Tips for Successful Greenhouse Gardening

If you are a gardening enthusiast who loves to spend time in nature, you must have thought of having a greenhouse in your garden or backyard. It is almost impossible for a gardener not to get excited by the idea of having a green sanctuary.

Beyond beautiful aesthetics, a greenhouse allows you to experiment with different gardening techniques and nurture diverse plants or trees in a protected environment. It relieves you from the hustle and bustle of daily life and gives you a healthy space to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Let's explore more details about the benefits of greenhouses and how you can set up one in your backyard.

Benefits of Having a Greenhouse

Having a greenhouse is an excellent idea to turn your gardening hobby into a passion. Although there are many reasons to invest in a greenhouse, here are some of the most prominent benefits of greenhouse gardens.

Multipurpose Gardening

A greenhouse allows you to experiment with a lot of things. You can grow fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, or house plants in one place. It comes with the convenience of growing all of your favorite plants at the same time. You can easily designate different spots for everything involved in gardening and store all your equipment in one place.

All-Year Growth

You can grow whatever you want in a greenhouse, regardless of the season. They can create an all-year warm and cold climate for plants to thrive, no matter what the weather outside. Here are some plants that you can grow throughout the year such as:

• Strawberries
• Beans
• Cucumbers
• Peppers

Portable and Customizable

Greenhouses are usually made of lightweight materials that you can move and reposition according to the season, light, or any other needs. Since the plants grow inside pots and beds instead of the ground, you can easily change the internal layout without hassle.

Cost Saving

Greenhouses can help you save money, food costs, and resources in different ways. By controlling the internal environment and saving water through drip irrigation, you can reduce the need for water and expensive pesticides for growth.

Essential Greenhouse Tips for Beginners

If you plan to install a greenhouse, here are some essential greenhouse-growing tips to help you enjoy a thriving garden.

1. Choosing the Appropriate Greenhouse

Greenhouses come in a variety of shapes, forms, and sizes. According to your needs and space requirements, you can choose from the following options:

• Traditional Greenhouse: This is the most common and widely used greenhouse. It offers a spacious area to grow different trees and plants, such as cucumber, cantaloupes, and tomatoes. The gable-shaped roof allows good ventilation and even natural light. Add bench frames inside to grow your favorite fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
• Lean-To Greenhouse: A lean-to greenhouse can be attached to an existing wall of your house, such as a south-facing garage wall. They are ideal for solar heat collection, especially for growing summer and spring flowers or vegetables.
• Round Greenhouse: The best benefit of a round greenhouse is its maximum height and structural stability. Circular design minimizes the wasted corners and allows uniform sunlight distribution. Go for it if you want to grow tall trees, floral plants, or bushes.

Note: If you want an economical alternative to the greenhouse, high tunnels could be less expensive and easy to operate.

2. Decide the Layout

Create a clear and well-thought-out interior layout for your greenhouse. Assess the space needs of the plants and trees you want to grow inside and divide the area into different zones. Consider potting areas, storage areas, and separate spaces for edible and non-edible plants.

An easy way to organize your greenhouse is to set up the plants in neat rows according to their type, harvest time, and watering requirements. Overcrowding or poor arrangement can restrict plant growth and leave them more susceptible to pests and diseases. A good combination of shelving and staging can help you utilize the maximum space inside to maintain your plants.

3. Start with Easy to Grow Plants

Planning what you want to grow inside a greenhouse is essential, like layout and zoning. It usually depends upon the available square footage, internal temperature, water resources, and how much time you can dedicate. We recommend you start with something easy to grow and manage.

Lettuce, basil, tomatoes, and spinach are feasible options for beginners for growing vegetables in a greenhouse. Once you get the hang of things, move on to peaches, grapes, figs, and lemons for more experience. Avoid experimenting with heavy bushes and trees, as they take up a lot of time and space.

4. Heat and Temperature Control

Air conditioning, vents, and fans can be excellent options to maintain an adequate temperature in your greenhouse. No matter how much you try to make your greenhouse solar-efficient, it will be affected by the heat outside. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a proper temperature inside for plants to grow properly, which is (21°C) for cold crops and (32°C) for summer.

Similarly, during cold weather or low temperatures, an additional heat source such as gas and electric heaters or heating mats is required to keep plants growing at an optimal rate. They can help improve the germination rate and provide the best temperature for soil growth when growing warm-weather crops.

5. Ventilation Systems

The plants inside your greenhouse need to breathe; therefore, they must have roof vents, side vents, and fans to maintain proper air circulation. Adequate ventilation and air movement are important for your plant's health and growth.

Plants use carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis to support their growth and produce oxygen. Different time durations and weather conditions can cause a gaseous imbalance that can stress or weaken your plants. To maintain a healthy plant growth, try to get maximum fresh air by:

• Open the door on warm days for air circulation
• Use additional stand fans to keep the air moving during hot weather.

6. Manage the Humidity

Plants need warmth and humidity for growth and soil health, but that doesn't mean your greenhouse should feel like a rainforest. The ideal humidity level for plants is 60-75 % at night and 80% during the day. Too much increase or drop in these levels can spread fungal and mold diseases in the plants and slow their growth and yield.

To increase the humidity levels, place trays of pebbles under the plants and fill them with water. The water will evaporate, eventually raising the humidity levels. Similarly, proper space between plants, well-drained floors, and natural air can reduce the humidity in your greenhouse.

7. Start with A Small Greenhouse

An indoor greenhouse is a great idea if you live in an apartment or need a proper outdoor space for a large setup. Even a small indoor greenhouse can supply fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits of your choice.

One of the best tips for an indoor greenhouse is to start with a small shelf or a cabinet that is easy to clean and maintain. Keep it neat to a window or balcony that receives direct air and sunlight. If the access to natural light is limited, you can use grow lights that stimulate photosynthesis and encourage plant growth.

Conclusion

Having a greenhouse can bring you some amazing gardening opportunities which may not be possible otherwise. The most significant advantage is that it lets you grow all types of fruits, vegetables, and flowers in one space in a controlled environment. However, to get the best out of your greenhouse, it is essential to sort out necessary details beforehand and avoid mistakes like poor ventilation, over-irrigation, improper placement, and not managing humidity.

If you are looking for the best greenhouse for your garden or backyard, DripWorks is here to help. We have an amazing variety of Solexx greenhouses that you can choose from. Visit this page to get more detailed information.