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Greenhouses Greenhouses mean year round Plants & Flowers
Greenhouses give you a head start on all your flowers and plants. With a greenhouse you can grow any variety from seed year round if desired.
Where to put your Greenhouse
You can locate your greenhouse anywhere you desire, but some locations have certain advantages over others. Consider these factors:
Sun Exposure – You should try to choose a site that has good sun exposure. This will help to heat your greenhouse area and provide the needed sunlight plants require with less reliance on artificial lighting.
When choosing a site for sunlight, remember that a spot that gets good sunlight in one part of the year may get very little in another. The sun changes angles during the year and trees or buildings could cast shadows when the sun is at lower angles in the winter for example. The opposite could occur by having full sun in the winter and as trees get their leaves back in the summer you lose direct sunlight.
Proximity to House – You’ll be glad you pre-planned this because convenience to your home is handy. If your greenhouse is close to the house you will be inclined to use it more. Also, if you are able to connect it to your house or garage in some way you could tap into the existing heating system and have a heated greenhouse without installing a separate system. Free Newsletter Please sign up and enjoy our Gardening Advisor Newsletter. In this you will read both fun and serious gardening information covering a wide range of topics.
We will gaurd your Email with great care and NEVER send spam or sell your information. Conditions inside your Greenhouse Soil – You need to place good quality soil in your greenhouse and pay attention to it on an ongoing basis. Your greenhouse has the advantages of a longer growing season but it is a closed system and needs attention such as:
Temperature – Make sure your greenhouse is neither too hot nor too cold (an optimum temperature is around 80 degrees F). Just avoid temperature extremes and you should be in good shape. If the temperature gets too hot it will kill your plants and flowers. If too cold it may kill or greatly decrease your plants vigor and growth rates.
Airflow – Good airflow is healthy for your plants and flowers and makes the environment more pleasant to visit. Stale air is bad for plants and if air is not moving moisture can build up too high and cause mold and fungus problems.
Sun and Shade – Sun is very important for plant photosynthesis as well as the overall temperature. There are times you may need shade if growing a plant that is shade loving.
Setting up your Beds
You can purchase or build the seedling flats or beds for your greenhouse. These usually consist of wooden boxes that are wide and deep enough to grow plants and flowers. They are built up off the ground using 2x4’s as legs or simply set on something like a 55 gallon barrel or even stacking cinder blocks.
Working Space – It is a good idea to design extra work space in your greenhouse. This means being able to freely move around and between the planting flats. Other workspace considerations include:
Planting Seeds – Use a good soil mix for the specific types of plants or flowers you are growing. Generally you can mix 1/3 garden soil, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 sand for drainage and aeration help.
Plant your seeds as directed on the packets and put in rows about 3 inches apart from each other. Note: If you plant a set number of seeds each week or so you’ll have a staggered and continual harvest from your flowers and plants.
When watering seeds do it lightly to avoid causing them to float up to the surface. Your watering goal is to keep the soil moist but not soggy. The nutrients for your beginning seedlings will be ok if the soil mixture is mixed with compost or if using seed-starting soil mixtures. As the plants start to grow you might add fertilizers to make up for depleted nutrients.
Styles of Greenhouses
There are many different types of greenhouses that can be purchased or built depending on your spacing, design taste, and planting goals. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles.
Attached Greenhouses – These are greenhouses that are attached to a house or other type of building. The advantages of this is a structure with easy access and potentially connected to a heat source.
Freestanding Greenhouses – These are separated structures standing on their own. The advantage is larger size, more direct sun light, and more design versatility. The disadvantages are inconvenience to get to, separate heating and electricity needed, and plumbing must be installed for water.
Window-Mounted Greenhouses – These are by their nature smaller and connected to a window or wall. You attach window mounted greenhouses towards the south or east side of your house. Frame Types of Greenhouses:
Types of Greenhouse Skin Covering:
Free Newsletter Please sign up and enjoy our Gardening Advisor Newsletter. In this you will read both fun and serious gardening information covering a wide range of topics.
We will gaurd your Email with great care and NEVER send spam or sell your information. Growing Tips for Container Gardening: [1] Containers: It’s really up to you in the size and style of container, but your decision will affect how you care for your flowers & plants. For example, if you choose an extra small container you are limited to smaller plants because root systems will need growth room. Other things to consider:
Containers are closed system, so they need holes in them for proper draining. This is a catch 22… You need drainage but the container can also dry out very quickly. The larger the container the less you’ll need to worry about drainage or dry soil. Additional container tips:
* Holes should be approximately ˝ inch across. This is important if you are creating a container from scratch or are using a pot with no holes in the bottom. You can drill holes (carefully) if your pots do not already have them. It’s easier to just buy tem that way since they are common and inexpensive.
* Set your containers on a saucer designed to allow water drainage or put the container on top of blocks or bricks for proper drainage.
[2] Soil: You could just grab some soil from outside to start your container gardens. This is a tougher route to take but can be done. To do this you’ll need to choose hardier flowers and plants and you’ll need to baby sit the growth a lot more closely. For example, regular dirt can have a tendency to become packed and hard in a smaller container which creates severe drainage issues.
Better Solution: An easier and better way is to use a potting soil mix. You can either make or purchase these mixes and they basically consist of:
Note: Your outdoor compost pile is a great start as well. The idea is that you need a soil mix that can hold moisture, drain off excess water, and allow for the root systems to expand freely. There are various brands of good potting soil mixes you can purchase if you like.
[3] Fertilizing: In your closed container system, the flowers and plants need to be given nutrients more often because there is nothing to replenish the soil. Your options are to fertilize often (possibly at each watering) or to use a slow release fertilizer. Slow release fertilizers allow small amounts of nutrients to be released each time you water your flora.
[4] Flower & Plants: It’s up to you. Grow almost anything you want to. Some flora require extra care or special conditions but there are almost no limits. Matter of fact, your options are far greater than when planting in your outdoor garden because you can grow varieties of flora that would not normally survive the growth zone you live in. Flora Ideas:
* Grow permanent flowers or plants and combine them with single season flora.
* Move your flowers or plants outside in the spring and summer and back indoors win the colder months (a transportable garden).
[5] Tools: This is easy and up to your preference. You can use an official small gardening tool like a shovel or spade, or use items found around the house like spoons and forks. Garden supply tools are neat because they are specialized and make the job easier.
[6] Garden Décor: This is a personal taste thing but you can add little décor like garden gnomes to add interest. There are thousands of décor ideas available both for outdoor gardening as well as for container gardening.
[7] Water: Water enough but not too much. Some container plants need watered daily. You’ll have to be the judge because it depends on these factors:
Container size – Smaller container more water.
Heat & Dryness – The hotter & drier it is the more you water.
Type of Flower or Plant – Some flora require more water.
Growth rate of your flora – Heavy growth requires more water.
Other – This includes little things like number of holes, how porous your pot is, etc.
Note: Feel your soil and judge whether it is too dry. It should be moist but not wet.
[8] Sunlight: Your container flowers and plants will generally need about 5 hours of sunlight each day (this will vary depending upon the type and variety of flora). You can also use artificial lighting if your container flora are in a place that gets little or no sun. Gardening Newsletter Having a greenhouse means year round flowers and plants as well as the ability to save money and grow what you want to. |