October is the month when production of greenhouse tomatoes, aubergines and peppers usually comes to an end. With falling temperatures and longer nights, growth is slowing down and your plants will be less able to ripen fruit.  Remove all flowers as they are unlikely to set usable fruit in time for them to ripen this late.  Thin out some of the fruits already set, especially the smaller ones.  Stop shoots from growing any more by cutting off their tips.  The above actions divert all the plants’ resources into filling the remaining fruit, so you get bigger, riper, tastier fruit instead of many small unripe ones.  Do this earlier or later depending on your location and how mild the autumn is.

With the rising humidity, disease control becomes more important by the day. So make sure to remove any dead leaves, spent plants, weeds, rubbish and dropped fruits from the greenhouse. Open the vents or doors on sunny mornings, but close them up earlier in the evening before it gets too cold.  Feeding should have ended in September, and watering should be reduced to match the plants’ lower needs.  As a rule of thumb, don’t water until the soil surface is dry.  Avoid wetting the leaves.

By about mid-October it can be too cold to ripen tomatoes well. If so pick all the fruit and ripen them indoors in a dark, airy cupboard.  Don’t leave them on a sunny windowsill: if they once get heated above 35°C (95°F) the red pigment is destroyed and they stay pale and blotchy.  Some people put a ripe apple or banana with them to speed up ripening with the ethylene gas it gives off.  Remove plants when their fruits are all picked, and clean up the greenhouse for the winter.