Category: Greenhouse and House Plants

  • Continue watering and feeding all indoor plants regularly.
  • Give plenty of ventilation on sunny days, a little less on dull days to keep the temperature up.
  • Watch for greenflies and red spider mites which can build up dramatically during this period.
  • Remove excess shoots of a grapevine every couple of weeks to keep it under control and tie in new shoots that are needed for extension growth.
  • Make sure to water and feed all greenhouse plants well during the coming weeks to maintain vigorous growth during the longest days of the summer.
  • Ventilate well during damp weather.
  • Watch for pest build-up.
  • Continue training and taking side-shoots off tomato plants and twist tomato, melon and cucumber plants up strings.
  • Ease off watering tomato plants as they set their first truss of fruit.
  • Continue to feed greenhouse plants and water freely to maintain strong growth.
  • Use a shading material if the greenhouse gets too hot.
  • Check greenhouse plants for scale insects, greenflies and red spider mites, all of which can build up very rapidly at the time of year with soft growth on most plants.
  • Remove excess shoots of a grapevine every couple of weeks to keep it under control and tie in new shoots that are needed for extension growth.
  • Train greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers and melons on strings tied to wires in the roof or use canes,
  • Use a greenhouse shading material now if the house is inclined to get too hot.
  • Continue to feed greenhouse plants every two weeks to get good growth before mid-summer and continue to water well.
  • Spray a grapevine with rose spray if it shows mildew on the leaves – the spray will keep the fungus off the tiny grapes that are now developing.
  • Pot up some bedding plants such as busy lizzies, begonias and petunias for greenhouse display.
  • Remove excess shoots of a grapevine every couple of weeks to keep it under control and tie in new shoots that are needed for extension growth.
  • Plant out tomatoes and peppers in a greenhouse, if not already done.
  • Water all indoor plants regularly and feed every two weeks or so.
  • Pot up some petunias, bedding busy lizzie or bedding begonias for greenhouse decoration in summer.
  • Continue to feed greenhouse plants strongly and to water them well and damp down
  • Spray a grapevine with rose spray if it had mildew disease last year.
  • House plants can be re-potted now.
  • Plant out tomatoes, chilli peppers, cucumbers and sweet peppers in the greenhouse soil as soon as possible, if not already done, because these need to make rapid growth now.
  • Plant out tomatoes, chilli peppers, cucumbers and sweet peppers if there has been no space earlier in the greenhouse due to bedding plants and outdoor vegetables such as sweet corn and runer beans.
  • If you have not raised plants of your own, all of these are available in garden outlets.
  • Feed greenhouse plants strongly now to get good growth as early as possible and water well.
  • Watch for pest build-up on greenhouse plants.
  • Spray a grapevine with rose spray if it had mildew disease last year.
  • Remove excess shoots of a grapevine every couple of weeks to keep it under control and tie in new shoots that are needed for extension growth.
  • Houseplants can be re-potted now.
  • Reduce watering for tomato plants as they set their first truss of fruit.
  • If a lot of peach fruits have set, thin them out to an average of 1 fruit per 20cm of branch, leaving the larrgest ones.
  • Begonias can be potted up for greenhouse and indoor decoration later.
  • All house plants and greenhouse plants should be grown on strongly now to get good growth before mid-summer.
  • Grape powdery mildew has already appeared from last year’s buds and it is necessary to spray a grapevine with a rose spray now if it had the disease last year.
  • Houseplants can be re-potted now.
  • Plant melon and cucumber plants in the greenhouse if not already done, also greenhouse tomato plants, raised or purchased, chillies, aubergines and sweet peppers.
  • Feed all bedding plants and tender vegetables for planting out at the end of May and keep them growing well. Space the pots adequately to ensure proper development.
  • If possible, plant out tomatoes now in the greenhouse.
  • Check for greenflies which can build up rapidly.
  • Remove excess shoots of a grapevine every couple of weeks to keep it under control and tie in new shoots that are needed for extension growth.
  • Continue to feed and water generously to push growth on.
  • If tomato plants planted out earlier are flowering, ease off watering and feeding until the first truss of fruit is set.
  • Plant out greenhouse tomatoes in the greenhouse soil or in pots, or growbags.
  • All greenhouse plants should be well watered and liquid fed to grow them on strongly and take advantage of improving weather conditions.
  • Sweet corn should be sown by now but can be put in right away, if not.
  • Courgette seeds and runner beans can be sown mid-month for planting out at the end of May.
  • Watch for greenflies and red spider mites, especially on peach trees.
  • Summer bedding seeds sown this late will flower late in the summer and it might be better to wait and buy plants.
  • If not already done, greenhouse tomato plants, raised or purchased, can be planted in the greenhouse soil, also cucumbers, chillies, aubergines, sweet peppers and melons.
  • Over-grown house plants can be cut back now and well watered and fed until they show signs of new growth.
  • Houseplants can also be re-potted now, if they are pot-bound and topple over at a touch. Move plants into bigger pots as they need it, such as begonias, dahlias and bedding plants.
  • Feed house plants and all kinds of greenhouse plants to make rapid growth early in the season.
  • Spray a grapevine for mildew if it had the disease last year. Remove excess shoots of a grapevine every couple of weeks to keep it under control and tie in new shoots that are needed for extension growth.
  • Houseplants can be re-potted now, if they are pot-bound and tend to topple over.
  • Over-grown house plants can be cut back now and well watered and fed until they show signs of new growth.
  • Feed all greenhouse plants strongly and water well to get the best benefit of the season with a good start.
  • Spray a grapevine for mildew with rose sprays if it had the disease last year.
  • Plant out greenhouse tomato plants, also melons and cucumbers if plants have been raised, or purchased.
  • Re-pot any house plants that are pot-bound and tending to topple over or dry out very easily.
  • Sow sweet corn and runner beans for planting out at the end of May.
  • Sow seeds of sweet peppers and chilli peppers for growing in the greenhouse.
  • Feed and water heavily all greenhouse plants, if not already done.
  • Sow basil indoors, and it is best grown in the warmth of a greenhouse.
  • Feed and water heavily all greenhouse plants, and repeat every week or two weeks to boost fast growth.
  • Sow sweet corn and runner bean seeds in the next two weeks for planting out at the end of May.
  • There is still time to sow seeds of sweet peppers and chilli peppers.
  • Check all greenhouse plants for greenflies and other pests now.
  • Plant out greenhouse tomato plants, purchased or home-grown.
  • Sow seeds of tomatoes for greenhouse growing without delay, also sweet peppers and chilli peppers, or buy some plants later.
  • Feed greenhouse plants and house plants strongly to move them into rapid growth as the weather warms up and?higher temperatures are reached in the greenhouse.
  • Check for greenflies and other pests indoors.
  • Tidy out all rubbish and begin to prick out flowers and vegetables sown earlier for eventual planting outside.
  • Plant out greenhouse tomato plants now if they are ready.
  • Feed and water heavily all greenhouse plants, if not already done, to keep greenhouse plants moving.
  • Sow seeds of tomatoes for greenhouse growing, without delay, also sweet peppers and chilli peppers. If there is a delay, it would be better to wait and purchase plants.
  • Start off begonias and dahlias in pots of compost.
  • Re-pot house plants that are pot-bound and falling over.
  • While it is a little too early to sow tomato seeds for outdoor growing, it is getting late for sowing tomato plants to grow in a greenhouse, also sweet peppers and chilli peppers.
  • If tomato plants were raised earlier, they can be planted out in the greenhouse border now, even just 10cm tall.
  • Cucumbers can be sown now, or earlier, or later, but mostly from now in greenhouses that have no artificial form of heat.
  • Pot up begonia tubers and canna roots for summer display in the greenhouse or conservatory.
  • Feed and water all greenhouse plants.
  • Check for pests, especially greenflies and scale insects.
  • Re-pot old house plants that have become tired and pot-bound.
  • It is a good time to sow tomato seeds for plants for greenhouse growing, also sweet peppers and chilli peppers. These are easy to grow and fill the greenhouse during the summer months. Sow these before mid-March as delayed sowing after this time will delay cropping, especially in a dull summer.
  • Pot up begonias and cannas for summer display in the greenhouse or conservatory.
  • Feed and water all greenhouse plants.
  • Check for pests, especially greenflies, on the tips of new growth.
  • Tap the flowers of a peach tree to release pollen or use a fine brush.
  • Sow seeds now of tomatoes for greenhouse growing, also peppers and chillis, because delayed sowing will delay cropping and ripening of the last of the tomato crop next October.
  • Most greenhouse plants in pots will benefit from an increase in watering now as growth begins.
  • Greenhouse camellias in pots will be showing flowers of quality more perfect than those outdoors.
  • Feeding of greenhouse plants can now begin.
  • Tap the flowers of a peach tree to release pollen or use a fine brush.
  • Greenhouse peach trees should have the first flowers gently pollinated with a small soft paintbrush or by vigorously tapping on the support wires. A nice sunny day is best. It is not necessary to get every flower pollinated – about five percent will give a good crop.
  • Water a grapevine well to get it moving … early growth means earlier and better ripening.
  • Sow seeds of tomatoes for greenhouse growing, also peppers and chillies.
  • Continue to increase watering and begin light feeding as plants begin to grow.

 

  • To re-start strong growth, most greenhouse plants in pots will benefit from an increase in watering and also begin feeding, introducing a little plant food when watering.
  • Sow seeds of tomatoes for greenhouse growing, also peppers and chillies.
  • Check for signs of greenflies and other pests on greenhouse plants and house plants, and control them if necessary. There are few or no natural predators in the greenhouse and pests often have a free run.
  • Permanent greenhouse plants that have grown too large can be pruned back in the next few weeks.
  • Grape mildew is a big problem on glasshouse grapevines but the rose sprays are very effective on mildew and these can be applied when the first new leaves appear.
  • Begin regular watering as the plants begin to make new growth. Feeding can begin too but there is still time as growth is still slow.
  • Greenhouse grape vines and peach trees will be starting to come out of dormancy – the sooner they flower the sooner they will ripen next summer, so a heavy watering helps to get them moving.
  • Begin watering plants in pots more regularly, as they need it.
  • Clean the glass and close the vents to make the most of whatever sunshine there is at this time.
  • Christmas houseplants – poinsettia, azalea, cyclamen and such like – can be made to last longer if they are given reasonable care now. They will need watering but only just enough to keep them moist, certainly do not leave them standing in water.
  • Clean dust off the leaves of house plants witha soft cloth and clean lukewarm water.
  • Water sparingly in the greenhouse for the time being.
  • 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.