Tag: greenhouse

  • Why Do You Need a Greenhouse and Things to Look for

    Why Do You Need a Greenhouse and Things to Look for

    Many avid gardeners have considered putting a greenhouse in their yards. There’s just something about having the ability to grow tropical and warm-weather loving plants year-round that really appeals to them. If you’re one of these people, then you need to read this primer about greenhouses. It contains just about everything that you need to know about them.

    What Is A Greenhouse?

    Let’s start by defining exactly what a greenhouse is. These are structures of various sizes that have clear walls and roofs. Some of the fancier greenhouses have glass walls, although you can use clear, plastic polycarbonate sheeting as well. A greenhouse is designed to provide a respite from the outdoor weather. It’s warm year-round so that plants easily grow inside of them. The clear walls let in plenty of sunlight, although the greenhouse might be built with an electrical system and some grow lights as well. This really allows the owner to control the overall temperature indoors. Some have a hydration system built-in as well, but it really is easy to use a hose, if you want a simple do-it-yourself greenhouse that your custom made on your own.

    Greenhouse Sizes

    One of the best things about greenhouses is that they come in various sizes. This means that you really can have one that fits your yard perfectly. You aren’t limited to the large commercial sized ones. Some come as small as a basic coat closet and hold seedlings. They work well if all that you want to do is plant seeds and allow them to grow slightly before the soil warms up in the spring. If you want something that can handle multiple plants and allow them to grow year-round, then you’ll want one that’s larger than that. Again, it all depends on the plants your overall vision for your greenhouse.

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    Pick a Good Location

    Location matters, even with greenhouses. Yours should be located in an area of your yard that receives plenty of sunlight. Otherwise, your plants won’t grow properly – even if you have a grow light installed inside. You never want to have your greenhouse placed in a shady area of your yard. In addition to this, you need to run electric lines to it and possibly even water lines. If you can, place your greenhouse within ten to twenty feet of your own house, in order to make these things easier to install.

    What about Amenities?

    You need to think about your greenhouse as if it’s actually a house. By this, we mean that you need to consider which amenities you want it to have. Your two main options include lighting that will give your plants a boost and promote growth, even when the weather isn’t very sunny outside and a filtration system that waters the plants. Yes, you could use a portable grow light and a hose, but you also have the option of running electric lines and setting up an irrigation system. It all depends on your budget and just what you want to use the greenhouse for. There’s nothing wrong with installing a simple one that lacks these amenities.

    Building Your Greenhouse

    Just like with the amenities, you have two options to choose from here. You can either build your greenhouse yourself, which includes developing plans and literally making it from scratch or purchasing a commercial greenhouse. This latter option might involve having the greenhouse trucked to your yard and installed, or having a kit arrive in the mail that you need to build yourself. Either way, you end up with the perfect greenhouse for your needs.

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  • Plastic Sheeting Gardening Hack

    Plastic Sheeting Gardening Hack

     

    Many gardeners count down the days until the winter ends because they’re just dying (not literally, of course) to get their crops in the ground. Rather than wait until the earth warms up and the last frost is far from over, start your season early by using plastic sheeting in to create a greenhouse-like effect. Plus, if you leave the sheeting up once the weather than changed for the better, you’ll have fewer weeds to deal with. Your garden will be magnificent thanks to this quick and easy garden hack.

     

    It All Starts in the Autumn

    Once you harvest your crops in the fall, you can start getting things in place for your plastic sheet garden. Clear out your garden, removing the remnants of your crops. Only the soil should be left. Turn it over very well in order to remove any lingering roots or bits of plants. Get out your tiller if you need to. Then, set up your soil for next spring. This involves making seedbeds, also known as soil ridges. These ridges should be one foot wide by around six inches high. They need to run to the east and west in your yard, parallel to each other. You can arrange them so that they’re as close together or as far apart as necessary. This is up to you.

     

    After The Last Frost (Ideally)

    Depending on where you live in the country, these next steps should be completed after the last frost or after what you perceive to be the last frost. (Sometimes the weather can be weird.) Purchase a roll of transparent plastic sheeting. Find one that’s 4-mil, and large enough to cover your desired area. You need it to be able to cover your entire planting area. Lay it directly on top of those soil ridges that you made in the fall. Don’t forget to anchor it down on the edges with wooden boards, stakes, or bricks. You don’t want it to fly away in a windstorm.

     

    Wait Until the Soil Is Warm

    Rather than waiting for the soil to warm up naturally (that is, without plastic sheeting) to plant your crops, you just have to wait until the plastic has done its job. It shouldn’t take more than a few days for the earth to warm up under the plastic. Once it has, you can start planting your crops in between the ridges. Peel back the sheet and place your seeds in the ground, following the usual planting instructions as far as how deep and how far apart to plant them. Then, place the plastic back on top of them. At this point, you may want to use wooden stakes instead of boards and bricks, as they’ll allow the plastic to move slightly as the plants grow.

     

    Why the Ridges Are Important

    The soil ridges are designed to hold up the plastic, giving the plants some space to grow. They also control the moisture content of the soil and trap sunlight, making the area under the plastic quite warm. It creates a greenhouse effect. This is why you can start planting much earlier than usual.

     

    The Rest of the Process

    As your plants begin to grow, you’ll need to check on the moisture content of the soil. If it seems like things are too damp under there, peel back the plastic for a while and let everything dry out a little. Replace the plastic once the moisture levels have gone down. Once the traditional spring-like weather has officially returned to your area, or the plants have grown too big to remain contained under the plastic, roll up the sheet and let mother nature do the rest.

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  • Growing Strawberries In Gutters (Video)

    Growing Strawberries In Gutters (Video)

    Spring is here, and I’ve definitely got gardening on my mind! I’m starting to see fresh, delicious, American-grown strawberries in the grocery store again, but as with anything else, I’d love to grow my own.

    Strawberries can be tricky, depending on where you live, but these clever off-grid gardeners figured out a pretty cool hack: using gutters!

    It’s just the right time to give this a shot if you’ve got the right space and equipment, and I’m definitely considering trying a scaled-down version myself to see if it works out. What could be better than fresh strawberries picked from your own backyard? Check it out:

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