, beetroot, salad onions and tender herbs including basil and coriander. ‘Harden off’ and plant outdoor pumpkins, melons and tomatoes and courgettes in their permanent positions once the danger of frost has passed. Plant courgettes into organic rich soil, trough slits in […]
Sow celeriac, spinach and turnip in modules early in the month. Use peat free seed or finely sieved multipurpose compost; larger seeds like peas and beans can be sown in straight multipurpose compost. Sow half-hardy annuals including climbers for ornamental outdoor displays. Like all greenhouse grown plants, they need ‘hardening off’ ready for transplanting once […]
Peaches and nectarines flower early in the year when there are few insects about, so hand pollination is the only way to ensure a good crop. It works best after two or three dry warm days when most of the flowers are open. When the time is right, there will be a dusting of pollen […]
From February onwards, it is time to sprout (or ‘chit’) new potatoes and the first big sign that the gardening year has started. Put your potatoes in a tray or egg box with the ‘rose’ end, where all the buds are, at the top, keep them at about 7C (45F), then, after four to five […]
Happy New Year! Here’s to fabulous crops, few pests and many pleasurable moments pottering in your Hartley greenhouse. With the wet weather, there is no better place to shelter as you check your plants. If you haven’t done so already, a water butt to collect rainwater from the roof is a ‘must’ and can be […]
This image is a testament to climate change! Harvest any crops which remain in the unheated greenhouse. Start Amaryllis bulbs into growth as soon as you can, watering sparingly at first; just trickle a little tepid water around the bulb, increasing the amount as the bud appears. Once it is growing strongly, keep the compost […]
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 a dinner plate. Dampen the towel, drain off excess water, sow those that start to swell or sprout, usually after about 48 hours. Leave any others a […]
It is interesting how different each year can be. In 2023, I had no problems with red spider mite, whitefly, or blossom end rot on the tomatoes; I cannot recall when that last happened, or if it has ever happened at all. It is down to a cool summer where temperatures have been warm enough […]
With it is warm and sunny, sow trays, pots or old growing bags with ‘cut and come again crops’ to harvest through autumn and into winter like Land cress, oriental salads, like pak choi, mizuna and mibuna greens, lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, carrots for seedlings, chicory and radish. You can also use what’s left from earlier […]
If you’d like to eat new potatoes at Christmas (or earlier), it is time to plant them now, when late season, second early potatoes, stored in temperature-controlled conditions are sent out from late July to early August. They can easily be grown in pots. Stand two or three tubers on a 12.5cm layer of multipurpose […]
