September: Greenhouse and House Plants Care Guide

Watering and Ventilation

• Greenhouse tomatoes, melons, chillies, and peppers continue to ripen; avoid over-watering.
• Keep soil and compost just moist, not wet.
• Ventilate the greenhouse on dry, breezy days to improve air circulation.
• Be cautious not to over-water or splash water around to prevent grey mould disease.

Preparing for Colder Weather

• Take in tender plants, such as fuchsia and angels trumpet, in colder regions.
• Pot up hyacinths and other bulbs for indoor displays; bury them outdoors in a cool place and bring them into the greenhouse in November.

Greenhouse Maintenance and Pest Control

• Maintain good hygiene by removing all old and dead plant material.
• Train and side-shoot tomatoes and cucumbers, allowing only existing fruit to develop.
• Remove small green tomatoes and unwanted flowers and trusses.
• Check plants for pests, such as greenflies, red spider mites, or whiteflies.

Cuttings and Planting

• Take cuttings of evergreen shrubs, like camellia and rhododendron, and root them in pots of compost with sand added.
• Use a propagator with bottom heat to improve the success rate of cuttings.
• Plant ‘Paper White’ narcissi in a bowl in the greenhouse.
• Plant freesia corms and anem