|
 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. For strategies on keeping 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 "When Things Go Wrong" in the book
Greenhouse
Gardener's Companion
on controlling pests with the latest in
low-toxicity bug controls.
Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant and Basil
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!
Some of my favorite
tomatoes for the greenhouse include Cabernet, Miracle sweet
and Trust. When it comes to peppers I love the Vidi pepper
for a sweet bell pepper. Most any eggplant does well but you
will do best with the early varieties. I prefer the more narrow
types. 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 to the left.
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. These varieties may help prevent any initial infection.
Also don't overwater! To help prevent fungal diseases try using a
fish based fertilizer as research has now proven this is a good way
to prevent disease!
Ornamental plants schedule for
June
and July
Vegetable schedule is available
for these months
in the book: Greenhouse
Gardener's Companion
©2000 2009 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
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Plants
Started in
June and
July |
Plant
Name |
Bloom Date
Grown
Warm |
Bloom
DateGrown
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: Wonder tasting fruit w/ a beautiful edible
flower.
-
Fig tree: Make
your own fig newtons!
-
Citrus:
Homemade lemonade! Nothing like the smell of citrus in
bloom!
For plant sources
Click Here for Resource List
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!
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