Do you need help putting together a greenhouse, but you obviously don’t have the space? This is a common issue for a lot of people, and it tends to be something that many of us tend to not really realize is a huge part of our greenhouse. If you’re running into the issue of constantly running out of space in your greenhouse, here are some tips to help you save your space and give you the greenhouse that you want.
Plan, and do it early
You want to plan this. probably the biggest issue with those beginning to use a greenhouse, is they think that they know exactly what they want, but with poor planning, they end up totally ruining their greenhouse. Plants will be stacked on top of one another, and that causes them to not get enough nutrients. Maybe some plans want it warmer, but if you mix it with colder, all the plants will suffer.
You need to look into everything that you’re going to grow. You should put effort into learning what you’re growing, based on temperature, the space that the plant will need to take up, how much water and food they will need, and also how long it takes to grow. This plays a huge part in future growths too. After all, if you start it too late, it might not make it. If you start it too early, the cold nature of winter is going to definitely not help it at all.
You’ll probably notice the first time around that it’s crazy to do. It can be a disaster, and maybe you plant stuff too early too late, and maybe you’ll notice that some plants work well better than others. It’s experimental but planning early helps you increase your crop net without putting you at risk for totally losing everything.
You should also look into what the soil temperature should be when you plant them, and you should definitely if the plants tend to like warmer soil, get some heat onto there.
This goes with not just planning the garden space but planning your greenhouse period.
You’ll Need to Be prepared
One thing that will also help you, especially if you realize your garden is getting way too big and overgrown, is that you need to be prepared to move stuff. You should get some pots, containers, and the like, and if you do realize that they need bigger space, don’t be afraid to move them. You should definitely, with your greenhouse, have an influx of these, and you should definitely make sure that if your plants use rainwater, it catches it, so that it can be used. This will save some water on your end, and not only that, your plants tend to like it too.
Also, with your greenhouse, if it’s warm enough to transplant, definitely transplant. This is a huge part of saving your space. It’s nice to have all of those plants there, but as soon as you start to realize that everything is getting tight, it’s best to start moving everything out.
A good rule of thumb is that once spring like temperatures start to hit, you should transplant the plants. It takes a couple of days for the roots to take, but this is definitely a huge thing that you want to do as well.
If your plant Can Handle it, kick it Out!
Now, this comes with the research elements. Let’s say that you’ve got these nice plants. They’re cool, but they’re taking up way too much room. But, they can handle those 50-60 degree temps, and you can also fortify them as needed if it gets colder. Once it does, get them outside. You definitely want to try to get as many plants as you can out there, and if they can’t fully handle it during the night but can during the day, keep them in the potters, and bring them back into the greenhouse.
For example, if you have hostas, you can actually split these, since they actually grow really quickly, put them in the containers, and when they’re ready to be kicked out, you put them in a shaded area that’s cool, and they grow like crazy. If you need to, if you’ve got space, you can bring them inside, and then pull them back out when it’s daytime. Really, if this is possible, it helps fortify them for when they’re in the ground and helps get some extra plants in there.
Do temporary shelving
You should definitely set some shelving aside if you need it. Temporary shelves in the walls and on the corners can definitely be a huge payoff later on. That’s because, you don’t need to keep them around the entire time, but you certainly can have them there, and when they’re not needed, you put them away. This is a huge lifesaver if your greenhouse begins to get overgrown.
Start Small
One of the biggest space savers is when you’re beginning to plant. You probably think you should dump the entire seed container into there, but that actually can make everything worse. That can cause the plants to overgrow, and it can cause battles for nutrients, since they might not get enough. Instead, you should use a few at a time, experiment and start small, and if you have something that actually grows in there, you should definitely incorporate it more. Don’t try to grow a hundred of one thing, but instead, try varieties, experiment with this, and from there, you can see as well just what plants work well for you.
Space in a greenhouse can be a nightmare, because all too often, you’ve got too many plants and not enough space. But, if you follow these tips, you’ll be able to get the most that you can from it, and from there, you can build a greenhouse that works for you, and make it the best that it can be.