Category: Greenhouse and House Plants

• Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease and ventilate a little on a dry sunny day.
• Keep tender plants off the ground on a bench and give them good light.
• Wash down the glass or polythene to increase light transmission and this improves plant health.

• Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease.
• Make sure a greenhouse frost protection heater is working to save tender plants, such as geraniums or fuchsias, on a frosty night. A small electric heater is cheap to buy and cheap to run.
• Remove all debris and dead plants and ventilate occasionally.

• Ventilate on bright days to allow some drying of the air in a greenhouse.
• Make sure that a frost protection heater is working if there are tender plants that a hard frost might damage. Hard frosts ‘generally’ occur in the next two months.
• Water sparingly to reduce dampness and the grey mould it causes.
• House plants should be given good light and kept away from sources of heat that scorch the leaves.

• Check for pests on greenhouse, conservatory and house plants, especially scale insects.
• Water just enough to keep plants moist but slightly on the dry side.
• Tidy the greenhouse and check that snails have not settled in for the winter as they can do severe damage during mild weather in the warmth of a greenhouse.

• At this time of year, hard frost is imminent in most parts of the country, if it has not already arrived, and it is time now to set up a greenhouse frost protection heater to protect tender plants, such as geraniums or fuchsias.
• Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease. Remove all debris and dead plants and ventilate occasionally.
• A grapevine can be planted in a greenhouse … don’t worry about planting inside or out as it will have rooted out in the outdoors within a couple of years.

More on Greenhouse and House Plants

Greenhouse growing

• Remove all debris and dead plants and ventilate occasionally.
• Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease.
• Set up a greenhouse frost protection heater to protect tender plants, such as geraniums or fuchsias.

• All debris and dead plants should be removed and pots and trays can be washed.
• Water plant pots lightly, if at all.
• The glass should be cleaned to improve light levels.
• Check for pests such as greenflies that can cause a lot of damage now.
• Tidy away old tomato, cucumber and chilli plants. Dry the chillies on a dinner plate.

• Remove all plant debris and dead plants and ventilate occasionally.
• Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease.
• Set up a greenhouse frost protection heater to protect tender plants, such as geraniums or fuchsias.
• Be careful not to over-water house plants from now on and drain them after watering to avoid having them standing in water in a saucer, which rots the roots.

• Remove old plants and tidy up all greenhouse debris and weeds to leave it neat and clean.
• Water sparingly and check for pests.
• House plants should not be fed until growth begins next year and watering should be just sufficient to keep the compost just moist, never wet.
• Do not stand plants in saucers of water and remove dust from the leaves.

• Remove old plants and tidy up all greenhouse debris and weeds to leave it neat and clean.
• Water sparingly and check for pests.
• House plants should not be fed until growth begins next year and watering should be just sufficient to keep the compost just moist, never wet.
• Do not stand plants in saucers of water and remove dust from the leaves.

• The last greenhouse tomatoes struggle to ripen as the season slips away but it can be surprising how well they still change colour if the weather offers some sunshine.
• Otherwise pick the last of them and ripen them indoors.
• Stop feeding and water only plants that are still in active growth, such as cyclamen, and even then be careful not to over-water.
• Tidy the greenhouse and ventilate on sunny, breezy days.

• Stop feeding greeenhouse and house plants.
• Most of the greenhouse crops can be cleared soon such as tomatoes, chillies, melons and cucumbers.
• Throw out any old plants that are past their best or half-dead because they are a source of pests and diseases.
• Tidy up all debris and reduce watering to just keep pots from going bone dry.
• Place rooted cuttings in a bright position and any winter plants such as Christmas azaleas.

• Remove leaves and debris.
• Be careful not to over-water from now on.
• Cuttings of evergreen trees and shrubs can be taken still but need the extra warmth of a propagator to improve the success rate.
• Try some ‘Paper White’ narcissi in a bown in the greenhouse.
• Plant some freesia corms and anemone tubers for spring display in the greenhouse.

• Greenhouse tomatoes. melons, chillies and peppers continue to ripen although growth is winding down.
• Be careful not to over-water in the greenhouse from now on. Water should be given only on the basis of need and soil and compost should be just moist, not wet.
• Ventilate on dry, breezy days to air the greenhouse.
• Take in tender plants such as fuchsia and angels trumpet in the colder parts of the country.
• Pot up some hyacinths and other bulbs for indoor display at the end of the year. These are buried outdoor in a cool place and brought into the greenhouse in November.

• Grey mould disease tends to attack many kinds of greenhouse plants as the nights get cooler and the air stays damp. Good hygiene by removing all old and dead plant material is the best way to avoid it.
• Tidy up the greenhouse now and do not over-water or splash water about.
• Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers. Allow only existing fruit to develop. Remove small green tomatoes and unwanted flowers and trusses.
• Take cuttings of evergreen shrubs, such as camellia and rhododendron, and root them in pots of compost with sand added. Some bottom heat in a propagator is an advantage in rooting these plants.

• Keep the greenhouse atmosphere dry by watering only as much as required.
• A grape vine can be given more water towards the end of the month to encourage early growth.
• Check all plants for pests such as greenflies, red spider mites or white flies, because these pests tend to build up unnoticed in winter.

• Keep picking greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers as soon as they are ready, otherwise cropping tails off quickly.
• Stop feeding most greenhouse plants now because they will have enough in the pot to keep them going and they are better going into winter a little ‘harder’.
• Stop feeding house plants except those that flower in winter.
• Take cuttings of evergreen shrubs and trees and insert them in pots of two parts peat/one part sand in the greenhouse, covering them in white polythene.
• Pot up some freesia corms when available for wonderful scent in spring.

• Keep the greenhouse atmosphere dry by watering only as much as required.
• A grape vine can be given more water towards the end of the month to encourage early growth.
• Check all plants for pests such as greenflies, red spider mites or white flies, because these pests tend to build up unnoticed in winter.

• Take cuttings of geraniums and fuchsias soon to over-winter for next year.
• Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants, especially those in flower or likely to flower in autumn or winter, such as Christmas cactus and indoor azalea.
• Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Take the tops off tomatoes to encourage the green fruit that is already present.
• Take semi-hardwood cuttings of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the greenhouse, inserting them in compost made of two parts peat/ one part sand or vermiculite, use rooting powder, and cover wth white polythene.

• In a greenhouse or tunnel, shrub cuttings can be taken now; many kinds are easy to raise.
• Take cuttings of geraniums, fuchsias and other tender plants to overwinter for next year.
• Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers, and pick the fruit as it ripens.
• Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants.
• Be especially careful to water plants in pots or grow-bags regularly.
• Prune a greenhouse peach when the fruit has been picked, removing most of the shoots that carried flowers and fruit and tying?in some new green shoots to flower and fruit next year.

• Tidy up the greenhouse now and do not over-water or splash water about to reduce grey mould disease
• Continue to train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers. Allow only existing fruit to develop. Remove pea-sized green tomatoes and unwanted flowers and trusses.
• Take cuttings of evergreen shrubs, such as camellia and rhododendron, and root them in pots of compost with sand added. Some bottom heat in a propagator is an advantage in rooting these plants.

• Take cuttings of all kinds of shrubs now, using half and half peat/sand and covering with white polythene. Use rooting powder.
• Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants.
• Be sure to water plants in pots or grow-bags regularly.
• Train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Sow seeds of greenhouse primulas and poor man’s orchid for spring flowering.
• Continue to water and feed hippeastrum bulbs regularly.

Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants. Water plants in pots or grow-bags regularly. Train and side-shoot tomatoes and tie in cucumbers and melons. Take semi-hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs in the greenhouse, inserting them in compost made of two parts peat/ one part sand or vermiculite, use rooting powder. Cover wth white polythene.

• Lots of plants should be flowering at this stage.
• Water the floor and staging of a greenhouse in the morning to cool the air.
• Continue watering and feeding all greenhouse plants to maintain strong growth.
• Water plants in pots or grow-bags regularly, as these dry out and plants can be badly set back.
• Train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Pot on house plants as necessary, if not already done.
• Continue to keep a grapevine free of excessive new growth.

• Be sure to water plants in pots or grow-bags regularly, because they can easily dry out.
• Continue to remove excess growth on a grapevine.
• Continue watering and feeding greenhouse plants.
• Train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Take cuttings of greenhouse plants, such as pelargoniums, lantana, fuchsia and mimulus.