An Introduction To Greenhouse Gardening
There are three different ways of gardening. One is to have your garden inside your house. The other is to use whatever space your garden has and plant your crop outside. The third way is to do your gardening under glass. This is called greenhouse gardening.
Greenhouse gardening is very similar to outside gardening. You need to be able to control the greenhouse temperature. Keep in mind that plants do much better in temperatures that are a little lower than house temperatures and they need much more humidity. This will be the perfect environment for your greenhouse plants.
The best way to ensure the right amount of sunlight and heat for your greenhouse is to build it in a spot that can take advantage of the maximum amount of sunlight right throughout the year. This is especially important during the spring and fall seasons as the sun is at its lowest point in the southern sky. You should try and have your greenhouse located where the sun’s rays will reach through a southeastern to southwestern direction.
By spacing your plants regularly around the greenhouse area, it will give better ventilation flow. One good idea for ventilation is open the greenhouse doors in the morning and then close them in the late afternoon. You can even do this in the winter as long as you watch that the weather doesn’t get too cold.
You can also hose down the floor in your greenhouse and open the vents in the ceiling. This will quickly cool down the greenhouse.
For whatever plants that you have in your greenhouse, commercial potting soil works fine. Rather than having your plants in pots or containers you should grow them in large tray beds. The best greenhouse gardening soil mixtures include fir bark, sand, peat moss, vermiculite and perlite for drainage.
Make sure that plants will get enough water. You need to take special care and not over water plants. The moisture level is regulated in a climate controlled greenhouse.
Planting in a greenhouse means using your imagination. You should have plenty of space so that you can pot new plants and move around seeing to the health of your other plants.
If you’re planning on planting root vegetables such as carrots, beets and turnips, make sure they are planted in a deep box tray that you can fit under benches. Lower growing leafy vegetables can be planted in tubs with taller items. Peas, cucumbers and tomatoes also do well in tubs.
All you really need for successful greenhouse gardening is your imagination. Let it loose, and see what happens!
Tags: Greenhouses