INTHE GREENHOUSE
WITH JOYCE RUSSELL
Pictures by Ben Russell
SOW & PLANT IN DECEMBER
■ Plant out peas, beans and lettuce that are still in pots, but wait until soil temperature is above 5C/41F. Cover small plants with a layer of horticultural fleece, or similar, for extra protection in a cold month.
■ You can sow lettuce in a propagator at 10C/50F, or on a cool window ledge in the house, but plants may do no better than ones sown next month.
FABULOUS FRUIT
CHERRIES
If you love cherries then consider fan-training a tree against a glass wall, or grow a free-standing tree in large polytunnel. Either way, you will be rewarded with plenty of fruit.
Trees don’t usually suffer from silver leaf if grown under cover and it can be easier to net doors against birds than it is to net a whole tree.
Choose a self-fertile variety and one grafted on to rootstock that will limit to a smaller size. There are patio and dwarf varieties available that can be grown in large pots.