ACTIONPLAN
For those of us with a greenhouse, it’s time to make ready for spring. Days are getting longer and protected plants grow faster every day. If you took cuttings of tender summer plants last autumn, they will need potting up. This applies to fuchsias, pelargoniums, heliotropes and tender varieties used for summer containers or bedding out.
If you have cuttings in cell trays, or in a propagator, give those priority. Transfer them to small or medium pots and water carefully. If necessary, remove the tips of singlestemmed cuttings to encourage side- shoots. You can use the tips as new cuttings.
over the coming weeks, greenhouse and cold-frame space will become critical. But diseases such as grey mould will also be more prevalent. Avoid overcrowding and make sure air circulates freely in your greenhouse.
Potted cuttings may need transferring to larger containers. Those in vigorous growth can also yield more cuttings — handy if you’re trying to bulk up numbers. Tiny cuttings, rooted now, could become good little plants by mid-May.
With rapid growth, greenhouse space becomes limited.
But tender plants will not be safe outside before May. To avoid unhealthy overcrowding, be ready to remove a few of the weaker plants if space becomes short. It’s better to sacrifice a surplus than to spoil all of your plants by overcrowding.