Clean shiny-leaved plants with a damp cloth and spiky plants with a soft brush.

Pot up houseplants showing signs of being rootbound or top dress large containers with fresh compost.

Check plants at least every few days, to see if they need watering. Seedlings will need daily attention. Use rain, grey or recycled water wherever possible.

Continue to prick out and pot on new seedlings and cuttings.

Harden off your half-hardy bedding plants that were started off early under cover. By placing them outside for a short period only, at the warmest time of day, and then gradually increasing the length of time they are outside, you can avoid the ‘shock’ that they otherwise experience when moved outside suddenly and permanently.

Hydrangeas and fuchsias can be propagated from softwood stem tip cuttings.

Pot on any Begonia, Gloxinia and Achimenes plants that you started off earlier in smaller pots, but which are now large enough to re-pot in the next size up.

Try growing on plug plants in your glasshouse. They are a relatively cheap source of large numbers of plants, and avoid the need for propagation facilities and time-consuming pricking out.

Don’t forget to give glasshouse plants more space as they put on new growth. This will help to prevent disease, and to contain early pest infestations.

Cool conditions and regular watering will help keep potted indoor azaleas looking good for longer. Remember to water azaleas with rainwater collected in a rain butt, not with tap water.

Train the new stems of passionflowers over frames or on horizontal wires.

Apply shade paint to the outside of the glass or use blinds on sunny days to prevent temperatures from soaring.

Open doors and vent on greenhouses to increase ventilation on warm, sunny days.

Damp down the floor of the glasshouse regularly on hot days, to increase humidity levels. This benefits plant growth and also reduces the risk of pest problems such as glasshouse red spider mite.

Pest & disease watch

Regularly inspect plants, and also the structures of the greenhouse and conservatory, for glasshouse red spider mite, whitefly, thrips and other pests. Careful attention to the undersides of the leaves, and to each plant in turn, can spot early infestations that would otherwise be missed. Control with approved treatments, and hang yellow sticky traps to help monitor numbers of flying pests.

Damp down the floor of the glasshouse regularly on hot days, to reduce the risk of glasshouse red spider mite.

Brush up fallen compost and debris, and pick off dead leaves from plants. This will help prevent pests and disease spreading.

Damping off of seedlings can be a problem with sowings under glass. Clean equipment and, where necessary, use of fungicides such as Bio Cheshunt Compound can help to control this problem.