Learn ideas for designing your vegetable garden in thisfree online video guide to vegetable gardening. Expert: Scott Reil Contact: www.safelawns.org Bio: Scott Reil is an accredited nurseryman and longtime horticulturalist with over two decades of experience in the field. Scott is now working for www.safelawns.org. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso
Learn about raised bed gardens in this free video on low maintenance gardening.
So you think you want to buy a greenhouse? This very question is on a lot of peoples minds these days; mainly because growing your own food has become an appealing option to buying at the local store for health and safety reasons. However, you need to know a few things before you commit to a greenhouse to have a good experience.
Size is one of the first things you will want to consider. This has to do with the amount of space you have as well as what you want to grow in the grow house. You will need to consider the overall floor space as well as the headroom; both of which are important for many types of plants.
Sometimes the space you have available is not necessarily a great space for a greenhouse. If your greenhouse will sit under the shade all day then you will not get the sunlight you need for optimum growing time. If the green house has a combination of sun and shade it can be a good greenhouse but not always a great greenhouse. In most climates you will want a space that has sunlight most, if not all day long.
The green house for you is also dependent on what you want to do with a greenhouse; grow year round or use as a season extender. If all you want is to start seeds or extend the fall season then pretty much any greenhouse will do as long as theres enough room for your plants. Insulation becomes a mute factor since you wont need to heat or cool the grow house.
Over wintering plants is a little bit different situation because you will need to make sure the temperature stays at least 30 F more than whats outside the green house. Insulation is now a factor, though you can still get away with some medium priced greenhouses that are pretty well insulated, especially if you live in a milder climate.
Of course, if you live in a colder climate with temperatures dropping to 0 F or below, you will need to purchase a greenhouse with a good insulated covering. These grow houses not only retain heat much better, but they also offer a tighter seal than other greenhouses and this makes them easier to heat. The Rion Prestige and Solexx Master Gardener Series both fit the bill.
When growing your own food it is important to have a well insulated greenhouse for several reasons. The first is for heating and cooling purposes. The better the insulation the less effort, otherwise known as cost, it takes to reach the desired temperatures. The other is yield. When the temperature can be maintained within a range it has been shown to bring a better yield and this is what growing your own food is all about!
When purchasing your greenhouse, dont make the most common mistakes of not buying a greenhouse big enough for the job or not getting or building a greenhouse that is well insulated for your climate. By asking yourself a few simple questions, accessing what you want a green house for and the space you have that makes since, you can make sure your greenhouse experience is both fun and fulfilling from the start!
