Greenhouse Tips

Here are a few greenhouse tips for the many people that think greenhouse growing is too complex. These greenhouse tips, such as light, air, space, proper water and food, should help you achieve a productive array of plants and vegetables. Once you zero in on the basics such as doing away with sterile soil mixes, chemical fertilizers, fumigants, and sprays you just may have extra money for those special plants and pots you have always wanted.

First, you only want to grow plants that have been bred for productivity, resistance to disease, and proven to be strong and hardy. If you are uncertain of what you should grow check with some local greenhouse growers for advice or you can do a little experimenting. There are some species that always need to be fed or that have a tendency to attract aphids, even with good growing conditions, that should be eliminated from your list of plants. The best types of soil to use for your chosen plants should be a combination of half compost and half rich garden loam or equal amounts of peat moss, compost and garden loam. Measure into a pot about 6 inches of manure and 4 inches of bone meal and add to each bushel of prepared soil; if your loam contains clay you also want to add sand to the mixture.

You also want to be sure your greenhouse plants have plenty of fresh air. Fungi, mildew, insect pests, and diseases have a habit of attacking plants that do not have enough air circulating around them. To be on the safe side make sure your greenhouse is able to maintain the proper temperature and is well ventilated. Also remember full sun coming through the greenhouse means good production and helps to cut down on having to use extra winter heat. If your greenhouse is getting too much sun you can always shade it with film or netting but if your hothouse is not facing south you may not be getting enough sun.  

The space that your plants have is also very important. All types of vegetation need plenty of room to grow and if you see leaves from any adjacent plants that are beginning to touch it is time to separate them to give them more room to grow. People who grow greenhouse vegetables and flowers in individual containers will not have a problem moving plants around but those who plant directly into a potting bench need to think ahead and plant them farther apart or you will need to thin out the plants.  

A big concern for all greenhouse gardeners is to be able to avoid any sudden temperature changes or extreme temperatures in the areas of growing. Always be aware of clear, still winter days that could possibly send your greenhouse thermometer skyrocketing in a few minutes. When and if this should happen you probably need to ventilate the greenhouse even when the outside reading is below the freezing point. Warmer weather calls for the greatest possible ventilation by using a vent opener, an exhaust fan running on full speed and if necessary the door partly open. During the winter the best nighttime temperature should be no less than 45 to 50 degrees F. The cooler temperatures are favored by a wide range of vegetables and flowers such as cyclamens, geranium, lettuce, and herbs.

You do not want your plants to get too dry but you also do not want to continue a schedule of regular watering; all you really need do is check your pots frequently. If the soil's surface is dry when touched, water thoroughly, unless they are dormant plants in which case they should just barely be moist. Plants that you have recently potted with healthy soil do not need supplemental feedings. If any of your existing plants have become weak or are slow growing could mean it is root-bound and need a larger container or they need more nutrients. I have found a recipe for the plants that just might give them a helping hand: add a healthy quantity of manure to a leak-proof pail of water and allow it to 'steep' for several days, next pour the liquid into a watering can through a strainer. If this liquid needs to be diluted add just enough water so it resembles weak tea and give the plants their normal watering with this mixture.

Now and then you may come across some aphids but if you continue with the basic tips you should not have an aphid takeover. Should a plant or two become infested, remove it to a separate area and rinse off the bugs; keep these plants isolated and keep an eye on them. If they become infested again you may want to get rid of them. It is also an excellent idea to annihilate all weeds from inside and outside the greenhouse so that the wind and people coming in will not bring them inside. White flies and slugs will seek plants that do not have good growing conditions and do not like organically managed greenhouses. You may discover that diseases and insect infestations, poor growth, and performance that is not normal are warning signs of improper culture. An earnest greenhouse gardener should not have these problems as long as he follows these basic greenhouse tips.