Greenhouse Gardening can be a very, rewarding hobby.
Many think that a person has to be an expert to enjoy greenhouse gardening, or at least have a lot of money to even entertain the thought.
The fact is that anyone can start with only a bit of basic knowledge, and that same basic knowledge can be used in any greenhouse, no matter what the size.
And as your greenhouse grows your knowledge will as well.
There are many resources available for anyone that is seeking to learn more.
For people who would like to spend more time gardening but live in a climate that has a short growing season, a greenhouse is a great thing.
Greenhouses essentially turn gardening into a year round activity.
The trick is to choose the right greenhouse .
The greenhouse should accommodate your gardening needs, as well as the amount you have in your budget.
Greenhouse Environment: Year-round gardening depends on your geographic location, the site of your greenhouse, and if there are any alternative heat sources available.
Although year round gardening can be achieved year round if you are wanting to grow your own vegetables, through proper timing and plant selection, and a few other techniques like using thermal mass and the right location for your greenhouse.
There are a number of uses for a greenhouse, hardy annuals can be sown for early spring flowering and color, delicate plants can be over-wintered and kept safe from winds and frost, or seedlings can be started to be planted in an outdoor garden (all three without heat).
A greenhouse is basically a controlled micro climate of your outdoor growing conditions.
Greenhouse Gardening is ideal because the environment can be kept perfect for the plants or vegetables that are being grown.
Build a Greenhouse: Gardeners have been building greenhouses for years from many types of materials.
There are many options when it comes to greenhouse gardening.
There are many greenhouse kits available, making it pretty easy and cheap to get into it.
It's a great hobby; there are free greenhouse plans and how to build information available and these plans are a great place to start when deciding which type will be right for you and your needs.
Greenhouses as a business: Greenhouses are also a great way to make some extra money.
A simple greenhouse can be set up and plants can be grown for free from cuttings or other ways of prorogation.
Start a backyard greenhouse nursery , and sell plants to your community or at your local Farmer's Market.
Solar Greenhouses: Your greenhouse is designed to collect and store solar heat.
When the topic of Solar Greenhouses comes up it is a little funny, because, all Greenhouses work by trapping the sun's heat.
A true Solar Greenhouse makes use of as many opportunities to run without artificial heat as possible.
Temperature: If the temperature inside your greenhouse gets too hot, your plants will wilt and die.
To monitor the temperature of a greenhouse, a Max Min thermometer can be set up inside, in the shade at the level of your plants.
This will tell the highest and lowest temperatures that are reached in the greenhouse.
Usually at the peak of day when the greenhouse is receiving the most sunlight, and the coldest temperatures coming at night time.
A thermostat is also a great tool that can be used with a greenhouse heater.
But, a thermostat should never be the sole tool used to automate the temperature of a greenhouse.
It is always a good thing to be used with manual monitoring of a Max-Min Thermometer, although most Max-min thermometers will record this info automatically throughout the day.
Automatic Vent openers are also a great low tech alternative, that do not need to be plugged in or used with a timer or thermostat.
They use oil in a cylinder, that expands when a certain temperature is reached which will then open the window, or vent.
Routine: It is important to establish a regular daily routine when greenhouse gardening.
A routine will save your plants.
Over time, the routine can also be automated as much as possible - watering systems, temperature controls, automatic ventilation, and fans are some of the tools for automation.
Do your green thumb a favor and explore Greenhouse Gardening.
Why only garden for a few short months in a year? With the changes in our weather, it is great to be able to control your own growing environment.
Plants receive more growing time, more fruits and vegetables are produced, and gardeners get to spend even more time doing what they love.
Or even make some money doing it.
There are a lot of options on the market so taking the time in selecting the right one is key.