Now that Spring is giving way to Summer….we find the heat build-up in a greenhouse can prove stressful to your plants…sometimes, even fatal.To counter the extreme heat build-up in a greenhouse, you’ll need to exchange the volume of air at least once per minute. Beyond ridge vents and sidewall vents, which have their limitation to how much air can be moved….the next step in combating the heat is a mechanical ventilation system – consisting of a shutter-mounted exhaust fan placed high in one gable end wall….and a motorized air-inlet shutter typically mounted on the opposite gable end wall at or below bench top level.
Catch the Sunshine and Get Growing….Now that we’re well entrenched in the 21st Century with our advanced level of communication and technology….it’s time we pause and reflect back from where we’ve evolved in the relatively recent past. Just a little over 100 years ago, our principal mode of transportation was a horse or our two legs…although some of us were privileged enough to enjoy the luxury of driving around in our horse and buggy…..or a Model-T Ford automobile.
Now that spring is solidly in place, with each passing day we witness the results of our time spent in preparation, planting and tending our gardens. There is a mounting sense of anticipation as we watch our carefully planting seedlings begin to put on top growth, indicating the development of a healthy root system.
There are few things in life that equal the rewards realized from growing a prolific garden. if planned well, you’re time and effort spent planting and tending a garden is repaid a thousand-fold.Time slows down to a more relaxed natural pace when you’re turning the soil, shaping rows, planting your favorite varieties of delicious healthy vegetables and beautiful flower
One’s greenhouse should be considered a place of tremendous gardening potential.In a well built, environmentally controlled greenhouse, you will be able to germinate and propagate most all of the plant material for your vegetable and flower gardens….as well as for the landscaping of your property.
If you have never experienced the wonder of anticipation of picking your own vine-ripened tomato or any number of delicious, nutritious garden vegetables….then you need to consider engaging in this rewarding endeavor. Where ever you live, as long as you have an available location that receives 6 or more hours of sunlight a day, then you have the potential to raise some of your favorite vegetables and herbs.
Whether a backyard ‘green-thumber’, or a bottom-line conscientious commercial manager, owning and operating a properly functional greenhouse throughout the year depends on one’s ability to maintain temperature parameters specific to what you are growing. In the winter, you must keep the temperature from falling below a certain level….typically achieved by providing some type of supplemental heating system.
With today’s demand for increased food production and heightened awareness for the responsible use of our limited resources, ‘Plastic Mulch‘ is proving to be a justifiable addition to the cost of commercial vegetable production around the world. Plastic mulch is extruded from clear polyethylene resin into sheets of film of varying widths and lengths. Generally, the thickness is 1.0 to 1.1 mil (1 mil = 1/1000 inch) although thinner materials are available in high density polyethylene. Because of the inherent physical properties of black and other colored plastic mulches, it modifies the micro-climate around plants, enhancing growth, yield, and quality of horticultural crops. Over many years of experimentation and use since the late 1950’s – plastic mulches have proven to be a boost to agricultural productivity.
If you live where there is little or no open ground for a conventional row or raised bed garden opportunity, then you may want to consider growing in planter boxes or large containers. All you need is a sunny spot that receives 4 – 5 or more hours of sunlight a day and you should be able to grow many of your favorite vegetables and herbs.
Nutritious fresh lettuce can be grown in a greenhouse all year-round. Most lettuce varieties prefers cool weather and may develop spindly growth in conditions with a higher temperature range. The time from planting to harvesting ranges anywhere from 5-6 weeks out to 15 weeks, depending on the variety of lettuce that is grown. Each growing season has particular varieties of lettuces that are better suited to each season. In winter, the varieties are the slowest to grow but tend to be hardy and can survive a light frost. Warmer weather varieties will more than likely require some form of ventilation to keep leaf temperatures cool. Following are some basic steps to help you successfully grow lettuce all year long in a greenhouse. A)Germinate lettuce by sowing the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep in a fine germination soil mix. Provide sun or artificial light and maintain a cool temperature setting of approx. 60 to 65 degrees to ensure a high percentage rate of germination.
