Scheduling for year-round harvests and blooms in the Greenhouse- 
All written material on this page is copyright 
by Shane Smith © 2000 & 2010
reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission.

Growing on. . .     This is the time of year that your greenhouse can be running a bit on the hot side. Don't  let your greenhouse temperatures run much above 95 degrees F. Why? High temperatures can be harmful to the setting on of fruiting plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other crops. There are many strategies to keep a greenhouse cool including evaporative-based cooling such as: evaporative misting, pad and fan evaporative cooling, swamp coolers. Other options include more traditional air conditioning and shading. For details on these strategies to keep  your greenhouse cool consult my book 'Greenhouse Gardener's Companion.' If you need a copy you can order it online by clicking below: 
Order Greenhouse Gardener's Companion

This is also the time when the bugs are getting a foothold in the greenhouse. One of the most important things you can do is not let things get out of control! Develop your own early warning system by checking regularly on the underside of the leaves for the beginnings of infestations. 

Don't miss the chapter in the book Greenhouse Gardener's Companion on controlling pests with the latest in low-toxicity bug controls.

Are you ready to get going on a harvestable crop in the next few months? This is a great time to be sowing to your summer greenhouse crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, herbs, etc!

One of the most disease prone plants is the tomato. That is why there are so many codes for disease resistance. They are subject to tobacco mosaic virus, fusarium, verticillium, alternaria, leaf spot and more!!!! Always look for disease resistant varieties and try your best to keep your plants bug  free! Bugs are often the transmitter of many diseases. Check the book for more info on tomato diseases and bug control!!! 

You must have at least one greenhouse cuke plant. Read about these specialty greenhouse cucumbers that need no pollination in Greenhouse Gardener's Companion. Be sure to only grow "greenhouse forcing cucumbers" which is a  very high yielder and needs no pollination. For sources check out Stokes catalog from my seeds resources link.

Basil loves warm temperatures so a greenhouse is ideal for this herb. It is also ideal for making pesto and flavoring your ripe tomatoes. If you want to grow basil in your greenhouse you will likely have trouble with it wilting and die-back. If this is the case, it may be caused by a disease.

The wilting problem on basil is likely due to a fungus disease known as Fusarium oxysporum. It causes sudden wilting of the leaves and you will also see brown streaks that develop on the stems. The disease can live in basil plant debris in the soil or can be spread through the seed. Some believe that much of the world’s basil seed supplies are now contaminated with the fusarium disease. Once your plant starts to succumb to the disease there is no cure. I have found that transplanted basil seems more susceptible than do plants that arise from a direct sowing in a pot or ground bed. If you see these wilting symptoms remove the infected plants immediately and avoid contact with any healthy plants when handling disease foliage.

Fortunately, a few catalogs (see seeds and plants links to the left) carry some seed free of fusarium disease. These include Richters Herb Catalogue which has “Special Select FT™” and “Compattio FT™.” Richters also carries a variety called "Nufar" that has built-in resistance to the fusarium wilt. Johnny's Selected Seeds Catalog carries four varieties that are noted by having a "FTO" sign that stands for fusarium wilt tested seeds. By growing these will prevent any initial infection.
 

Greenhouse ornamental planting schedule for June through September Vegetable schedule is available for these months  in the book: Greenhouse Gardener's Companion   ©2000- 2010 by Shane Smith The following chart applies to the United States home hobby greenhouse production. The term “grown warm” refers to a greenhouse that has night temperatures consistently above 50° F (10° C). When the chart refers to “grown cool,” it is for a greenhouse with night temperatures that consistently run below 50° F (10° C). Keep in mind that the cooler the greenhouse, the slower your plant will grow and come into bloom. Note: All bloom dates are approximate. An asterisk (*) indicates that you should add up to 3 months or more if you propagate from seed. If you see the word “next” it means that the harvest will be 12 months past that month
Plants Started in June and July
Plant Name	Bloom  Date Grown Warm	Bloom Date Grown Cool	Propagation
Aster	December	January	Seed
Azalea	April	May	Cutting
Browallia	December	February	Seed
Calceolaria	March	April	Seed
Calendula	October	November	Seed
Geranium	October	November	Seed/cutting*
Globe amaranth	October	November	Seed
Gloxinia	February	March	Seed
Impatiens	September	October	Seed/cutting
Larkspur	September	October	Seed
Pansy	December	January	Seed
Poinsettia	December	January	Cutting
Polka-dot plant	October	November	Seed
Poppy	September	October	Seed
Salpiglossis	October	November	Seed
Snapdragon	October	November	Seed
Statice	September	October	Seed
Stock	December	January	Seed
Sweet pea	November	December	Seed
Thunbergia	October	December	Seed
Zinnia	October	November	Seed
Plants Started in August and September
Plant Name	Bloom Date Grown Warm	Bloom Date Grown Cool	Propagation
Ageratum	January	February	Seed
Anemone	January	February	Bulb/seed*
Browallia	January	March	Seed
Calceolaria	March	April	Seed
Calendula	December	January	Seed
Chenille plant	August (next)	September (next)	Cutting
Cineraria	February	March	Seed
Freesia	February	March	Bulb
Geranium	May	June	Seed/cutting*
Gerbera	January	February	Seed
Hyacinth	January	February	Bulb
Kale (flowering)	January	February	Seed
Larkspur	February	March	Seed
Lisianthus	March	April	Seed
Lupine	April	May	Seed
Malope	April	May	Seed
Mimulus	November	December	Seed
Narcissus	December	January	Bulb
Nasturtium	January	February	Seed
Nemesia	December	January	Seed
Pansy	January	February	Seed
Polka-dot plant	January	February	Seed
Poppy	February	March	Seed
Primrose	February	March	Seed
Ranunculus	November	December	Bulb
Schizanthus	December	January	Seed
Snapdragon	December	January	Seed
Sweet pea	January	February	Seed
Tulip	January	February	Bulb

How about growing some tropical plants  in your greenhouse? Some of my favorites include:

• Banana (grow a dwarf variety if you have a single story greenhouse).

• Pineapple Guava: Wonderful tasting fruit with a beautiful edible flower.

• Fig tree: Make your own fig newtons!

• Citrus: Homemade lemonade! Nothing like the smell of citrus in bloom!

For more details see the book Greenhouse Gardener's Companion
it contains a whole chapter devoted to fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers for year-round harvest. It also discusses the above tropical plants in detail!