The most popular greenhouse vegetable to grow is the tomato. Sow the seeds on Valentine's Day in seed trays using a
proprietary seed or sowing compost. They take around ten days to germinate, then at the end of February pinch the seedlings out into 31/2" pots once they have two leaves. When the root has filled the pot, transfer the plants into a grow bag or a 10" flower pot using potting compost. Your tomatoes will be ready to harvest from June to October and should give you a plentiful crop with each flower stalk (truss) producing between six and ten fruits. Pinch out the top of the plant and any side shoots in order to grow bigger tomatoes. Add tomato feed and fertiliser to ripen the fruit, preferably organic.

Ground vegetables such as broad, runner and French beans, leeks, corn on the cob,courgettes and melons can all be planted in a greenhouse to give them the best start. These vegetables should not be sown outside until at least mid-May once there is no longer any danger of frost. As small plants they can then be transferred outside. Sowing two to three weeks earlier will prolong the growing season and make the plant stronger and more resilient.

 

May is the month to plant cucumber seeds. Plant each seed in a separate pot with a heat propagator in your airing cupboard or on a warm windowsill. The seeds need warmth to germinate and after seven to ten days place them on a bench in your greenhouse. Grow them on until the roots fill the pot and then transfer to a 10" pot or growbag after two to three weeks.
Cucumbers grow along the ground. Allow four sets of side shoots to grow and then pinch them out. The main stem will grow up a cane, just like a tomato plant, and will have around six leaf joints. Each plant can produce up to forty-eight cucumbers and will fruit between July and September.

Melons can be grown in exactly the same way as cucumbers.

For delicious aubergines and peppers, sow seeds in a propagator in May, transferring them to small pots and on to a 10" pot as each plant grows. These plants grow into small trees and require no pinching out.

You should harvest between eight and ten aubergines or peppers from each plant between August and September.