Reduce in the Greenhouse
Reducing energy consumption in the greenhouse begins in the construction stage. Energy conservation techniques for building can be extended to the greenhouse with a few minor alterations. If your greenhouse plan does not include a mechanical ventilation system, but relies on manually opening panels when the temperature rises, you will want to seal up any cracks, gaps and crevices you can find. Creating a sealed greenhouse environment (but not airtight – you do need constant fresh air) will make it easier to hold in the sun’s natural heat in the winter and lower your heating costs. Conversely, if you employ a heating/air conditioning unit or an electric fan for ventilation, sealing up any large gaps in the greenhouse will make your heating and cooling efforts more efficient.

Insulation is a major source of energy savings in a standard building construction project. To save money on heating, look at the R factor of various greenhouse covering materials and select one that will help hold the heat in your greenhouse. Also consider the framing. Metal frames conduct heat out of the greenhouse and cold into the greenhouse while plastic and wood frames do not. If possible, avoid metal frames.

Reuse in the Greenhouse
Reusing items in the greenhouse not only saves money, but it helps the environment. Pots, seedling inserts and trays are all things that can be used over and over again. Just wash them with a bleach/water solution to kill any harmful bacteria that might be lingering. 

Recycle in the Greenhouse
Recycling in the greenhouse is best seen through the practice of composting. An energy conscious greenhouse gardener contributes to a compost pile year round, not only for the sake of recycling yard waste, food scraps and other consumable organic products, but for the terrifically rich and fertile yields of the compost pile itself. Plants treated with compost material grow larger, stronger and healthier than plants treated with artificial fertilizers and chemicals. When planning your greenhouse construction, you can include a nearby composting area to incorporate your recycling habits into the overall greenhouse plan.

Greenhouse gardeners can also recycle glass panels, gardening tools, soil, and beneficial insects.

Being energy conscious in the greenhouse is a natural choice and is easy to implement with a little forethought and effort. Reduce, reuse and recycle is the greenhouse gardener’s motto.

For more information on saving energy in the greenhouse, the California Farm Bureau Federation has provided a list of energy saving tips for the greenhouse at: http://www.cfbf.com/issues/energy/green.cfm.

Step One: Heating and Ventilation

Regular greenhouse care keeps your plants healthy and your greenhouse in good repair. During the winter months, you should pay special attention to your heating and ventilation system. Proper heating is essential for keeping your plants from freezing during the winter, and a good ventilation system will help prevent moisture buildup and fungus growth. Check your heating elements, wiring and thermostat for bad wires and dust buildup. Clean all filters and remove any debris or leaves from around the heating unit. You can also use a portable air compressor to give your heater a thorough cleaning in a jiffy. Check your heater’s safety functions to ensure they are still functioning from last year.

Step Two: Infestations

As the weather grows colder, rodents and other pests seek out shelter. These pests will often nest in heating units or chew through delicate wires and insulation. If you find evidence of rodent squatters in your greenhouse, clean out the nesting material and disinfect the area thoroughly. Rodents can carry a multitude of diseases, and proper precautions need to be taken. For more information about how to control rodent infestations, visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website at: http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/.

Any lingering insects in the greenhouse can be treated with a natural insecticide or removed by hand. You can also sterilize your potting soil now. Baking it in an oven at no more than 180 degrees, in a foil-covered pan, for 30 minutes should kill off any harmful bacteria and insect larvae. Provide plenty of ventilation during the process.

Step Three: Insulation
Insulating your greenhouse is especially important during the winter months. Materials such as glass and other forms of plastic will need a thorough cleaning to allow maximum light penetration and a an added layer of insulation to help retain precious heat. You can add bubble wrap or Visquine for additional insulation in the coldest months. (This is also a great time to clean and disinfect your greenhouse panels.)

These three steps can help you break up the monotony of your winter greenhouse care and maintenance. While there are still many tasks to add to your winter checklist, you will be well on your way to happy gardening during the cold winter months.

1. Live flowers. Any greenhouse gardener will be delighted to receive live flowers to add to their greenhouse plant collection.

2. Quality pitch fork for turning compost. Many gardeners prefer a wooden handle, but any quality material will do.

3. Ergonomic Garden Tools. If your favorite greenhouse gardener has had the same old hand tools for years, they will appreciate the comfort of Radius garden tools.

4. Birdfeeders. Many greenhouse gardeners enjoy having birds visit their gardening area. Bird watching adds to the enjoyment of greenhouse gardening and many birds will eat pesky insects that may migrate into the greenhouse otherwise. Consider including a hummingbird feeder to your gift list as well!

5. Relaxation kit. For the more adventurous shopper, you can assemble your own ultimate greenhouse gardening gift basket. Include items such as soft socks, cozy gardening gloves, a relaxation CD, seed packets, and even a gift certificate for a massage at the local spa! (Gardening is hard work after all!)

6. Gift certificate. If all else fails, you can always purchase a gift certificate for your gardener’s favorite greenhouse gardening supply store and present it in a flowerpot filled with candy bar flowers. Simply select a few favorite candy bars, and glue skewers to the backs of the packages. Arrange the candy in a pleasing pattern with some floral foam for anchorage in the pot.

7. Knowledge. Greenhouse gardeners always like to seek out new ways to garden. Gardening books filled with tips, tricks, and advice for making greenhouse plants flourish are always hot commodities for the avid gardener.

8. Artistic expression. Many greenhouse gardeners enjoy the simple beauty of nature. In keeping with this thought, purchasing a book filled with beautiful photographs from nature is sure to be a hit. Or a magazine subscription to some excellent publications such as Organic Gardening, Mother Earth News, Horticulture or Fine Gardening.

9. Gardeners First Aid Kit. Gardening can be rough on the gardener at times, so a thoughtful gift might be a first aid kit designed especially for greenhouse gardening. Items to include would be: Advil for sore backs and knees, antibiotic ointment and adhesive bandages for cuts and scrapes, a nail cleaning kit for good hygiene after gardening, hand lotion, a hot/cold pack for those days when everything lands on your foot!

10. Fertilizer. Yes, it is acceptable to give a bag of manure as a holiday gift, but only if the recipient is a die-hard gardener! Better yet, give them a worm bin so they can make their own!

These ten holiday gift ideas for the greenhouse gardener on your shopping list are only the start! You can spend a few minutes browsing a selection of greenhouse goodies online and create your own must-have gardening list.

Although glass is the least energy-efficient of greenhouse coverings, some people just want the look of glass when they are shopping for a greenhouse. Custom glass greenhouses are what many greenhouse gardener’s picture when they think of having a greenhouse. Heavy leaded glass surrounded by wrought iron or intricate custom framework adds immeasurable beauty and grace to a functioning greenhouse filed with vibrant plants and flowers. However, hiring a custom glass greenhouse designer costs a fortune, and purchasing a vintage glass greenhouse can be nearly as expensive as a college education.

If you have a deep desire for that custom glass or vintage glass greenhouse feel, despair not! There are a few ways to get that designer look  in the greenhouse.

Design Your Own
Designing and building your own greenhouse is one of the best ways to get a custom greenhouse for less. Your only limitations are your building skills, your imagination, and your budget. Many ready-made greenhouse plans and designs can be easily adapted to accommodate your vision for your custom greenhouse. We have seen many people use old glass windows to put together an eclectic greenhouse design.

Scale It Down
If your budget allows a little splurging, but you can’t afford an entire greenhouse remodel, consider adding on a small addition or remodeling a portion of your existing greenhouse to create a custom space. A little compromise can transform your entire growing space into a dream greenhouse.

Adding Vintage Glass
Purchasing a vintage glass greenhouse can be quite pricey. However, you can opt for a one-wall remodel and add vintage glass to a single wall or ceiling portion for a vintage corner greenhouse within your existing greenhouse design. Even a single large vintage glass panel can become the showcase of your greenhouse remodel. Just be sure to reinforce your greenhouse frame to support the heavier vintage glass panels to avoid breaking your panels and your heart.

Fake It
If you can’t afford a custom design or vintage glass, why not fake it? Many greenhouse gardeners choose to add decorative stained glass to give their greenhouses designer appeal. Stained glass art featuring pale green and blue shades (similar to vintage glass panels) are the perfect way to add a custom vintage feel to your greenhouse space. Arts and crafts stores, individual artisans, flea markets, antique stores, and even estate auctions are often treasure troves for finding vintage glass and stained glass panels.

Create It
For the craftier greenhouse gardener, stained glass kits are available from a hobby store or online. With these kits, you can select the size, shape and colors used in your custom glass creations. Stained glass classes are also a great way to obtain custom pieces that will hold not only beauty, but sentimental value as well.

Getting that custom glass or vintage greenhouse look doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. With a little imagination and ingenuity, you can own the one-of-a-kind greenhouse creation of your dreams by shopping around, compromising, and creating your own custom greenhouse glass.

Winter Greenhouse Heating Tips
• Keep a log of all maintenance on the heating system, including dates of the first use for the season and all repairs
• Place greenhouse fans so they help circulate heat from the greenhouse ceiling to the floor during winter months.
• Install an alarm system to alert you of smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide build up in the greenhouse. Greenhouse heaters can give off toxic fumes or catch fire if they malfunction
• Most plants will continue to thrive at a minimal temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Clean all greenhouse glass (if you have glass covering) to allow for maximum sunlight penetration during winter months
• Always keep a back up heating plan in place incase of heater failure. This can be extremely useful should your heater go bad on a weekend or over the holidays when calling a repairman will be costly or impossible.
•Purchase a weather station with an ice alert to notify you if the temperature falls below freezing. It also is a convenient way to monitor the temperature of your greenhouse from the comfort of your home.
• Seal off any unused portions of the greenhouse during winter months to reduce heating costs.
• Using a thermostat to control your greenhouse heating will save you time and money by maintaining a constant minimal temperature in the greenhouse and avoid accidental freezing periods.
• Setting your greenhouse heater’s thermostat to the lowest temperature possible to avoid freezing will help you cut heating costs. You may have to bundle up to work in the greenhouse with this method, but you can always bring a long a space heater if you become too uncomfortable.
• Placing all your plants on greenhouse shelves will help you keep plants warm and away from the frozen earth.
• It may seem logical to seal your greenhouse tight in the winter, but without ventilation, your plants will suffer and condensation will be a huge problem in the greenhouse.
• Heat rises, so unless your ventilation system adequately moves air from the roof to the floor, you may experience cold spots and warmer areas. Spot checking temperatures can help you determine if you have a problem before your plants suffer.

Heating your greenhouse during winter months requires more effort than opening a few vents to allow summer heat to escape, but the beauty that winter gardening yields makes that effort worthwhile.

Fall Canning Tips for Greenhouse Gardeners
One of the inevitable side effects of a love for gardening is hours spent in the kitchen preparing all those fruits and veggies for storage. Until a few years ago, I simply froze all of my garden veggies, but then I decided to give canning a try. Boy, am I glad I did! If you are new to canning, these time saving tips might prove to be very valuable. Give a few a try and see what a difference the extra effort can make!

1. Invest in a food processor. This is the first year I have used a food processor and I was simply amazed at how much time it saved. Veggies are ready for canning in seconds and the entire machine cleans up with a rinse in hot soapy water. My fingertips are very thankful that I won’t be scoring them repeatedly while slicing up cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and beets this year.

2. Buy a pressure cooker. I know, most pressure cooker manuals do not include any instructions for pressure canning quarts and pints, but the FDA encourages home gardeners to use pressure canning for all low-acid foods, like beans and carrots. You can find pressure canning time tables and instructions online if your pressure cooker doesn’t come with canning instructions.

3. Compost your food scraps. Those snap bean ends, tomato cores, and corncobs make great fertilizer for next year’s crops.  Mix your layers of food scraps with coffee grounds, grass clippings, and leaves to create the richest compost. Be sure to water it well and turn it over often to increase airflow for better decomposition.

4. Enlist help. Recruit your kids, spouse, or friends to help you pick, clean, prepare and can your crops. The work will go twice as fast and you can reward them a few jars of the finished products.

5. Always label your jars. You may think it’s a no-brainer that jar contains this year’s beans, but in 12 months, your memory may not be so clear. Sometimes jars get missed from year to year and labeling them with the date canned helps keep you from wasting food and getting spoiled jars.

6. Stock up. Always buy an extra set of jars and several boxes of fresh lids to keep on hand. It can be frustrating to have a hot jar of produce ready for processing and realize you are out of lids or bands.

Canning your fruits and veggies from the greenhouse can be an immensely rewarding experience. Canning takes a lot time, and the lengthy process is often daunting for many gardeners who are new to canning, but taking a few time saving tips can help make your first canning season a pleasant one.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, the garden crops tend to get ahead of us. There are only so many hours in the day, and when other responsibilities encroach on your treasured gardening time, you can find yourself stuck with a boatload of work. Here are few ideas to help you make the most of those busy gardening moments.

Overripe Cucumbers
Ah, the lovely cucumber! One vine can produce tons of cukes, long into the growing season. The leafy vines often hide growing cucumbers from your sight, resulting in overgrown, or overripe cucumbers. Overgrown cukes are long, large, and often yellow. The flesh is porous, less crisp than young cucumbers, and the seeds are large and plentiful. Many cooks will tell you these cucumbers are not suitable for pickling or relish making. So, what are you to do with these garden giants? Well, you can make them into a sweet treat. Pickled Cinnamon Cucumbers taste a lot like candied apples and the rich cinnamon flavoring makes them immensely appealing as an after-dinner treat.

They take about 3 days to process and the finished product is jar filled with richly colored red rings of sweetness with a cinnamon stick in the center. These jars are nice enough to give away as gifts or enter into the county fair. You can find the original recipe here: http://www.scrapbookflair.com/oklahomadawn/Cinnamon_Cucumber_Rings/Page1 .

CINNAMON CUCUMBER RINGS
2-3 gallons cucumber rings
8 1/2 qts. cold water
Red food coloring
1 tsp. alum
2 c. water
8 cinnamon sticks
2 c. pickling lime
1 c. vinegar
2 c. vinegar
10 c. sugar
1 pkg. red hot candy
Mix 2 cups pickling lime and 8 1/2 quarts cold water. Pour over cucumber rings. Let stand 24 hours. Drain. Wash and put in cold water. Let stand 3 hours. Drain. Mix 1 cup vinegar, red food coloring, alum, and add enough water to cover. Simmer 2 hours. Drain.
Mix 2 cups vinegar, 10 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 1 package red hot cinnamon candy, 8 cinnamon sticks. Bring to boil. Pour over cucumber rings. Let set overnight. Drain off; heat and pour back over cucumbers. Do this for 3 days. On 3rd day, pack rings in jars; seal.

Another option is to go ahead and make them into pickles with a special recipe that calls for overripe cucumbers. This recipe includes brown sugar and vinegar, making an unusual, yet palatable pickle. The original recipe for these pickles is here: http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1636,149170-226205,00.html .

 MOTHER’S RIPE CUCUMBER PICKLE
Large ripe (yellow) cucumbers
2 lb. brown sugar
1 pt. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. whole cloves
2 tbsp. stick cinnamon
Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise. If very large you may need to cut crosswise also. Cover with alum water (2 teaspoons alum to each quart of water). Heat gradually to boiling, then let stand until clear. Remove cucumber from water and chill in ice water.
Make a syrup by boiling 5 minutes the sugar, vinegar and spices (tied in muslin). Add cucumbers; cook 10 minutes. Put cucumbers in jars and pour syrup over them.

Books on Canning:
Preserving the Harvest
The Beginners Guide to Preserving Food at Home
Keeping the Harvest: Home storage of fruits and vegetables

Green House Compost: the Ultimate Green Fertilizer
Compost: it looks great on your soil and smells better than your trash can. Composting is the ultimate recycling project. With a simple compost heap, you can transform your kitchen scraps, yard waste, and even those discarded newspapers into nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Purchase a prefabricated Compost Bin or to make a compost heap, cordon off a small area, and alternate layers of green leafy waste with brown waste (such as manure, dried leaves, or coffee grounds). Water it well and turn it over once a week with a pitchfork to allow air to penetrate the deeper layers and aid in decomposition. Worms, manure, and even old coffee can help make your fertilizer nutrient rich and healthy.
For quick and easy composting directions, visit http://compostinstructions.com/in-a-hurry-heres-the-ultimate-one-page-guide-to-composting/ to read an easy guide to composting. You can also view a few videos on composting on YouTube as well as this one, http://www.5min.com/Video/Learning-How-To-Compost-11225, from GrowingWisdom.com.

Banning Pesticides
Instead of using harsh chemical pesticides, Green House growers opt for a gentler solution. Introducing beneficial insects and nematodes into the greenhouse can help control most infestation problems. You can also try making your own insecticidal soap with a recipe of one gallon water, 2 t baking soda, 2 t dish detergent, and 2 t white vinegar. Spray the pest treatment under the leaves of your plants where the white fly eggs, scale and adults reside. This can be time consuming as the bugs will die only when they come in direct contact with the spray. Each leaf needs to be sprayed. You must be diligent and apply the spray every 3 to 5 days to maintain control over the white files. Use soaps when plants are not drought-stressed and when temperatures are under 80°F to prevent possible damage to plants. Test the insecticidal soap first on your plants to make sure it will not burn the leaves. Spray the soap on a few leaves and wait two days to see if there is any burning. If burning occurs, try diluting the spray with more water and test again. Insecticidal soap is very effective on controlling white flies and many other greenhouse pests. The drawbacks are it can also kill the good bugs and it is generally a big time commitment.

Shade Cloths
Using shade cloths in the Green House is an eco-friendly solution to heating and cooling your greenhouse. Installing a basic temperature thermometer in the greenhouse will help you determine when to block strong sunlight or let the sunshine in to help heat your greenhouse.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Green House growers are natural experts at reducing consumption, reusing materials, and recycling waste. Potting oil can be baked in the oven to sterilize it and reused again the next year. Clay pots and plastic growing trays can be cleaned with bleach and water, reducing waste. Broken pots, old newspapers, and kitchen waste are recycled for use in other areas of the greenhouse.

Going green in the Green House is a great way to help the environment and reap the benefits of lush, healthy fruit sand vegetables in the process. With a few easy changes, your greenhouse can truly become a Greener House, too.

 Working with shade cloths, earthboxes, cold frames, and greenhouses can greatly improve your chances for gardening success. Gardening can be challenging, especially for the timid novice gardener.Why are you afraid to take that next step to growing a green thumb? Is it because there is just too much sunlight or wind in your area? Perhaps you have poor soil conditions or even worse, no soil conditions. Maybe you are hesitant because you won’t be able to enjoy the fresh produce year round. Whatever your reason, there are simple answers to help you garden better and faster. Here are some solutions to the above dilemmas.

Too Much Sun or Wind

Trying to garden where there is too much sun or wind can be devastating. As soon as you see the sprout start to poke its head above the surface, it is a constant battle to keep it from drying out or being removed from the ground like a fence post in a tornado. An easy answer to this problem is the shade cloth. There are numerous different types of shade cloths, depending on how much sun and wind blockage you are looking for. Some shade cloths are made out of nylon or plastic while others are made out of a textile material such as polyester.

Choosing the right shade cloth for your application is simple, the bigger the holes, the less sunlight and wind it will block. The smaller the holes, the more sunlight and wind will be blocked. Shade cloths allow balanced UV light transmission to your plants while keeping them out of the harsher environments.

Poor Soil Conditions

If your soil is less than perfect, or if you don’t have the privilege of having your own soil in an apartment or condo, you can still garden and have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The Earthboxis a pre-designed system that is almost 300 times better than container gardening. The Earthbox is a self-contained garden, which comes with its own water reservoir so that the plants get the perfect amount of water at all times, a special gradient system to allow proper nutrients to plant root systems and also is usually made of plastic to prevent the invasion of plant-eating pests.

Year Round Gardening

If you are worried about year-round gardening, worry no more. Building a cold frame and even adding a hot bed can provide year round fruits and vegetables at your table. A cold frame is like a mini greenhouse. The box is enclosed with a glass roof that faces the South for optimum light penetration, even in the coldest of temperatures. The cold frame can help keep plants out of the external temperatures while still providing moies soil and plenty of sunlight.

Greenhouses

Of course a greenhouse will solve all of these dilemmas. A four season greenhouse lets you grow all year in most climates. Your plants are protected from snow, wind and other harsh weather conditions. It also solves the dilemma of poor soil of not having any room in your yard for a garden – a greenhouse can sit on your patio or a cement slab. You use only the perfect sterile soil from your local garden center. So no more worries about tough or nutrient depleted soil in your yard!

No matter what your reason is for not gardening, shade cloth, Earthboxes, cold frames, and greenhouses could, very well, provide a solution to your problem. You no longer have any excuses to not begin gardening, so get out there, protect your plants from the sun and light, and give them the best chance to survive and grow them year round. What are you waiting for?

It is now September – last chance to harvest – and while you may have the proper tools to harvest your prized crops, there are some other gardening supplies and accessories that you may not have considered to help keep and store your hard work for later use.

Canning
Canning is a great way to store fruits and veggies from your garden for later use. Canning works because it heats foods to kill bacteria while sealing them in a glass or metal container, preventing them from spoiling. All air that would allow bacteria to grow is forced out of the jars during the canning process.

Having canning supplies handy during harvest time means that you can keep more of your food fresh for use during the off-season. Here is a list of supplies that you will need to install an outdoor canning kitchen in your greenhouse – if you don’t have a greenhouse, you can use these same items indoors on your stove, as well.
• Boiling-water canner – Basically just a big pot with a tight fitting lid, mainly used for canning fruits or high-acid vegetables.
• Pressure canner – Similar to a pressure cooker, the lid locks down to keep steam in. This canner is great for vegetables and low-acid foods.
• Canning jars – Commonly called Mason Jars, these are the glass jars that come with metal screw on lids. They create very tight seals and are perfect for canning just about anything. You can choose from pints, or quart-sizes, and regular or wide-mouthed varieties.
• Lids and bands – Lids, sometimes known as “flats,” should be new and never reused because they may not seal properly the second time. Bands thread onto the jars to hold the lids in place during the canning process. These can be removed after a pressure seal has formed and the jars cool for 12-24 hours.

Dehydrator
A Dehydrator is another useful gardening accessory. The ability to dry herbs and fruits can come in handy for use during the winter season. Dried herbs go much further than fresh herbs and can last for many months without going bad. Dried fruits make for great snacks by themselves or can be used in cooking, cereal, oatmeal, or even smoothies. Once dried, you always have the option of partially dehydrating your fruit by putting them in a bath of warm water for a few minutes. A good dehydrator will have several large racks and a temperature dial that ranges from about 80F to around 150F.

Canning supplies and a good dehydrator are essential elements to your gardening tool kit. They will help you preserve and store your hard work for later use and not to mention, the use of both gardening accessories will fill your house with the wonderful smell of your garden. Bon Appetite.