Action for AprilGreenhouses
What to do in the greenhouse
Pinch out growing tips of coleus, fuchsia (above), pelargonium and petunia
Keep things cool
Ventilate coldframes and greenhouses on sunny days. Aim for a max temperature of no more than 22ºC.
Fill pots
Pot up rooted cuttings, dahlia tubers and cannas. Pot on begonia tubers as they develop.
Sow peas in guttering
Start peas off in a length of guttering. When the seedlings are ready to plant out, the compost will be held together by the roots and you can slide the whole row out of the guttering.
Prick out seedlings
Sow peas in a length of guttering
As soon as they’re large enough to handle, lift out the seedlings and plant them in a bigger pot or tray.
Encourage growth
Pinch out the growing tips of coleus, fuchsia, pelargonium and petunia.
Sow hardy annuals and fast-growing half-hardy annuals
Alyssum, cosmos, dahlias, French marigolds, phlox and tagetes can be sown in an unheated greenhouse or coldframe.
Get plants for free
Take cuttings from tender plants
You can take cuttings of new shoots of tender plants such as busy lizzie, coleus, diascia, fuchsia, pelargonium, trailing petunia and verbena.
- Remove shoots from the base of your chosen plant with a sharp knife, cutting just below the bottom pair of leaves.
- Trim the end of the cutting and dip it into rooting hormone.
- Put the cuttings into moist, gritty compost and place them in a heated propagator if you have one, or on a sunny windowsill.
- Spray with water regularly to prevent wilting until they root.
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