← The growing year

AUTUMN / SETTLE THEM IN

October in an
unheated greenhouse.

Help suitable leaves establish as days shorten. Readiness and conditions decide what happens next.

Three priorities

  1. Plant out suitable salad seedlings only when sturdy enough.
  2. Check overnight temperatures and prepare frost protection.
  3. Ventilate on suitable mild days; inspect moisture before watering.

Before you start

No compulsory watering because it is Tuesday. Check what plants and growing medium actually need.

Check which crops are actually present, their stage of growth and the instructions for their varieties. Move a job if its conditions are not met. A blank harvest record is more useful than an invented success.

Our first-season task sequence · 2026

Suggested dates, not completion records. Use the next suitable opportunity if a job is delayed.

  1. 1 October: Review frost protection materials and the local overnight forecast.
    10 min; greenhouse conditions can differ from the outdoor forecast.
  2. 2 October: Inspect leaf health and note any congestion.
    5 min; Friday review.
  3. 3 October: Plant out suitable salad seedlings if established enough.
    Up to 15 min; otherwise defer and record why.
  4. 4 October: Select the week's three jobs using crop stage and weather.
    10 min; Sunday plan.
  5. 5 October: Inspect glazing for loss of light and clean safely accessible dirty areas if needed.
    Up to 15 min; no working at height.
  6. 6 October: Check condensation and ventilate on a suitable mild day.
    5 min; balance airflow with cold protection.
  7. 7 October: Inspect any established leaves for harvest readiness.
    5 min; only pick modest outer leaves if plants can support it. No promised harvest.
  8. 8 October: Compare the real growing area with its starting photograph or notes.
    10 min; write one lesson for the next month.

A useful five-minute inspection

Look at moisture, temperature and new growth. If foliage looks damaged, inspect both sides and take a clear photograph before deciding on a treatment. Water the growing medium only when needed.

Read, learn, then try

RHS greenhouse growing · RHS winter growing · Our crop notes

Choose a day in the calendar · Try Percy’s gardening quiz