Document Actions
Greenhouse Gardening, Montana Style
Owning a greenhouse has been a way of providing our guests here at the e B&B with quality, fresh and mostly organic fruits and vegetables. It is important to know that there is a little bit of knowledge required to cultivating plants in a greenhouse environment; it is a little bit more involved that just putting up a protective structure in your garden and throwing some plants in there! You need a greenhouse plan
These are some of the elements that must be considered in
order to really get the maximum potential out of your greenhouse or
sunroom: the type of greenhouse you want whether it be a cold house,
portable greenhouse, hobby greenhouse a greenhouse kit or a large or a
mini greenhouse, the greenhouse construction and it's foundation type,
which greenhouse equipment you will need, which type of greenhouse
covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering,
humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best
suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs.
First decide whether you want to have a cold house or a
heated greenhouse. A cold house is the simplest of greenhouses,
it is not equipped with any artificial means of heat and thus the
growing season is shortened when the outside temperature drops below
freezing. It is not possible to grow frost sensitive plants between
late fall and the middle of spring unless you provide heat (which would
not make it a cold house!). A cold house does extend the growing season
from that of the outdoors by trapping the heat from the sun during the
day. And it provides a cozy respite for you to work away from the
elements of wind and rain, it also protects plants from these same
elements too. When you install a heater into your cold house it becomes
a true greenhouse and it transforms the hobby of gardening into a
year-round hobby. The minimum temperature required to grow greenhouse
plants through the winter is 45° F (7.2°C), so be sure to allow for
this extra cost for heating to be included in your monthly budget.
Also, be sure that when you begin planning for your greenhouse
construction that you build it as near as possible to your house as
this will reduce costs for digging and installation of electrical wires
(and plumbing if you need that too). It is also better for quick access
during the winter months if you have your greenhouse closer to your
house. This is what we have and it's great here for the
long Montana winters. Not to mention a great place to duck out of
the wind!.
Watering Needs for Greenhouse Plants
As it does not rain inside greenhouses watering is a very important
thing for greenhouse owners to remember! But, watering inside a green
house is not just as simple as just watering your greenhouse plants
everyday. Within soil there are small open air pores that roots depend
on for supplying them with nutritious gases. When you water your plants
these small air spaces get filled up with water and it, in effect,
causes suffocation for roots. When roots suffocate, plants wilt and the
most common reaction by gardeners for wilting plants is more watering!
Just remember that the watering needs inside a greenhouse are different
from the watering needs of your outside garden. Because the green house
environment is enclosed a fair amount of moisture does get trapped and
thus, less watering is usually required. The best rule for watering
plants in your greenhouse or sunroom is: always check the soil before
you water, if the soil is dry then you should go ahead and water. And,
remember that plants, just like people, do not like being watered with
cold water. For plants the ideal water temperature is between 65°F and
80°F (18.3°C and 26.7°C). Anything above 80°F (26.7°C) is too
hot!
Selecting the Right Seeds and Plants for Your Greenhouse
When it comes to selecting seeds and plants for your greenhouse the
biggest deciding factor is your personal choice! You will need to set
up your greenhouse interior to accommodate the types of plants that you
choose though. For example if you choose to grow plants that require a
trellis you will have to install some trellises. Some examples of
plants that grow well with a trellis are peas, runner beans, tomatos,
cucumbers, watermelon, winter squash, nasturtiums, passionflower,
bougainvillea and sweet peas. Some crops are harvested only once and
then they are done; for example onions, carrots and radishes. Other
crops that need harvesting many times; for example leaf lettuce,
strawberries, broccoli and brussel sprouts should be placed in easy to
reach places, like at the edges of beds.
Here our goodies range from strawberries to sweet potatoes, which
we use in our menu planning . You can find more of our recipes
constantly updated on Cid's
Blog. Trust me our guests appreciate the taste difference.