Growing in the greenhouse

Growing in the Greenhouse

While I love growing plants outdoors, some of the plants that I like to grow need protection from the British climate. In this lesson, you'll learn how to grow aubergines and cucumbers in a greenhouse.

Creating a Climbing Frame for Cucumbers

Cucumbers are vine plants so they need something to grow up and along. In my greenhouse, I have created a climbing frame for them by running a piece of wire along the roof of my greenhouse and I've then attached twine to the wire. This twine then runs down into the soil, where I've buried it and secured it tightly in place with a garden peg.

Equipment you'll need:

• metal wire
• eyelets
• garden twine

Pinching Out Your Basil and Chilli Plants

I also grow basil and chilli plants in containers in my greenhouse. This helps me to make the most of my space and means that I get to enjoy even more flavours in my food.

Harvesting basil

I harvest basil by pinching out the growing tip of the plant. This redistributes the growth hormone in the plant and encourages it to create side shoots and bush out. This means that you will end up with more leaves and therefore more tasty, fragrant basil.

Pinching out chilli plants

I use the same technique on my chilli plants, although this time it isn't so I can eat the leaves, but so I can create a bushy plant that will produce more chillies.

Make Sure You Let Pollinators Get to Your Greenhouse Crops

Although I have tried many times, I've never successfully grown an aubergine outside in the UK. Aubergines need warmth to flourish, so I now focus on growing them solely in my greenhouse.

Like tomatoes, aubergine plants are reliant on pollinators for their flowers to turn into fruit. To get pollinators into your greenhouse, keep the door open during the day. This also encourages good airflow which is vital if you want to grow healthy and pest-free plants.

Watering Your Plants

Plants can dry out quite quickly in greenhouse conditions, especially any plants that are growing in pots. Make sure to keep a close eye on your container-grown plants to prevent them from drying out.