RHS Gold Medal winning gardeners Harvey's Garden Plants will be providing regular expert updates on how they are using their Alton Victorian greenhouse throughout the year. Read the latest instalment here:
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Rain at last: We certainly have an unsettled outlook, with the possibility of a wet summer.
Compare our tomatoes grown outside of our Alton greenhouse, facing west with those grown in one of our polytunnels, and our warm Alton Greenhouse. There is a considerable difference as one can observe.
Pictured above are grown outside
Pictured above are grown in the polytunnel
Pictured above are grown in the Alton Greenhouse
The tomatoes grown in the Alton cedar Greenhouse are much less likely to succumb to Potato Blight compared to those grown out-doors.
As the summer vegetable crops like cucumbers, peppers and aubergines require heat, it is advisable not open all of the windows and vents, as this will cool the greenhouse resulting in growth and fruiting not be satisfactory. I would recommend opening the door and fastening it so that wind does not blow the door shut and break the glass, and then to rely on the automatic roof vents that are supplied with the Alton cedar greenhouse to ventilate adequately.
However on truly hot days extra ventilation will be required.
For tomatoes, keep pinching out side shoots and train the tomato vine up the nylon string. Once one has four trusses of tomatoes set ( in a traditional Alton Greenhouse, or more than five in a Alton Victorian Greenhouse (extra height)) stop the plant by pinching out the growing point. Usually the tomato plant has reached the roof glass.
All of the tomato plant’s efforts can then be spent in producing large red succulent tomatoes.
The wetting of the compost needs to be consistent, with a liquid feed added twice per week. Ease the regularity of the watering during cool periods, and conversely water each day during hot spells.
We are using old blue mushroom plastic trays instead of seed trays as the former provides a deeper root run for our salad crops. This results in heavier succulent crops.
If the weather is hot place these trays on the cool solid floor so that the lettuce and beet leaves have less tendency to bolt.
Happy gardening |
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The warm Spring weather continues, but the recent sharp frost has checked out-door unprotected potatoes and killed courgettes, french and runner beans. Whereas in our lovely warm Alton cedar greenhouse all crops are unaffected.
The early potatoes planted in tubs are ready for harvest. This is the crop from one tub
The early peas sown in January (Diary 5) have been a great source of pea shoots. Delicious as a delicate addition to any salad. Now the uneaten flowers have produced pods and the peas inside are un-imaginably tender.
Also the early carrots sown in January in plugs have formed into proper roots and have a wonderful flavour.
It is generally written that growing carrots in plugs is pointless as they will not develop properly. As you can see early sowing into plugs does work. The carrots may not be “supermarket straight,” but the flavour is irresistible.
The transplanted carrots from plugs into larger tubs has resulted in fangy (odd shaped carrots) but again the flavour is superb.
The tomato plants planted in April (Diary no. 10) have grown tremendously, such that the third flower truss is now visible. They are producing fruits that are going to be one month ahead of the normal picking date, owing to the warmth of this Spring and the fine insulation properties of our Alton cedar Greenhouse.
Feed with a liquid tomato feed twice a week to keep the foliage dark green. The high potash content will help the flowers set more fruit. Keep pinching out side shoots and entwine the tomato stem around the string, carefully and gently, so that one does not break the main stem. If one does break the main stem, do not worry, just train in another side shoot.
Keep sowing lettuce, peas(for pea shoots), carrots (in plug trays), beetroot (for beet leaves) etc.
Happy gardening |
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The unusual warm weather this April has led to a surge of growth.
The early potatoes planted in tubs are producing flower buds, and thus will soon be ready for harvesting. As a guide, I usually wait until the flowers have fallen off before the first tub is emptied to check the crop.
Courgettes, dwarf beans, runner beans, chillies, peppers, aubergines and cucumber seed should all be sown now the temperature is consistently warmer. This will produce fast growing crops that will not disappoint during the summer.
The tomato seedlings transplanted into 9cm pots in early April have produced a good root system which makes the plants ready for the final move into grow bags or similar.
We use 75L compost bags and place 3 plants in each bag. These are much larger than grow bags, and although a little more expensive, provide for a better root system to develop which will minimise irregular growth due to either, overwatering or excessive drying out (plants wilting).
We slit the side of the bag along the middle at three places each about 10cm in length. This enables excess water to escape rapidly, and provides an easy access point to assess the dryness of the compost.
We like to grow tomatoes and cucumbers up nylon string. (Farmers binder twine is ideal). If a hemp string or similar is used it will break before the end of the season, and potentially ruin one’s crop of tomatoes.
To plant the tomato plants in the bags, firstly cut three large holes, and remove some compost. As you plant the tomatoes tie a knot at the end of the string and place this under the tomato plant and replace the compost around the plant. Then tie the other end of the string to a wooden support in your Alton cedar greenhouse, or to a wire running just under the roof of the greenhouse. As the tomato plant grows one can then twist the stem around the string to provide maximum light to the growing tomato plant.
Attached growing supports to our Alton Cedar Greenhouse is a distinct advantage to an aluminium structure or polytunnels.
Continue to sow lettuce in seed trays, and especially beetroot, to harvest as beet leaves; excruciatingly expensive from supermarkets, but so easy to grow for oneself.
Happy gardening |
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The warm weather has led to a surge of growth in our Alton Cedar Greenhouse. The automatic vents are starting to open on sunny days; a sure sign that spring is here.
Our early potatoes planted in large pots in February ( Diary no.7) are growing and should be covered with a mixture of compost and soil to the top of the pot. Don’t worry; the potato shoots will soon surge through.
The peas previously transplanted into large pots (Diary no. 8) have also grown quickly, so that one can now start to harvest the tasty pea shoots and use in salads. The advantage of growing these in the greenhouse is that the shoots are soft and succulent and actually taste of peas. The flowers are edible too. Whereas shoots harvested from outdoor crops are hard and not as pleasant to eat uncooked.
The peas will soon reshoot and you will be able to reharvest periodically for the next couple of months.
Tomatoes: I consider these to be one of the most important greenhouse crops. Our seedlings from February sowings have now started to produce true leaves and are therefore ready to be pricked out into 9cm pots. After a few weeks these will be transplanted into grow-bags, or as I prefer 70L multipurpose compost bags and trained up nylon string to produce fantastic home-grown flavoursome tomatoes. One should be able to crop from mid July until November.
Even if one does nothing else with one’s Alton Cedar Greenhouse one should grow tomatoes. In each edition of The Greenhouse Diary over the next 6 months I shall devote a section on Growing the Best Tomatoes.
As mentioned in previous Greenhouse Diaries, the Cedar Greenhouse is warmer than aluminium greenhouses and therefore one will be able to grow exotic vegetables such as peppers, aubergines, chillies and cucumbers more successfully. As these crops like warm temperatures I would delay sowing these seeds until mid April.
Continue to sow lettuce in seed trays, and especially beetroot, to harvest as beet leaves; excruciatingly expensive from supermarkets, but so easy to grow for oneself.
Happy gardening |
Broard beans, peas & raspberries
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The beginning of March is the ideal time for cutting back pelargoniums and using the trimmings to take cuttings, to produce more of your favourite plants.
Firstly check your plants for aphids and treat accordingly.
Tip cuttings should be no longer than 3-4 inches long and then placed in some well drained compost. These can be watered and placed on the green-house bench to root. Do not over water during this period.
Broad beans and peas sown earlier should now be transplanted into larger containers around a wigwam of canes which will provide support for the developing plants. The aim is to pick the broad bean pods when they are only 2 inches in length and cook the immature pods and beans inside, for a delicious early snack.
We shall not let the peas grow into mature vines. The objective for these peas is to pick the pea shoots as they develop and use them in salads. These soft and tender shoots add a real taste of peas to any salad.
Late Raspberries are a treat. To extend the fruiting of the autumn fruiting varieties such as ‘Autumn Bliss’, either dig up some canes from the garden and cut down to ground level, or buy a few canes from a reputable supplier.
These should then be potted into a large plastic or clay pot, (about 5 canes per pot), using a mixture of garden soil and well rotted compost. A small amount of fertiliser will enhance the growth.
The pot should then be left outside in a sheltered spot whilst the raspberry canes develop. In September the pot should be moved back into your Alton Cedar Greenhouse so the raspberries continue to develop and hopefully, one should be able to continue picking raspberries up to Christmas.
We have started picking the lettuce leaves sown in January. Delicious! Continue to sow lettuce and culinary herbs each week so one has a succession of cropping.
Harveys Garden Plants has a wide variety of Raspberries and other soft fruit currently available. |
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