Greenhouse gardening

Green house gardening is much the same as gardening in the open, the same knowledge is learnt and applied just altering it a little to garden under glass. Remember a greenhouse doesn't have to be a "hot house", unless you are growing a tropical jungle .Plants actually do best in temperatures slightly lower and with a much higher humidity than in our houses. You can control the temperature in small greenhouse quite easily.

Some good reasons to have a greenhouse, Vegetables for the winter, Taking cuttings of tender plants for next year and protecting frost vulnerable plants from the Winter frosts, Early start for tender plants started from seed. Getting in early with seedlings you may want to sell at a car boot sale. Experimenting with various plants as a hobby, or even to develop new varieties. But most of all the enjoyment of greenhouse gardening. Remember mistakes don't matter tis a learning curve, Enjoy


Food and water If you have a compost heap a mixture of one part compost, one part good topsoil from your garden, and one part sharp sand, and a little lime is the optimal soil for use in a greenhouse - particularly for growing tomatoes. If you don't have a compost heap bags of potting soil from a local supplier are ok, but if you want to grow organically check the contents label. The only time you need to water is when the soil is dry. Over watering will kill your plants.

Siting your Greenhouse Choose a level bit of garden preferably out of the way of young children Your greenhouse should receive the maximum amount of winter sunlight available. Some things to consider.Try to avoid shadows cast by building or trees , deciduous trees will allow winter sun evergreens will not.
Have the long side of your greenhouse facing south to catch the maximum amount of light and sun in the spring, autumn and winter.

Workspace Your greenhouse interior should allow enough room for moving around and potting plants. Have benches to suit your height, To low can cause a bad back to high you will have to stretch.Potting benches can be designed to fold down to make more room when not being used They're usually slotted so dirt and water can fall through.You've got to get in and out carrying pots and compost, so make sure the door opens onto a solid path.


Temperature The more sun your greenhouse gets the more heat the greenhouse will produce. The ideal greenhouse temperature is (depending on what plants you want to grow) about 5 C Place a thermometer in the shade near the middle of your greenhouse and check the temperature at different times during sunny and cloudy weather. If the temperature is Higher and the plants you are growing need a range of about 5 C you will need to ventilate the greenhouse. The minimum temperature readings you record on a hot sunny day with doors and vents open will determine what plants you can grow.


This is a bit technical but worth a read . Two temperatures are key - the air temperature required in the greenhouse and the minimum outside temperature that your heating equipment must overcome. For most plants, a night temperature of 5 degrees C in the greenhouse is adequate. The general rule, however, is not to have a higher temperature than is necessary. If you grow some plants that require a higher temperature than is provided in the greenhouse, use a propagating case or a warmed bench with thermostatically controlled warming cables to warm the air surrounding the plants. This can be done at a fraction of the cost that would be necessary to heat the whole greenhouse to provide the same temperature.

Ventilation Spread your plants evenly throughout the greenhouse so the air is distributed evenly. Greenhouses overheat easily, and in the middle of summer you may have to make sure to open the doors and ceiling vents in the morning and leave them open until late afternoon. If the greenhouse does overheat you can Hose down the greenhouse floor. This will cool the greenhouse down quickly.

Cleaning and debugging the greenhouse Its a good idea to disinfect the entire greenhouse now and then with a scrubbing brush and a mixture of diluted bleach, making sure the vent is open and you don't get bleach on your plants. Then rinse with clean water. Spray the walls and corners with a hosepipe will help keep insect pests to a minimum.Slugs and snails love warm damp places so watch out for them. Frogs, Toads and Hedgehogs eat slugs and snails so encourage them. You could also try some alternatives to slug bait

Produce Tips Carrots, beets, turnips, and other root crops do well in deep pots or containers under benches. Tomatoes, peas, cucumbers, and runner beans need fairly large containers. Lettuce can be planted around the taller vegetables. Tap water is ok for watering. If you let it stand for a day to get rid of chlorine you will avoid brown tips on plants. Good drainage is very important so line the bottom of your pots with bits of broken flowerpots, stone or gravel.Herbs are nature's insecticides so include a variety of them in your greenhouse, they are also great air fresheners for your home. Spraying plants with a mixture of onions and garlic left to stand in water for a few days is a effective and natural insecticide. Probably not a good idea to spray plants in your home with this mix.




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