Grandad Fred’s Greenhouse Tips

Grandad Fred’s Greenhouse Tips

Grandad Fred is a familiar face around our showsite, appearing regularly to help tend to the plants in the Elite Greenhouse. Today he’s sharing his top tips for greenhouses, so read on for some nuggets of wisdom…

Tip 1: Cut up a pair of tights to secure plants to canes

The stretchy fabric is ideal for tying plant stems to canes to keep them growing upright, and you can get plenty of ties from a single pair of tights.

Tip 2: Spray green beans with water to help blossom the flowers

The extra moisture helps the delicate flowers to bloom as beautifully as possible, and means you’re more likely to end up with plenty of beans when the time comes.

Tip 3: When growing cucumbers, keep a washing up bowl of water underneath the pot

Cucumber plants must be kept in moist earth at all times. By making a hole in the bottom of the plant pot and sitting it in a washing up bowl of water, the earth in the pot will absorb the water as it dries out, meaning it keeps a constant moisture content. This allows the cucumber to remain fully hydrated, and therefore grow to its best.

Tip 4: Put a banana skin in the tomato bag for a sweeter taste

This is a great one for making the most out of the produce you grow. Banana skins hold plenty of nutrients, and tomatoes are able to absorb these from the soil as they grow, meaning your tomatoes will be far sweeter.

Tip 5: In hot weather, keep the greenhouse well-ventilated

It’s always important to keep your greenhouse well-ventilated so it doesn’t overheat, but this is especially true during baking hot weather like we’ve been having recently. This is to prevent your plants from drying out – remember to keep them hydrated too!

Leave the windows open while the sun’s out, and even try to keep the doors open if possible, especially around midday. Even better if you can add Elite’s automatic ventilation kits to the roof vents and louvre vents of your greenhouse, to keep the plants well-ventilated even while you’re not out there with them.

We hope you find these tips useful – thank you to Grandad Fred for providing them. Happy gardening!

30th August 2018

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