Greenhouse Growing Tips
By Sarah Wain, Head Gardener, West Dean Gardens
West Sussex
May• Continue to take off spent blooms from flowering plants such as pelargoniums and heliotrope.
• Keep potting up so that plants stay healthy and continue to grow, 3in-5in-7in etc.
• Remove fallen leaves and general plant debris which attracts unwanted pests and disease.
• Continue to sow additional crops of salads such as lettuce, rocket, cress.
• Sow dwarf French beans in modules.
• Harden off plants by moving them from the glasshouse to the coldframe and watch the weather carefully so that you can take action against damaging frosts.
June• Train cold greenhouse cucumbers or melons in the glasshouse.
• Clear out unwanted pots, bedding and plants that aren’t required in the greenhouse and give it a good sweep out.
• Adapt the house for growing vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies or aubergines. Or turn it into a flowering display house, using plants like coleus, pelargoniums, foliage begonias or small sunflowers, celosia – the list is endless.
• Watch for P & D attack and take appropriate action.
• Keep feeding with appropriate feed, high in P for fruit and flowers and N for growth.
July• With high temperatures may need to apply summer cloud to protect plants or invest in blinds as long term solution.
• Long, warm days mean accelerated populations of pests, so watch carefully – you might use biological control instead of conventional sprays.
• Remove dead flowers and leaves.
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