There is nothing better than having a greenhouse where you can tend to your plants year round and can regulate the temperature to ensure your plants grow in an environment that caters to all their needs.
Here are a couple of greenhouse gardening tips to help you get started.
Why Would You Want To Use a Greenhouse? 1.
It is the perfect place to raise plants that you have grown from seed.
2.
You can now finally have those exotic, tropical plants that simply will not grow in the garden.
3.
You can cultivate vegetables in a greenhouse to use for winter.
4.
It allows you to raise plants during the summer for use in the winter.
5.
You can keep plants as parent plants for the next season.
6.
You can experiment with a variety of plant and even develop a couple of new varieties in a greenhouse.
Choose a Spot for Your Greenhouse When planning on where to place your greenhouse you will need to go about it in the same way you would go about planning your garden.
You will need to place your greenhouse where it will receive the maximum of sunlight during the winter.
Try to align the long side of your greenhouse to face south which will allow you to only have to shade one side of your greenhouse with shade cloth during the summer and the roof's angle will catch the maximum amount of sun during the winter without losing any of those valuable rays because of reflection.
Getting as Much Light as Possible You will need to place your greenhouse in such a way that you will receive sun for the maximum number of hours every day.
During the fall and spring this is especially important as the sun is lowest in the southern sky during this time.
The Greenhouse Interior Remember that you are going to be moving plants around and potting plants in your greenhouse.
Make sure that you have enough space and that the benches and tables are at a comfortable height.
Also ensure that you have space to store tools and if you want to put a sink in your greenhouse.
Keep Your Greenhouse Warm and Ventilated Your greenhouse will get warm inside and you will need to be able to not only know what the inside temperature is by having a thermostat or two in your greenhouse, but should it get too warm, you will need to be able to ventilate your greenhouse to allow cooler air in.
By spreading your plants evenly throughout your greenhouse you will allow the air to circulate among the plants.
You do not want to cook your plants so bear the summer temperatures in mind when you plan the ventilation for your greenhouse.
Water and Soil It is very important to remember not to over water your greenhouse.
Try to either hand water your plants or use a drip irrigation system and do not water every day but only when the soil is dry.
When it comes to what kind of soil to use in your greenhouse you can safely use commercial potting soil.
Maintaining Your Greenhouse Every greenhouse is different and will need to be maintained accordingly.
Be sure to regularly disinfect your greenhouse with diluted bleach with open vents to allow the fumes to escape.
Rinse with water after disinfecting and spray the walls and corners regularly with water to stop whiteflies and spider mites from setting up house.