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Lars Lund

08 Sep 2020 14:34

The greenhouse in August – how was your harvest?

We have reached August, and, in the greenhouse, the big tomato harvest is in full swing. But how good is it?

I usually sow my tomato seeds myself and have so far, even in bad summers, had a good result.

This year I tried a number of newer sorts bought on the internet and packed in small brown bags without any real information about the quality of the seeds or the germination guarantee. They were sown and they all came up from the ground, and there were plenty of tomato plants for everyone in the street, for friends and family. They also grew well, put flowers under the right temperature conditions, and when they came into the greenhouse they grew further, so I cannot say that the seeds failed.

Crazy failure

I bought about 8 different sorts plus a wild cucumber. The funny thing, or not, is that I did not get the yield I had hoped. On some of the sorts tomatoes never came. The wild cucumber never gave with a single cucumber, but lots of flowers.

 

Let’s move on

The big question is then, why did they fail? Was it the cold summer? Was it the pollination that went wrong, or what was it? It is still an unresolved question because everything is of course done according to the rules of art. I am still pouting a bit, but I tried, and next year I will probably be less greedy and stick to fewer tomatoes, which I believe in. Even though tomatoes are lovely to pick, there must also be room for other fun stuff under the glass. Therefore, I have removed everything that did not work. There is no need to care for it anymore.

Sow the lettuce

You should sow more lettuce, more Chinese cabbage and more radishes now. There must also be room for garlic, which can grow large so that it can be used next year, and then I look forward to juice from the grapes. Every year, our grapes give more than we can eat, so we make the most wonderful juice.

Air more air

In August, it is important to ventilate well. This is where fungal diseases ravage and old plants are more vulnerable. Also, do not let the tomato plants continue to shoot up, but cut off the top so that the plants can concentrate on ripening the tomatoes.

Om Lars Lund

Lars Lund
Danish horticulturist and journalist
Lars Lund has for many years engaged in the garden and greenhouse. Lars has published many books about greenhouses, and he has participated in many Danish horticultural TV shows. He is a walking garden encyclopaedia, and he has answers for most basic cultivation questions – also the more ambitious ones.  

Get to know Lars Lund