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Hello October! With the Autumn leaves falling all around us and the temperatures cooling, we can finally wave goodbye to summer and welcome Autumn with open arms.
October is the perfect month to utilise the space in your greenhouse, as the temperatures begin to drop, your greenhouse will offer your plants a much warmer and drier environment to thrive.
What to grow
Like September, October is a great time to start your spring planting for the next year. With crops such as cauliflower, broad beans, peas and shallot sets thriving in your greenhouse in October.
Cauliflower
Cauliflowers need plenty of sunlight to grow, so your greenhouse in October offers the perfect conditions for growing cauliflowers over winter. Cauliflower seeds can be planted in your greenhouse in October and November for an early harvest the following year. Cauliflowers prefer nutrient soil to grow, so before planting ensure that you add organic fertiliser, such as compost, to your multi-purpose soil mix. Prepare seed trays with your organic soil mix and sow your seeds about an inch into your soil, sow 1 or 2 seeds per module and cover with a fine layer of your soil mix. After sowing your seeds, lightly water your soil, but ensure it does not become waterlogged.
Peas
Peas are perfect plants to sow in your greenhouse throughout October, as they are easy to grow and require minimal maintenance whilst growing. Peas can be sown in seed trays as well as pots and containers and require a soil mixture of multi-purpose soil and compost to thrive.
When sowing your peas, ensure that you are planting your seeds with roughly 2 inches between each seed, this allows your seeds enough room to form their rooting systems.
To plant pea seeds, lightly press the soil to create a small indent in the soil for your seed, place your seeds within the small hole and cover it with a light layer of soil. After sowing your seeds, lightly water the soil, ensuring that it is damp but not waterlogged. Peas need plenty of water when growing, so regularly water your seeds. At Rhino Greenhouses Direct we recommend lightly watering your peas once a week.
As your seedlings begin to form, add a small stake to your seed tray or container to support your peas as they grow. Your peas will be ready to harvest as soon as their pods are filled and smooth and can be enjoyed both raw as well as cooked.
One of our favourite ways to enjoy fresh peas from our garden is by following Gil Meller’s recipe for Broad Bean and Peas with New Potato, Parsley Gnocchi, Chives and Tarragon.
Broad Beans
Broad beans are hardy crops that are easy to grow and make perfect additions to your greenhouse in October. Like peas, broad beans can be planted in seed trays or directly into pots and containers, depending on the quantity of broad beans sown. Broad bean seeds can be sown in rows, if planted in pots or containers, with spacing of around 5 inches between each seed.
If planting in seed trays, ensure that each seed is planted individually in the module, this ensures that your seeds have enough space to form their rooting systems. Once planted, finely cover your broad bean seeds with your soil mixture and thoroughly water.
When planted in a greenhouse, your broad bean seeds should begin to sprout within 10-14 days after planting. As with peas, once your seeds have sprouted to roughly 5 inches, add a small stake to support the growth of your broad beans.
Rhino Greenhouses Tips
Cleaning Your Greenhouse Glass
By October, the long days of sun we experienced over the summer months will begin to fade, as the darker hues of Autumn take over the sky. Therefore, it is crucial that you are maximising the amount of light your greenhouse receives in October.
One of the simplest ways to maximise the light in your greenhouse is by ensuring your greenhouse glass is clean. Cleaning your greenhouse glass may sound like a daunting task, but the outcomes are amazing not only for the look of your greenhouse, but also for the plants housed inside. At Rhino Greenhouses Direct, we recommend that one of the best ways to clean your greenhouse glass is with a simple solution of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap. Not only does dish soap have amazing cleaning properties, but it is also one of the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective ways to get your greenhouse glass sparkling clean.
Harvest Rainwater
October is a great time to harvest rainwater, whether you have a water butt in your garden or are utilising the guttering on your Rhino Greenhouse, make the most of the damper weather over October and start collecting rainwater for the following year.
Cut back your Tomatoes and Pepper
If you have any left-over tomatoes and peppers growing in your greenhouse by October, harvest the remaining fruits off your plant and cut your plants back. Cutting back your plants will not only save space within your greenhouse, but the cuttings can be placed right on your compost heap and can be used to feed your garden in the following year.
For more inspiration on what you could be growing in your greenhouse in October, check out our wonderful friend Ellen Mary’s latest October post.
