Growing plants on your own is one of the best and most relaxing things you can do. When you give your attention to something you will feel better, you will eat better, and it can be a great way to do some light exercising. Growing things in your greenhouse is easy, and it is definitely fun, but if you don’t know what you are doing, you may end up with dried plants or foods losing their taste even before they get to your table.
To help you out with your project, we created this guide. We are going to give you some tips on how to produce the best things in your own garden, no matter how inexperienced you are. Beginners will definitely benefit from these things because we are going to teach you about the basics and the essentials in gardening.
1. Plants
If you are just starting your greenhouse, you are probably wondering what you should start with. Even though plants are foods that are generally easy to grow, some of them need more attention than others.
You should start by planting something that does not require too many things from you. For example, tomatoes are really easy to grow, they need natural light, and they need to be watered from time to time. Even if you forget to water them once, they will not dry out right away.
Potatoes and onions are great as well, and they just need you to plant the seeds, and again, water them. You can go with leafy greens like lettuce, radishes, and even mushrooms. Peas and strawberries are great for beginners as well, and they are extremely easy to plant and grow.
You should think about what you want to get out of your greenhouse and see if you want to plant everything with the same seeds, or just play around and grow everything you possibly can. If you decide to go with different fruits and vegetables, you will see which ones thrive in your location, soil, and type of attention you give them.
2. Illumination
If you want your plants to survive, you need to be aware of how much light do they need. Depending on the season, you can either rely on natural sunlight, or you may want to invest in something that will produce the needed amount of light.
For example, in the spring and the summer, there are a lot of sunny days, and the days are longer, so chances are, your plants will be fine on their own without you spending money on additional equipment.
On the other hand, in the winter and fall, the days are shorter, and the weather may be rainy and overcast. This means that you have to take care of your garden and use additional devices that will produce the needed sunlight.
Fluorescent lamp stripes are some of the most popular now. They are easy to install and they will provide the needed amount of light. You can also try with LEDs and pay a lot of attention to the height where the lights are placed.
Greenhousehunt.com suggests that mini walk-in gardens are perfect for those who don’t need to produce a lot of food but still want to grow their own plants. If you choose something like this, the lights should be between 3 and 8 inches above the plants. If you go with a larger greenhouse, you may want to invest in stripes that won’t be higher than 10 inches above the fruits and vegetables.
If you have shelves, then you should put the lamp stipes under each shelve so all the plants can get the necessary light all year round.
3. Temperature
You have to pay attention to the temperature in your greenhouse. Some plants love the warm weather and they will thrive no matter how hot or humid it gets in the garden. However, others will dry out really quickly if they are exposed to temperatures that are too height.
Choose your plants carefully and try to combine things that are okay with the same temperature. If you choose some of your plants to love the cold weather, and some that like warmth, then you are going to dry both of them.
A heating system is required, especially if you want to plant all year round. The electric heaters are great for beginners because they are easy to install, they don’t take a lot of space, and they won’t waste a lot of power.
On the other hand, when it comes to cooling systems, you have several options. Most users suggest that opening the door of the greenhouse will cool the whole place down, and you don’t have to invest in anything else. However, if you notice that your plants get overheated all the time, you should think about getting an evaporative cooling system that will keep both the humidity and the airflow.
Don’t forget about ventilation, because you have to have the right system so that your plants don’t die or dry out. You should always have vents, including roof units in your closed garden, and keep all of them open in the summer. In the winter, you should pay attention to how much water you put in the soil, so your plants don’t get moldy.
Other things you should pay attention to are the watering system and the seasonal seeds. When it comes to water, you just need to pay attention to how much water your plants require. Most of them should not be watered more than 3 times per week, but that all depends on the season and the type of seeds you have.
Seasonal seeds can survive much longer in the greenhouse compared to nature, and you just need to pay attention to the lights, water, and of course, soil. When you start, it is always better to start with seeds than seedlings or cuttings. They are easier to grow and maintain. There is no exact formula on what your plants like and don’t like. The most important thing is to pay attention to what they need, depending on water and light, and test things out. You should also pay attention to the space they need, as some plants can go higher and quicker than the others.
Greenhouse gardening is amazing both for you and for the planet. When you are a beginner, you may make a few mistakes, but remember that practice makes perfect. Once you learn how to grow easy things, you will be able to go with more complex plants that require more attention.
