The first question you will ask yourself, is what you need to begin to start this. We obviously need a greenhouse, but what else? Well, you’re about to find out. Having all of this on hand will make your greenhouse gardening easier, and while you might not know what kinds of plants you want just yet, knowing a few of the different things that you need before you begin will definitely help you.
Freestanding or Attached?
First thing you need to consider, is whether or not you’re going to go the freestanding route, or the attached route. Both of these have their pros and cons, and it’s important to weight each of the options when choosing a greenhouse for yourself.
Freestanding means that it doesn’t have an attachment to a house or structure. These are the typical glass greenhouses that you see in pictures and such. These are usually made of glass because they conduct the heat and light way easier than other such materials, but it can be a bit pricy. There are other options too, which we will go over later. This gives you a lot more light, so if you’re in an area where your house gets bad light, it might be best to go the freestanding route. The biggest disadvantage, is more labor and pricier since you got to build that fourth side.
In contrast, the attached means that it is attached to a home or a structure. This is good if you’re not totally sure you want a full greenhouse, or you just don’t want to go all the way to the middle of your backyard during the winter to take care of plants. This is built on three different sides, attached to the house or structure. It has the advantage of less building, can be closer, and might be easier, but the major disadvantage f only three sides, which does limit the light. When you’re building this, do assess where your home gets the most light before you begin building your greenhouse, so that you know whether or not you’re going the freestanding route, or the attached route when it comes to building.
Soil to grow
Next you need the soil. Soil is super important, since it is what you’ll be using to grow these plants. You need to make sure that the soil isn’t unsterilized, because that actually has parasites in it, and it might cause you major issues in the long term because of this. unsterilized soil is a lot cheaper, yes, but it actually can affect the overall growth of your greenhouse if you’re not careful. If you’re going to take soil from your backyard, sterilize it so that it doesn’t have parasites. You can bake it at 250 degrees to help get rid of the parasites in there. You can then mix it with fertilizer and then blend it together, and while it might be fun to do this, sometimes it might be better to just splurge on soil. Soil is a huge part, because this is where the plants will grow, and if a blight or any sort of parasite gets into this, it often does mean curtains for your greenhouse gardening adventures.
Light
Light is a huge part of your greenhouse gardening. Chances are, you’re doing a chunk of this growing during the winter, where the light is often lessened. Getting growing bulbs, or even just some heating lamps, in order to help get these little plants started can make a huge difference.
If you don’t have enough light, it can be quite hard for them to germinate, and in turn, you might end up being too late on growing this. When it comes to growing, you should try to do a lot of it early on, and begin it at the get-go so that you’re not spending extra time during the prime growing months. These little growing bulbs can be a good way to make sure that the plants get what they need.
On the flip side, some plants don’t need to have light on them all the time. Maybe you’ve got plants that do, and plants that don’t. In that case, get one of those little shade cloths and throw it over this, making sure that they’re not affected too much by the light, or lack thereof. Basically, just use each of these to help with ensuring that the plants get the right amount of light.
Seeds of plants to start
You’ve got two options for how you want to grow, either seeds, or starters. Seeds are much cheaper, and often you get a lot more for what you’re paying for. Starters are plants that are already started, and might be the best option if you end up starting late. They are more expensive, but they often require less patience, and on the flip side, seeds are way cheaper, but they take much longer to grow, and it might create worry if you don’t see results right away. Both can be bought at a nursery, or even a home improvement store.
When you do this, make sure that you have plants that are sturdy, able to withstand and have protection against elements, and don’t have disease or pests. This is a huge part, and its why people try to go to the local nursery, since there is less of a chance for aphids to go on there, and you should make sure that you’re getting them from a reliable source.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is something that will help the plant grow. It’s essentially plant food, but often, like anything else, you could end up giving it too much, and if that happens, it could end up being bad. You should also take a look at the soil that you have, and if you have soil you bought, you should check to see if it’s already fortified with nutrients. They’re usually in there, and enough to keep the plant healthy for a little bit.
You should put fertilizer in there with a diluted mixture of it to help get the plants used to it, and from there continue to feed it a little bit more and more. don’t give it too much, too fast. Doing so is how many times the pH balance of the roots changes, and it will make the plant acidic, and that in turn can damage the roots, causing the plant to suffer as well. So, be smart, follow direction, and take it nice and slow.
Potters
Next are the potters, which are the containers used to house the plants. Everything in this case should be made sterilized, and you should make sure that if you do have a planter, don’t be afraid to go big if it needs it, but within reason. You should make sure that the planter is deep enough so that the roots can be sturdy, and it has room for this. If you have the roots bound to the bottom, it actually can make it unhealthy for them.
You should sterilize before you throw a plant in there, simply because there are parasites in some of the soil that you get from the backyard, and you don’t know where it’s been. You should do half water and half vinegar, and then start to remove the debris here and then rinse with some water before you put the soil and plants in there. This is usually what you have to do if you’re going to be reusing a planter.
Glazing
One thing you have to do before you begin as well, is glaze the greenhouse. Once you build it, you should make sure that the sunlight comes in, without the elements attached. Think about it, if it’s the dead of winter, it might be super warm in terms of the sunlight, but if you don’t glaze it, you’re actually going to let in bitter-cold temperatures, and if you do that, that’s how you kill plants. You should cover it in polycarbonate and make sure that you have it rightfully set up so that the light gets transmitted.
It’s encouraged to have someone build this for you, but you can build it yourself if you so desire, it just takes less work, but it can be cheaper as well.
Choosing a site
Finally, let’s talk about the site. You should make sure that you think long and hard before you put the site in, since the closer it is to your home, the chances are that you’ll actually go check on them. You’ll also need water and electricity, so make sure that you have lines going out to that.
The area should be level with the most sun exposure, or at least six hours a day. You should try to orient it, and if you don’t have the ability to do so, you should get some growing lights.
Ideally, you should try to avoid putting a greenhouse near trees that cast shadows, since this happens a lot during the winter. Ideally, put it near some deciduous trees.
You should make sure that you also have enough drainage. Put some landscape cloth under the area, and add some gravel to this, in order to help create a god surface, but with drainage and won’t make the weeds grow.
If you do have issues with this, you should contact a landscaper to help you choose the location. The right place will allow for the plants to grow, and in turn, it will help it become the greenhouse garden you desire.
This chapter discussed what you need before you begin. Knowing this will help you choose the site in a fitting manner, making it easier for you to grow whatever you want.