Inexpensive passive solar greenhouses heated only by sunlight falling on 55-gallon barrels of water are effective for growing plants year-round, said a University of Missouri Extension specialist. Heat from sunlight is stored in water-filled barrels during the day and radiates at night, replacing use of fossil fuel, said Eric Lawman, an agronomy research specialist at the Bradford Research and Extension Center (BREC) near Columbia, Mo.

“Passive solar greenhouses extend the growing season and allow plant production year-round,” Lawman said.

Temperatures inside an experimental passive solar greenhouse at BREC did not fall below freezing during the past two winters, Lawman said, while daytime temperatures have reached into the 80s. There is a similar greenhouse at the MU Southwest Center in Mt. Vernon.

The greenhouses measure 24 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet high. The 2-1-1 ratio is important for such greenhouses to be effective.

“It allows adequate surface area for sunlight and minimal inside area to lessen heat dissipation during dark hours,” Lawman said.

To capture as much sunlight as possible, the greenhouse has an east-west orientation, with a sloped south-facing wall. Geographic latitude determines the ideal slope angle; for central Missouri, the south-wall glazing should be about 45 degrees. The sloped wall consists of two layers of clear plastic spaced 6 inches apart. A small inflator fan pushes air between the sheets, creating a zone of dead air that serves as additional insulation.

The other walls contain fiberglass insulation sandwiched between metal siding on the outside and particleboard on the inside. The white, waterproof particleboard reflects heat into the barrels.

To extend the growing season, the greenhouse needs 2.5 gallons of water per square foot of glazing, Lawman said. For all-season growing, the requirement is 5 gallons per square foot. Thermostat-controlled shutters and exhaust fans remove excess heat as needed.

The greenhouse at BREC cost about $3,000 to build. “If you can build a shed, you can build one of these greenhouses,” Lawman said.

Throughout winter, growers can produce cold-season crops such as lettuce, carrots and strawberries. Some plants can be started from seedlings, he said. Construction details and photographs are online at http://aes.missouri.edu/bradford/education/solar-greenhouse/solar-greenhouse.php.

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Original article link: http://media-newswire.com/release_1068542.html
How to build your own passive solar heated greenhouse http://aes.missouri.edu/bradford/education/solar-greenhouse/solar-greenhouse.php

Insulated Greenhouse Covering

Not many consumers today would argue with that statement. With gasoline prices over $4 a gallon and diesel fuel selling for a good $0.80 cents above gasoline, everyone is feeling the pinch. Because it is costing more to transport produce, and farmers are raising prices to compensate for the increase in the cost of living, a gallon of milk now costs the same as a gallon of gasoline and fresh produce is nearly worth its weight in gold.

For families with growing children at home, fresh produce is a necessity, not a preference, and putting a balanced meal on the table three times a day is becoming more of a challenge as the economy continues its downward spiral. The cost of food affects more than just our health and our wallets. The national poverty index is determined by multiplying the average cost of feeding a family. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the cost of feeding a low-income family of four has risen 6 percent in 12 months.  For some families, that 6 percent increase in the cost of groceries means less fruits, vegetables and dairy products consumed each week to make up the price difference.

According to a recent news report (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/31/food-price-inflation-chan_n_94283.html), the price of food is rising across the board. “Record-high energy, corn and wheat prices in the past year have led to sticker shock in the grocery aisles. At $1.32, the average price of a loaf of bread has increased 32 percent since January 2005.

In the last year alone, the average price of a carton of eggs has increased almost 50 percent. Ground beef, milk, chicken, apples, tomatoes, lettuce, coffee and orange juice are among the staples that cost more these days, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Overall, food prices rose nearly 5 percent in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That means a pound of coffee, on average, cost 57 cents more at year’s end than in 2006. A 12-ounce can of frozen, concentrated orange juice now averages $2.53 - a 67-cent increase in just two years.

A carton of grade A, large eggs will set you back $2.17. That’s an increase of nearly $1 since February, 2006.”

The Benefits of Greenhouse Gardening

Greenhouse gardening is a terrific way to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for your family at a fraction of the cost of purchasing those same items from a commercial retailer, like Wal Mart. Growing your own fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse also allows you to grow organically and to control what, if any, pesticides are used in growing your family’s fruits and vegetables. Greenhouse gardening produces fruits and vegetables all year-round, providing fresh, balanced nutrition for the whole family.

Greenhouse gardening is also very relaxing and fun for many gardeners. The whole family can become involved in working in the greenhouse and reap the benefits of the satisfaction of producing fruits and vegetables with your own hands. Greenhouse gardening is also an educational experience for gardeners of all ages. Adept gardeners study soil types, bacteria, chemistry, pollination, water quality, and hundreds of other scientific factors affecting crops.

Commiting to Greenhouse Gardening

Greenhouse gardening is a committment. The initial cost of obtaining a greenhouse and supplies for growing fruits and vegetables in a greenhouse may not seem like much of a savings at first, but gardening tools last for years and plants can be cultivated to produce seeds for next season’s crops.

Greenhouse gardening takes time and effort. You cannot simply go to the greenhouse when the crisper is empty and stock up on fruits and veggies like shopping at the supermarket. You must invest your time and labor into your crops every day to see results. Your local gardening extension is a fantastic resource for information on gardening in your area.

Overall, greenhouse gardening just makes good sense in today’s economy. Greenhouse gardening saves money in the long run and is beneficial to families on a budget. Anyone can begin growing fruits and vegetables in a greenhouse, even in cramped spaces with the use of tabletop or portable greenhouses. Get started with your greenhouse gardening project today to put a few more dollars back into your piggy bank.

Getting started with greenhouse gardening begins with some basic knowledge of greenhouse gardening and the tools of the trade. Here are a few basic considerations before beginning your greenhouse gardening project.

Selecting an Area for Greenhouse Gardening

Selecting the right area of your yard to begin your greenhouse gardening greatly depends on the type of gardening you prefer. If you grow mainly houseplants or greenery, a partly shady area of the yard is best. Vegetables and fruits need more sun than foliage plants. If you plan to grow a mixture of plants or are unsure of what types of plants you will grow, you can locate your greenhouse in a sunny area and utilize sunshades to protect plants when needed. If your greenhouse will have a covering that diffuses the light, you will want to put it in the sunniest location possible regardless of what you are growing. The diffused light will be welcome by both sun and shade loving plants.

You can also situate your greenhouse to face east or west instead of north or south to take advantage of more light. You will want to position your greenhouse in close proximity to utilities such as electricity and water.

Choosing a Greenhouse Materials

Selecting a type of greenhouse depends largely on your budget and the space available. Smaller, portable greenhouses are fairly inexpensive, and custom-built greenhouses that attach to your home can be quite pricey. Special greenhouses are also available that allow you to start plants in your kitchen window or basement. Greenhouse gardening can be adapted to fit any lifestyle and budget. Hobby greenhouses are available in various sizes and materials to suit the needs of every gardener.

You can also choose from a wood frame, PVC frame or an aluminum greenhouse frame. The best choice for your plants is the PVC greenhouse frame or for better strength, a white composite frame. They provide the least amount of heat loss, do not rust or rot, and reflect white light back to your plants (where some frames actually rob light from your plants). Wood is more aesthetically pleasing, but aluminum is more durable and nearly maintenance free.

The foundation for your greenhouse can be constructed of timber, steel beams, concrete block, brick, or a concrete slab. These construction materials vary greatly in price and your budget may be the main deciding factor in selecting a foundation. Some gardeners choose a concrete slab to act as a foundation and flooring in one for their greenhouse. This simplifies construction in many cases. Others opt for a more natural flooring by adding a landscaping screen to keep out weeds and accenting with a brick walkway or stone pavers. Even a simple gravel flooring is sufficient for use in a greenhouse.

There are many greenhouse covering options. Each covering has its advantages and disadvantages. Consider now much maintenance the material will require, how durable it is against wind and hail, and ideally try to get the best R factor (insulation factor) and the material that will provide the most diffuse light.

Other Greenhouse Gardening Considerations

When beginning greenhouse gardening, you will also need to consider where you will get your heat, ventilation, water, and electricity. Specialized greenhouse systems can help you provide these greenhouse gardening essentials, or you can provide them individually as you see fit.

Beginning a greenhouse gardening project is easier once you decide on the basics of your greenhouse project and gather the essential greenhouse gardening supplies. Making the right decisions now will assure that you will spend your time working in your greenhouse and avoid spending time maintaining your greenhouse structure. So get ready to grab some pots, soil and seeds and start enjoying your new greenhouse!

Growing our own fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse year-round is becoming more and more appealing. Organic gardening and starting plants from seed each season saves families money while providing guaranteed healthy and safe crops of fruits and vegetables. Growing year round in the greenhouse requires a little different work schedule than growing fruits and vegetables in the garden.

Maintaining temperatures in the year-round greenhouse

Growing your own fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse year-round requires maintaining a favorable temperature inside the greenhouse for the plants. A “warm” greenhouse must maintain a minimum temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit (you can also grow many foods in a cool greenhouse and keep the temperature lower, click here for a list). This allows most fruits and vegetables to grow year-round. In summer months, the warm greenhouse must be cooled to maintain a temperature under 100 degrees Fahrenheit to continue growth. Any fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, stop growing once the air temperature reaches 100 degrees or higher.

Controlling the light in the year round greenhouse

Most garden-variety fruits and vegetables require a certain amount of sunlight in order to produce crops. In the winter months with shorter days, a grow light can add extra light to extend the daylight hours and help your plants grow. A grow light is also helpful on those dark dreary days when very little like makes it into the greenhouse.

In the sunny days of summer, some varieties of fruits and vegetables require a few hours of shade to provide optimal growth. It may also be necessary to shade areas of your greenhouse to help control temperatures in the dog days of summer.

Planning a seed starting schedule

When growing fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse year-round, you will need to start seeds throughout the year to provide crops year-round. Tomatoes, for example, are started from seed in early January and July to provide tomatoes in both the summer and winter months. Each growing season varies according to your geographical location and the conditions maintained inside your greenhouse. Consulting an experienced greenhouse gardener in your area or your local gardening extension office, may be necessary to help you work out a planting schedule for year-round crop production.

Pollination in the greenhouse

Growing your own fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse year-round differs from growing fruits and vegetables in a garden in many ways, and one the most obvious differences is pollination. In traditional garden growing, insects (such as bees), the wind, and heavy rainfalls pollinate fruits and vegetables. In greenhouse growing, these pollinating factors are most often absent or inadequate to provide proper pollination of plants.

To help pollinate your plants, you must watch your vegetation closely for sign of peak pollination times. For tomatoes, the leaves of the blossoms begin to curl during prime pollination time. Once tomatoes blossoms begin to curl, you generally have three days to pollinate your plants. Pollination in greenhouse tomatoes is performed by tapping the stakes used to support your mature plants.

Growing your own fruits and vegetables in the greenhouse year-round takes a little more knowledge and effort than growing fruits and vegetables only in summer, but the rewards are spectacular when you serve fresh veggies to your dinner guests in the bleak winter months. 

Organic vegetable gardening is more popular than ever. Organically grown vegetables are a hot commodity, bringing in nearly double the price value at the local supermarket. Eating organically grown food is also considered a healthier lifestyle choice and better for the environment. Growing your own organic vegetables ensures that your vegetables are free from pesticides and chemicals. It is also often considerably more affordable to grow your own organic vegetables than to purchase organic foods at the store. These basic tips can help you get started with your own organic vegetable gardening project.

Tips for Organic Vegetable Gardening

Compost is Invaluable- Learn to compost your yard and kitchen waste to enhance your organic garden. Composting provides essential nutrients and helps balance the pH of the soil without adding chemical fertilizers or soil treatments.

Make Worms Your Friends- Earthworms provide life giving aeration to your organic vegetable gardening project while they burrow through the soil. Extra earthworms can be purchased through a garden supply catalog. Some organic vegetable gardening enthusiasts even house red worms in specialized worm bins that collect the liquid droppings for added garden fertilization. The redworms recycle your kitchen waste and turn it into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Learn About Organic Pest Control: Controlling common pests organically takes vigilance. Some common pests are easily controlled. Cutworms are thwarted by placing a ring of tin foil along the stem of the plant at soil level.  Use mulch around plants to help keep fruits and vegetables from touching the soil. Watering your plants early in the morning provides adequate moisture and keeps plants from becoming overly moist at night which can make them vulnerable to pests and disease. Visually inspect your plants often and remove any dead or diseased foliage by hand on a regular basis to discourage insect infestations. Organic insect traps work well to keep common garden pests away from your vegetation.

Organic vegetable gardening is a rewarding experience. A few basic organic vegetable gardening tips like these can help you grow healthy fruits and vegetables without chemical additives. Happy organic vegetable gardening!

Selecting the right greenhouse gardening supplies is often a process of trial and error for most gardeners. Sometimes you get lucky and find a particular brand name product that meets your needs perfectly, but most often, you can spend hours browsing greenhouse catalogs and the shelves of your local gardening supply store to find those perfect greenhouse gardening supplies. Here are a few ideas to help you select the right supplies.

Know Your Budget Before Shopping for Greenhouse Gardening Supplies

Greenhouse gardening supplies are available in nearly every price range, but more expensive price tags do not always equate better products. Some greenhouse gardening supplies may be worth investing a few extra dollars. A quality built ergonimic gardening tool, or one with a lifetime guarantee, may be a good investment. Quality fertilizers and organic pesticides are also a worthwhile investment in your greenhouse gardening supplies inventory. Paying extra for special features and quality in the greenhouse gardening supplies department is often worth it in the long run. One great example is the greenhouse itself. You can find cheap greenhouses and possibly add some extra supports to try to stregthen them against the wind and weather. That might help get it through a few seasons, but more often that not, gardeners wish they had spent the money on a quality greenhouse the first time, so they could spend more time enjoying their hobby rather than repairing the greenhouse.

Be Social: Talk About Greenhouse Gardening Supplies

Gardeners are most often a social group of people. They love to share their love for greenhouse gardening and jump at the chance o show off the fruits of their labor. Joining a gardening club or even making a few friends at the local greenhouse supply store can help you glean valuable information about what greenhouse gardening supplies would best suit your needs. In a large group of gardeners, chances are good that someone has tried a particular product you are considering and can give you a hands-on opinion before you invest your hard-earned cash.

Surf the Net to Find Greenhouse Gardening Supplies

The Internet is bursting with information about greenhouse gardening supplies. Discussion forums, chat rooms, and website-rings all centering on gardening can easily be found with a simple Internet search. You can even comparison shop for all your greenhouse gardening supplies online to ensure you get the lowest price without ever leaving the house. Ordering greenhouse gardening supplies online has never been easier with secure shopping sites and a wide variety of greenhouse gardening supply sellers.
Selecting the right greenhouse gardening supplies for your particular gardening needs is a little easier with these quick tips.
 

Garden pests are a constant concern for every gardener. Controlling garden pests takes vigilance, persistence, and information. This guide of common pests will help you keep your plants green and healthy.

Common Garden Pests

Aphids:  Aphids are small insects that often transmit viral plant diseases and destroy the plants by feeding on the vegetation’s sap. Early infestations can be controlled by removing any aphid-infected shoots and leaves. An organic insecticidal soap is also helpful.

Caterpillars: These pesky creatures can completely devour plants in a matter of hours if not caught in time. Remove any caterpillars spotted near your plants and treat plants infected with the larvae with an organic insecticide or soap to remove any stragglers.

Leafhoppers: These miniscule pale green insects often go unnoticed. They measure only 2-3 mm in length and frequently blend in with the greenery of plants. They reside on the underside of a plant’s leaves and feed of the plant’s sap like aphids. The evidence of a leafhopper infestation is a pale mottling of the plant’s leaves. Treat leafhoppers with an organic Insecticide or soap.

Leaf Miners: Leaf miners create pale straight or curved lines on the leaves of otherwise healthy plants. Occasionally, a leaf miner infestation will manifest as pale blotchy areas on a plant’s leaves. The leaves will curl and dry up after leaf miners have destroyed the tissue of the leaves. Removal of affected leaves will control the problem.

Spider Mites: Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions and reproduce at an alarming rate. Evidence of spider mites appears as washed-out, mottled leaves and an overall sickly appearance of the plant. Counteract spider mites by introducing a tiny mite called Phytoseiulus that feeds on the spider mites.

Slugs and Snails: Slugs and snails are a particularly annoying and common garden pest. Slugs and snails flock to sweet things, like your fruits and vegetables. For this reason, filling a soup can with any flavored liquid, like soda, juice, sugar water, or beer, draws the pests away from your plants. Placing the rim of the can at ground level helps catch slugs and snails quickly. Often, they fall into the liquid and drown while drinking from the rim.

Vine Weevil: Vine weevil larvae are ecru in color with tiny brown heads. These grubs eat the roots of plants, resulting in death of the entire plant if not treated quickly. Beneficial Nematodes, such as Heterorhabditis megidis and Steinemema carpocapsae, combat the weevils. Adult weevils are not as dangerous to plants, but they will eat portions of vegetation.

Whitefly: These pesky insects are only 2 mm in length and breed rapidly in dry, hot weather. They are found on the underside of leaves and feed on the sap of plants. To rid your plants of whitefly, an insecticidal soap, sticky tape or spray is necessary.

These common garden pests can ruin your crops if not attended to immediately. Regular checks of your plants’ foliage are necessary to monitor for insect infestations. Garden pests are a part of every garden, but quick treatment can keep them from feasting on your prize plants.

Caring for fruit trees is a continual process. For most gardeners, winter months provide opportunities for composting and pruning, while spring, summer and fall are times for nurturing fruit trees. The basics of fruit tree care include proper hydration, feeding, and pruning.

Hydrating Your Fruit Trees

Proper hydration is essential for high-yielding fruit trees. When watering fruit trees, it is necessary to calculate the drip line.  The drip line is determined by estimating the distance of the farthest-reaching leaves of the fruit tree. If the branches extend six feet from the trunk of the tree, the drip line is calculated by drawing a circle in the soil around the trunk of the tree with a diameter of twelve feet.  The drip line is the outer limit that the tree would protect you from getting wet if you were standing underneath the branches during a light rain shower.

The drip line is where your fruit tree draws most of its nutrients and moisture. This is where most of the tree’s feeder roots are located. When watering your fruit trees, direct the spray at the drip line of each fruit tree to provide optimal hydration.

Mulching Your Fruit Trees

Mulching the soil surrounding your fruit trees provides a constant source of nutrients. A thick layer of organic mulch should be applied to the ground surrounding each fruit tree every spring after feeding the tree with minerals and plant food along the drip line. This provides fresh nutrients for the tree that are used throughout the growing season.  A depth of three to six inches of mulch is ideal. The mulch ring should extend beyond the drip line of each tree by one to three feet to provide optimal nutrition. It is not necessary to mulch up to the base of tree trunk since most feeder roots extend out to the drip line. Organic mulch helps provide protection from diseases and pests and the decomposing mulch releases organic nutrients into the soil on a regular basis.

Pruning Your Fruit Trees

Pruning your fruit trees is a necessary and delicate procedure. Prune too little, and your tree’s energy is diverted from producing lush fruit. Prune too much, and your tree goes into shock and fails to produce fruit at all. Vigorous pruning of fruit trees should take place during the dormant winter months. Trees that bloom late in the season, like apple trees, should be pruned first, and trees that bloom early should be pruned last. Summer pruning involves carefully cutting back new growth to divert nutrients into the tree’s fruit.

Types of Pruning Cuts

There are three basic types of pruning cuts for fruit trees.
The Thinning Cut- This is a non-invigorating type of pruning that removes a branch completely at the root of origin.  This type of cut is also referred to as a weeding cut or thinning the tree.

The Heading Cut- The heading cut is a type of pruning cut that removes the ends of a shoot. This encourages lower growth and results in a bushy, wider tree.

The Bench Cut- This is a type of extensive pruning and should be used with caution. The bench cut opens the center of the tree by removing upright branches and can damage a fruit tree if not done properly.

Caring for your fruit trees takes time, patience, and dedication, but the rewards are spectacular. A well cared for fruit tree produces bountiful, nutritious fruit year after year. These tips and basic principles of fruit tree care will help you grow your best fruit crop ever.

No matter if you are considering opening a commercial greenhouse, selling a few plants from your front yard, or simply want to grow better plants, knowing a few inside secrets of commercial greenhouses is an appealing idea. These tips from the commercial greenhouse experts can help your plants and your business flourish.

The best selling plants are annuals, herbs, and foliage plants. 6” pots sell best, and carefully pruning off discolored leaves and over-ripe blooms encourages customers to purchase more plants.

Impatiens are a very popular bedding plant. Marigolds and geraniums are good sellers as well. Ferns are terrific sellers and nearly every commercial greenhouse includes these green favorites. Include a few hydroponic vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, in your selection of plants.

If you are selling your plants to consumers, include a display of basic gardening supplies and seeds to help boost sales. A selection of gardening books and magazines is also a great way to increase your profits.

Keep a nursery log. Include important growing information for each type of plant for easy cross reference on peak times and suggested plant care.

Place fragrant plants near the entryway of the greenhouse to entice customers into the structure. Mix colorful plants in with greens to provide a visually appealing selection.

Fresh, moving air is essential to healthy plant growth, especially in winter months. Use a thermostat controlled heater to maintain temperatures of between 70-75° while ventilation flaps are open.

Take care of any standing water inside your greenhouse to prevent excessive humidity. Some commercial greenhouses will dig a ditch along the sides of the greenhouse wall to aid proper drainage and avoid standing puddles of water.

Invest in cooling pads to keep the humidity down and the soil moist. Keep in mind that using a cooling fan will decrease the overall temperature of the greenhouse by 10° for each fan used.

Growing terrific plants like commercial greenhouses is easy with a few insider tips like these.  Commercial greenhouses pay top dollar for marketing and gardening experts, but you can take advantage of their secrets by observing the habits of successful commercial greenhouses.

If you want to get maximum performance out of your greenhouse, it’s vital to ensure that your greenhouse panels are cleaned. Here are six top tips for keeping it shining and bright.

1. Choose the right cleaning products for your panels. What works on glass may not be the best choice for a plastic greenhouse covering. Some types of plastic panels can actually be dissolved by traditional cleaning fluids. Check with the manufacturer for product-specific advice.

2. Choose the right cleaning products for your plants. Some cleaning fluids leave a residue which can be toxic to delicate plants. Others leave behind chemicals which can be absorbed by plants you plan to eat. Products designed for kitchen use are the best bet if you can’t access specialty products.

3. Use the right scrubbing tool. A scouring pad can help to remove difficult dirt from glass, but should never be used on plastic, where it can cause scratching which will itself reduce the amount of light getting through the panel.

4. Clean frequently. Some of the organic dirt which can build up on greenhouse panels is very hard to remove once it’s become established, but a quick wipe once or twice a week will keep it under control. Basic cleaning should be an everyday part of your schedule when you’re caring for greenhouses properly.

5. Use an anti-algae agent. If you notice greenish misting on your panels, the chances are that you have an algae problem. Once established, algae can spread to the leaves of some plants, suffocating them. There are specialty products which can treat this far more effectively than ordinary cleaners can.

6. Don’t forget the floor! Dirt which builds up on the floor of your greenhouse can later spread to the panels, so it’s a good idea to wash down that concrete or rake through that gravel on a regular basis. This is particularly important in preventing the spread of mold.

With these tips in mind, caring for greenhouses doesn’t have to be hard work. It’s simply a matter of using the right tools for the job and doing that job in an efficient way. Proper cleaning will help to ensure healthy plants and many years of greenhouse-keeping pleasure.