Spring-proof kitchen gardening

March is the first month of the official meteorological spring. And it is in our experience at Euro-Serre too. The whole country feels the gardening itch, and greenhouse sales are high. Are you also full of hope and ready to go? Do you already have germinating seeds in pots ready? Our tips can help you prepare yourself optimally for a fruitful year.

Cleaning up your greenhouse

A washing mix of water and vinegar will get your greenhouse shiny again. Moreover, it is crucial for plant growth that you remove green deposits and freshen up your greenhouse glass annually, otherwise your plants will get less sunlight. And raking up fallen twigs, leaves, roots and weeds is also an essential part of this seasonal work.

Remove diseased plants (or diseased parts of them) from your greenhouse as soon as possible, so that viruses and moulds do not have the chance to establish. Are the gutters still clean? Check them again, to be sure.

Get your accessories out of storage

You store your automatic window openers indoors for winter, because freezing cold will break the temperature-sensitive cylinders. Now that spring has sprung, you can use them again to control the ventilation and temperature in the greenhouse. Screw the cylinder back into place and let the oil do its job. Shade will not be needed in March, but during the summer months the bright rays of the sun can dry out the plants in your greenhouse and even scorch them. So, shading screens or shade cloths for protection from intense sunlight are a must, to ensure that your greenhouse doesn't overheat. So, keep this in mind, and install them in good time.

Preparing your greenhouse soil

A greenhouse is not spring proof without thorough soil preparation. Fertile and aerated soil is one of the most important conditions for plant growth. Before winter, you can remove the top 10 cm of soil from the beds in your greenhouse and replace it with about 20 cm of new soil. Another method is 'flooding' your soil. After the growing season, salts, weed-remains and dirt accumulate easily in the soil. The water ensures that such dirt and debris and fertilizer residues are leach away deeper into the soil. So don't be afraid to water your conservatory in the winter or to shovel in a good layer of snow for extra hydration.

In addition to moisture, soil acidity determines how well your plants can absorb nutrients. Sandy and peaty soils are generally more acidic (pH 4.5 to 5.6) than clay soils (pH higher than 6.7). What if the soil pH drops below 7? In this case, the soil in you greenhouse is too 'sour' (acidic). Improve the pH by adding lime to the soil to make it more alkaline. What if your pH is too high and you want to make it less alkaline? In this case you can work extra organic material such as dry manure, compost or peat into the soil.

Did you know that earthworms also help to neutralize your soil? Just before you start planting, you only have to turn the soil again with a garden fork and you're done!

Start germinating your seeds

The first rays of spring sunshine arrive, and a wonderful process starts again – germination. In February or March, many people start sowing in jars on their windowsill indoors or in a seed box in the greenhouse. Many hobby gardeners swear by pre-sowing seeds, because this way you give your warmer climate loving plants a head start and make them more resistant to diseases and less susceptible to competition from fast-growing weeds. If you care for your seeds well, ensuring a constant temperature and just enough moisture, you will have a lot of fun with the results.

When pre-sowing in a (cold) greenhouse, keep in mind that seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of light daily, and that cold weather or a late frost can ruin everything.

You can pre-sow and sow in March

Aubergine

The famous ‘Aubergine’ is a great asset to your greenhouse, but this plant requires special attention. This exotic does not tolerate temperatures below 15°C, so sowing in a cold greenhouse at this time of year is not an option. Protect the seeds in a heated seed box or keep the seedlings in your warm veranda. There is enough light and warmth there. If you do not have the option to keep them warm, it is better to buy aubergine plants in early May, when you can plant them directly in the greenhouse.

Tomatoes

The taste of a home-grown tomato is second to none, but outdoor cultivation without shelter has little chance of success in the capricious month of March. So, it's no wonder that so many people have a tomato greenhouse in their garden. You can find the ideal tomato greenhouse here. Before you start to sow enthusiastically in your tomato greenhouse, check the weather forecast. Tomatoes, just like aubergines, germinate at a temperature of about 20°C. So, sow them indoors (in the warm) and regularly re-pot into bigger pots as and when necessary. From mid-May, you can safely transplant the now large and strong plants to bear fruit in your greenhouse.

Lettuce

Early spring is perfect for lettuce. To avoid a huge yield in only one week and your lettuce heads bolting during the next, choose a seed mixture with different types of lettuce, each with its own flavour, eating characteristics and growing time. After a relatively short period, you can plant out lettuce seedlings in the greenhouse soil.

Carrots

Normally, carrots don't have to be in the greenhouse, but it's certainly nice to experiment with them. You can sow a few early carrots in the greenhouse at the beginning of March. Ideally you should choose a variety that you can harvest young, so that you can use the designated spot in your vegetable patch later, e.g. to plant tomatoes. If you keep the plot free of weeds and do not sow too deeply, you will soon have delicious small, fine carrots for your spring cuisine.

Onions

The spring onion definitely doesn't go under a false name. In March you can start a couple of rows of them, spaced 15 cm apart, with the seeds about 5 mm deep. Once the plants are 10 cm high, you can cut your first onions. Tip: keep an eye on the phase of the moon. A declining moon indicates that it is time to plant root and bulb crops such as beets, onion and garlic. And a waxing moon seems to be good for vegetables grown for the above-ground parts, such as lettuce and tomatoes.

Radishes

Growing radishes is incredibly easy. They are crunchy, healthy, easy to maintain and don't mind a little cold. Moreover, they do not need any pre-sowing, and you will see results already in about 6 weeks. And did you know that you can eat the leaves too? You can sow radishes in your greenhouse in early spring. Tip – always give them enough water, or you'll get bitter radishes.

Herbs

There is no successful kitchen garden without herbs. Chervil and parsley grow like weeds in a greenhouse. They are also ideal (and decorative) for planting in the seed box. The subtropical basil plant needs a little more heat, around 20°C before the herb starts to germinate. It is best to keep the plant indoors in March and do so until planting in mid-May.