If you didn’t sow your broad beans last autumn, January is the ideal time to get sow seeds in the greenhouse for an early harvest. Sow them on edge 5-8cm apart and 2.5cm deep in deep trays of peat free multipurpose compost or individually in 7.5cm small pots. Put them in a cool frost-free greenhouse […]

Start Amaryllis bulbs into growth, watering sparingly at first; just trickle a little tepid water around the bulb, then increase the amount as growth appears. Once they are actively growing, keep them constantly moist but not waterlogged and take care not to get the growth tip wet. They need temperatures around 20C so move them […]

Victorian gardeners ‘forced’ mint for Christmas for garnish, adding to roast vegetables during and after cooking and at the same time took the opportunity to repot their pots of mint. Pot grown mint should be divided and re-potted every couple of years. Growing in pots preferable because it can spread and become a weed; if […]

Now that the weather is starting become distinctly autumnal, it’s time to pick your last tomatoes and ripen them on the windowsill or greenhouse. Some green, blemish free fruit can be stored in a cool drawer, to be ripened in the fruit-bowl or in a paper bag with an over ripe banana, as needed during […]

Ventilate the Greenhouse on warm days but reduce this when temperatures drop later in the month and the amount of shading, so crops ripen and to avoid problems with grey mould caused by damp air and cooler nights. Before bringing plants in for overwintering check them for pests and diseases, and treat accordingly. Red spider […]

It’s time to sow Fennel, oriental vegetables like mizuna greens and Pak Choi, rocket, coriander dill, spinach, claytonia and land cress in modules as soon as you can. These will germinate quickly and can be planted out by mid-August for cropping in autumn. Continue sowing ‘cut and come again’ crops like mixed herbs, in pots, […]

The weather has been strange this spring, with low temperatures and chilling winds, punctuated by hot days. Gardeners are used to erratic conditions, for sure, but this spring has been very odd. One interesting feature is that drought and dry cold wind have meant the best slug free hostas in the garden for years and […]

From now on the weather should begin to warm as spring progresses (note the use of the word ‘should’…. you never know these days!). Sow broad beans, spinach, cabbage, calabrese, kohlrabi, cauliflower, lettuce, peas for pods and shoots onions, salad onions, turnip, radish, beetroot, leeks, leaf beet and chard in the greenhouse. From the middle […]

This is the time of year when you really appreciate having a glasshouse. It buys you extra growing time while the weather outside is erratic. Sow crops in the propagator if you have one or in a cold greenhouse and cover with fleece. Plants can be potted on, if necessary, before hardening off and transplanting […]

Plants like peppers, chillies and aubergines, which need a long growing season should be sown this month. If you sow them now, they will ripen but leave too late and they will not. The third week in February is ideal, mid-March is fine and the first week in April is the limit. They need light, […]

It is not always practical to grow everything from seed, so make a list of plants you intend to sow and those to be bought as plug plants. Plug plants save time and space in the greenhouse and heating costs, too. Once you have placed your orders, write the labels for the seed trays, put […]

Open greenhouse vents for as long as possible on mild sunny days, shutting them before temperatures drop early in the afternoon. The combination of high temperatures and low light makes leaves and stems soft, spindly and prone to grey mould which spreads rapidly in cool, damp conditions. Though good air circulation is vital, avoid chilling […]