-
2 months ago | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
The first two days of January have shown us just what a lottery the weather has become. New Year’s Day it was howling wind and torrential rain, today is the start of a cold ‘snap’. Both potent reminders of the joys of owning a Hartley Greenhouse, as you can start sowing from early January, whatever the weather.
-
Oct 7, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
I hope you have invested in at least one Hartley Botanic Water Butt to collect rain from the deluge that has poured down on our glasshouses over the past weeks. Use the tepid rainwater in the greenhouse on acidic loving plants like Citrus and if you have spare, water under the eaves over winter in the rain shadow of your house.
-
Sep 4, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
Early in the month, especially if it is warm and sunny, sow trays, pots or old growing bags with ‘cut and come again crops’ to harvest through autumn and into winter; think land cress, oriental salads, like pak choi, mizuna and mibuna greens plus lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, chicory and radish and imagine it is spring again. You can also use what is left from earlier brassica sowings and harvest them earlier as microgreens.
-
Aug 15, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
Sow spring onions in modules in late August for planting outdoors in September, for harvesting next spring, ideally, they should be protected with cloches or fleece after transplanting outdoors. Germinate oriental vegetables like Pak Choi and mustard and salad rocket in modules for transplanting outdoors and overwintering under cloches or fleece. Begin removing tomato leaves that begin to turn yellow or shade ripening fruit and those at the base of the plant for ease of watering.
-
Jul 15, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
At last temperatures have risen and there’s been some sunshine. Keep twining cucumber stems round their supports and cut back the side shoots two leaves beyond the flowers and fruits, as they grow. Increased air movement, keeping the foliage dry, plants well-watered at the base and mulching all combine to reduce chances of powdery mildew as does growing resistant varieties like ‘Carmen’, ‘Passandra’ and ‘Bella’.
-
Jun 20, 2024 | 
gardensillustrated.com | Matthew Biggs
As seasons change and most plants lie dormant during the colder months, many gardeners wish for plants that will carry on a bit of the magic. Below is a list of plants that look great for several seasons, working harder for longer, meaning you can rely on them to offer beauty at many points during the year.
-
Jun 11, 2024 | 
gardensillustrated.com | Matthew Biggs
Companion planting is growing a specific mix of flowers and vegetables among one another using plants that attract predators and pollinators and deter pests, often by overpowering the natural aroma of their favoured host and creating shelter for the vegetable crops. The idea is that these also grow at a similar speed so nothing dominates. Most companion planting takes place in the vegetable plot and the companions often have culinary uses of their own.
-
Jun 10, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
I hope that your greenhouse tomatoes are growing well, despite the lack of light. Itit is time to remove the side shoots of ‘cordon’ varieties, as they appear, using your finger and thumb, to create a single productive stem and channel moisture and energy into fruit rather than leaf. Keep the compost constantly moist, particularly if you are using growing bags, as the compost dries out rapidly; twice a day may be necessary, depending on the weather. Don’t overwater.
-
May 7, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
It’s a busy time in the greenhouse. Sow courgettes, climbing and dwarf beans, chard, beetroot, salad onions and tender herbs including basil and coriander. ‘Harden off’ and plant outdoor pumpkins, melons and tomatoes and courgettes in their permanent positions once the danger of frost has passed. Plant courgettes into organic rich soil, trough slits in thick black plastic or corrugated cardboard keeps the fruit clean. Black plastic also warms the soil for faster growth and can be recycled annually.
-
Apr 4, 2024 | 
hartley-botanic.co.uk | Matthew Biggs |Bob Flowerdew |Jean Vernon |John Walker
Sow celeriac, spinach and turnip in modules early in the month. Use peat free seed or finely sieved multipurpose compost; larger seeds like peas and beans can be sown in straight multipurpose compost. Sow half-hardy annuals including climbers for ornamental outdoor displays. Like all greenhouse grown plants, they need ‘hardening off’ ready for transplanting once the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
