How To Schedule Your Greenhouse
No matter what your climate, even with the benefits of a greenhouse you will need to observe the growing cycles. Choose your plants based on either the hot or cold season.
For the healthiest harvest, the trick is to think ahead. It can be difficult to think about May when there is snow falling all around you or think about December when you are working under the blazing summer sun. You can be sure that taking the time to plan will pay great dividends.
On your calendar, work backwards. Simply count back from transplate date, minus the days from sowing to seedling, and you have your start date. Use this as your guide to sowing your seeds. When does the soil in your area warm sufficiently that you can plant outdoors? Be sure that your seedlings aren’t too large when the the ground thaws. Plants can go into shock when they are transplanted. Keeping the plant inside your greenhouse is probably not a good option as the structure will become too warm.
If you absolutely must begin early, if your spring fever is too strong, you can begin your seeds in a large pot or bin. When the time comes to move outside, take the entire pot and harden in a cold frame. Your container can become a cold frame just by covering it with any transparent material. Your plant should remain in its container even after you expose it to the outside air. You don’t want to harm your plant after all the care you have given it to this point. The less you move it, the better.
Some plants can easily be kept in their pots and never transplanted. Small plants, or plants that adapt well to containers are the best ones to choose if you begin planting early. For those, like me, who lack patience planting in large bins is an option as long as you choose carefully. For others, wait until their proper cycle so you can begin the seeds in your home green house and transplant outside when the ground is frost-free and the seedlings are small enough to withstand the transplanting.
Plants will be healthier if you harden them between the greenhouse and the outdoors. Move them to a cold frame. Once they have acclimated move them outdoors. If you don’t have a cold frame you can easily construct a makeshift one out of cement block or boards, and cover with a sheet of clear plastic.
If you want to keep your greenhouse going during the coldest winter months, it is important to consider temperature cycles and needs of your plants.
Take Tomatoes as an example. If you want to grow tomatoes during the cold winter months, you will need to keep the temperature above 50 degrees F (10C) or the flowers will not set. It can be cost prohibitive to heat your greenhouse to this temperature if you live in an extremely cold climate. Strong light is also a requirement for tomatoes. You will need to add lights and keep them blazing for a minimum of 6 hours each day.
Heating and cooling an attached greenhouse is more efficient than a separate hobby green house. Often you can vent the heat or air directly from the main structure to which it’s attached.
Growing some fruits and vegetables during the cold weather can be quit expensive. You may decide to opt for crops that are more suited to the cold. This can be lettuce, leeks, carrots, radishes among others. In some climates, you may be able to use your greenhouse all year with only the addition of a bit of heat at night. If you have long, very cold below freezing temperatures however, you will have to provide some heat.
Planned with care, your greenhouse can be used all year.
Tags: greenhouse gardening, greenhouse growing, greenhouse scheduling, vegetable gardening
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