From MrGreenhouse
Greenhouse Yearly Schedule
As each year comes, there are lots of jobs you can be doing in the greenhouse. There is no possible way to think of everything, as all gardeners do things their own way, and have very different produce/plants in their greenhouse. Below I have tried to just put down a few helpful hints and tips of the jobs that need to be completed on a month to month basis.
January
January is a beautiful month, it is a month where you can really start to think about the plants you are going to cultivate throughout the year.
You may have already brought some plants and put them into your greenhouse for over-wintering, this is a good time of the year to just give them a check over for signs of pests etc, if identified then you may be able to eliminate anything that may bring harm to your plants.
- Produce
January is a good time of the year to sow your onion seed, keep it undercover, and keep warm (Our online shop has equipment that may help with this). Potted strawberries could also be brought undercover of your greenhouse, as this will just give them a bit more protection, than leaving them outside to the elements. You could also start to raise lettuce and salad crops in pots, for your early supply of leaves. Towards the end of January prune grapevines before they come into growth.
- Bulbs and Tubers
If you have stored bulbs and tubers, it is always a good idea at this time of year to check them over for signs of rot. If you do find some have signs of rot, you must discard them, leaving only the good tubers and bulbs, otherwise you may lose all of them to the dreaded rot.
- Flowers
If you like your flowers, this is a good time to bring potted Hyacinths and bulbs under cover to bloom. Put your potted Camellias into unheated porches, buy your Chrysanthemum cuttings and make sure you water your fuchsias sparingly.
- Maintenance
You may notice the glazing in your greenhouse has attracted some dirt over the winter, this is a good time to give the glazing inside and out of your greenhouse a good wash.
- Planning
This is an ideal time to start thinking about what crops you want to grow in your greenhouse for the coming year. Make a sowing plane for raising the greenhouse crops, this will enable you to work more efficiently in your greenhouse and maximise its usage.
February
- Produce
February, you can really start to get your hands dirty this month, it is a good time to start raising crops from seed. These can be shop bought or ones that you may have saved from previous produce you have grown. Prevent the seedlings suffering, damping-off disease. You can also hand pollinate the flowers of peaches and nectarines in February.
- Bulbs and Tubers
You can start to think about planting your summer bulbs this month. Bring your pots of spring bulbs into the greenhouse in February. Also you are able to place potted-up dahlia tubers into a heated propagator.
- Flowers
If you grow Hippeastrums, now is the time to cut off the flower heads leaving just the stalk. Cut back any over wintered fuchsias that you have in the greenhouse. You may want to spend some time now, sowing summer bedding plants into trays, you are able to source these easily online shop.
- Maintenance
It is always good to keep your greenhouse tidy and organised, but you could spend some time emptying the greenhouse and giving it a good thorough clean inside.
- Planning
If you do decide to clean the inside of your greenhouse, it is a good time to think about the plants that you may be growing this year, and where you want to put shelving, etc. Also if you have any plants that may need to go out to acclimatise then you may also want to think about the position of a coldframe (see our coldframearticle). Organise your tools in a way that they are easily accessible.
March
- Produce
You can really start to get going with sowing seeds now, and a few months down the line can be reaping the rewards of your labour. It is time to start sowing various seeds, which include cucumbers, tomatoes, aubergines and peppers. French beans can also be sown, but this must be done in a large pot.
You can sow strawberry seeds, and pant strawberry runners in hanging baskets.
- Bulbs and Tubers
Plant up bulbs, corms and tubers
- Flowers
Again you are able to continue to sow summer bedding plants. You may also want to think about sowing some houseplants.
- Maintenance
If you have thoroughly cleaned your greenhouse, then the maintenance on the structure itself has been completed for the year. Now you want to turn your attention to getting and maintaining the plants. Therefore you should now be watering compost with a suitable pesticide and watching out for pests.
- Planning
Now is the time to be ordering your bedding plants and seedlings from the suppliers. Also get yourselves down to the garden centre and buy the young bedding plants.
April
- Produce
Once the seedlings have developed their leaves, you are able to prick them out. You are also able to sow french and runner beans in pots.
- Flowers
Sow summer bedding plants, and also you could start to think about potting up containers with summer bedding plants. Use this time to pot up rooted cuttings and young plants. Also sow your annual climbers.
- Maintenance
Ensure you water your pots and trays of seedlings, remember to protect your seedlings from the cold, see our article regarding insulation. Dependant upon the weather but sometime during April you will have to think about opening the doors and vents on the greenhouse if the sun is out and the days are warm. Our online shop
- Planning
Excellent time to purchase your plug plants and young bedding plants to grow on. If the sun is getting strong you may need to consider greenhouse shade netting, especially if the sun is getting very hot.
May
- Produce
Your tomatoes plants (one of the countries favourite greenhouse produce) can be put into large pots or grow bags. You could also consider putting some 'Tumbling' tomatoes in hanging baskets. Remember to water regularly.
- Flowers
You may need to consider repotting your rooted cuttings into larger containers. You could also take cuttings from Fuschias.
- Maintenance
Check plants regularly for signs of pests, and ensure you feed your young plants weekly with a liquid fertiliser. Remember to use greenhouse shading on those hot and sunny days, this will reflect the scorching sunlight. Again the ventilation is very important and open your vents and doors. You could consider fitting automatic vent openers.
- Planning
Order your plug plants and seedlings by post.
June
- Produce
As the tomatoes grow you may need to tie them to their supports. Keep an eye on your tomatoes, you may need to start pinching out side shoots on the tomato stems. To prevent to tomato fruits from splitting ensure you water them regularly.
- Flowers
Taking cuttings from house plants is an easy and cheap way to populate your house the following year with young fresh houseplants.
- Maintenance
The greenhouse shading may have to be increased, especially if you have noticed the temperature inside the greenhouse is getting hot. You could apply shading paint, netting or blinds. Ensure you water crops that are in grow bags and pots daily now, also damping down the floor every morning and opening vents will help. Remember to feed the plants once a week with a fertiliser solution.
- Planning
Although you may not need it yet, you may want to think about what you will be doing if you discover pests on the plants. You may need to introduce biological controls.
July
- Produce
If you have grown cucmbers, you are able to train the main stem up a wire. Again look out for those sideshoots that are developing from the stem of your tomato plants and pinch them out. Now has come the time to tie in the tomato plants to the supports and water daily.
- Flowers
You are able to propagate your houseplants. Repot any plants that are getting pot bound, or if you think they are getting a bit top heavy it is good to repot them too.
- Maintenance
Use your automatic window vents, or if you do not have them ensure you are opening them daily along with the door. Hang up yellow sticky traps. These will help catch the flying insects, and as you are ventilating everyday they will easily gain access.
August
- Produce
Train the cucumbers up the wire and prune back sideshoots. Again look out for the sideshoots in your tomato plants and pinch them out, remember to feed your tomatoes regularly. ALways remember to water crops in bags and pots. You could also start to sow parsley in trays or pots, these are very good to do if you have a sunny window in the kitchen as you can use straight from the pot.
- Flowers
Take some leaf cuttings from begonias and cape primroses, and tender perennials and bedding plants. Also sow a few pots of hardy annual flowers.
- Maintenance
August is such a nice month, and the colours in the garden are delightful. However, with the beautiful weather comes some problems for the garden, so shade the delicate plants to avoid sun scorch on the hot days. Ensure you continue to damp down the greenhouse floor.
- Planning
Although we are only in August, it is a good time to think ahead and buy your winter bedding plug plants such as pansies.
September
- Produce
You may have harvested all your crops by now, so clear out the exhausted crops. You may still need to ventilate the greenhouse though if you have crops/plants in it.
- Flowers
Bring your tender plants inside, as they may need to start to be protected for the natural elements. From the cuttings you took in summer and early autumn, you could now spend a bit of time potting them up.
- Maintenance
Line the greenhouse with bubble polythene, and you could use this month to clean staging and capillary matting, this is in preparation for use next year. Ensure you remove any shading, blind etc or you may need to scrub off the shading paint if used, and ensure you clean the glass thoroughly.
- Planning
You are able to take cuttings this month, if you have any japanese anemones or oriental poppies. Listen out on the weather forecasts, as we may experience some early frosts this month. In most cases it will have been a while since you used your greeenhouse heaters, so ensure they are ready and in working order for the winter months ahead.
October
- Produce
You could use this time to sow winter salads in grow bags. You may still be harvesting peppers and other crops. You will need to water plants/crops more sparingly as the days are not as hot.
- Bulbs and Tubers
You may have enjoyed begonias during the summer months, if this is the case then you could empty the tubers from the pots.
- Flowers
Again, any delicate plants, ensure they are now inside. Also any potted cordylines should come inside for over-wintering. You may also find some time to sow some sweet peas, these are my favourite plants in the garden, as the aroma is beautiful, and they are such a vibrant and colourful plant.
- Maintenance
During autumn, you may experience leaves falling from nearby leaves. Ensure your greenhouse gutters are not blocked with them, if you find that there are leaves in the gutters then ensure you clear them allowing a clear run for the rainwater to flow. If you haven't already cleaned staging and capillary matting, you could do this, and also check heaters are in working order. Ensure greenhouse glazing has been washed to allow maximum light in.
- Planning
Ensure you have your tender plants inside before the dreaded frosts begin.
November
- Produce
If you have not done so already, you should clear out any old tomato and cucumber cordons.
- Bulbs and Tubers
Any potted bulbs that you have in the garden should be bought into the greenhouse now.
- Flowers
Again if you still have any of your delicate plants outside and they have survived, bring them indoors.
- Planning
Insulation for the greenhouse is becoming essential, so if you haven't already insulated your greenhouse now is definitely the time to ensure it is a job done. Remember to ventilate on warm days and water sparingly to ensure a dry atmosphere as possible.
December
- Produce
Dig up your rhubarb, pot up and then keep in total darkness. If you have any old crops and grow bags that are no longer in use, you could clear them out. If you have any herbs that you have potted up, you could keep them on the staging for over-wintering.
- Bulbs and Tubers
This is the last chance you may have to bring on forced indoor bulbs. Move your potted bulbs into the greenhouse to develop.
- Flowers
Prune both indoor and outdoor vines. Get more advice about your particular vines. Pick off dead flowers and any dead leaves from the plants, allowing all the feed to go into supplying the growth of the plant.
- Maintenance
Ensure gutters are clear of leaves, and regularly check that your greenhouse heaters are working.
- Planning
Listen to weather forecasts as this will give you an indication as to what heater levels you will need to set.
For other Gradening tips you can visit : tips for greenhouse gardening.
Mr Greenhouse sells polycarbonate greenhouses by mail order; details can be found on Greenhouse Shop page.