A gardener with an allotment has shared the key jobs she will be doing in the colder months from her greenhouse – from preparing for Christmas to planning for next spring
Lucy Marshall Lifestyle Reporter
15:40, 08 Oct 2025
A gardener has shared her list of greenhouse jobs to tick off in the cooler months (stock image)(Image: Dougal Waters via Getty Images)
Autumn has well and truly arrived – leaves are turning golden, coats have emerged from storage, and blustery, wet weather has become the norm. For many, venturing into the garden is becoming increasingly unappealing. Yet there are several essential tasks that gardeners must tackle now to and ensure their plants are in prime condition when the growing season begins again next spring.
Chloe Plumstead, who gardens in an allotment, has been documenting her horticultural adventures on social media. The dedicated gardener, who successfully cultivated an enormous pumpkin ready for autumn this year, revealed she has been flooded with enquiries about her greenhouse plans for winter.
Chloe, who has amassed more than 30,000 followers on TikTok and over 120,000 on Instagram, expressed disbelief at how rapidly the chillier months have arrived.
Towards the end of September, she posted on TikTok: “The fact that we’re fast approaching October is almost giving me whiplash because it feels like only a few weeks back that we were sewing our spring seeds. I have to surrender to the order of things.”
She continued: “I’ve had a few questions about what I am going to be doing in my greenhouse over winter so I thought I’d just quickly run you through my plans.”
Tomatoes
With tomato season drawing to a close this month, now is the moment to gather any remaining unripe tomatoes to mature indoors before cutting down the plants.
Chloe revealed: “I’ve still got the last of my tomatoes going behind me and I’ve topped them and taken off most of the foliage to give the green fruits the best chance of ripening.”
She explained that any unripe tomatoes won’t go to waste, as she produces green tomato chutney annually.
“So I do kind of need some,” she remarked, continuing: “But once the tomatoes are out I will be replacing them in pots with Florence fennel which I have already sown. I’ve never grown fennel before in the greenhouse but I absolutely adore eating it so hopefully that will work.”
Getting ahead for the festive season
Chloe shared that she’s already making preparations for Christmas by tending to her potatoes.
She explained: “I also have my Christmas potatoes in big tubs outdoors and I’ll be bringing those into the greenhouse when it starts to really get wet, just to avoid potato scab.”
Content cannot be displayed without consentPlanning ahead for the coming year
Chloe mentioned that numerous flower seeds have been recently sown in preparation for next year, and these will remain under cover in the greenhouse.
She disclosed: “I also have my scented pelargoniums. Even though I had them in the greenhouse, two out of three died from cold, so yes I will be giving them extra protection this year, but also they will be staying in.
“Finally, I will bring in any herbs that I have in pots, just to try and give them the best chance of surviving,” she concluded.
Maintenance tasks
Chloe expressed her preference for a thorough clean of both the inside and outside of her greenhouse during the winter months. This method effectively clears out debris, disinfects areas, and removes dirt, mould, and pests.
Chloe stated: “I also do like to clean the greenhouse in winter, so internally and externally. Hopefully that’s helped.”
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