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?

1. Shape – The big hit in greenhouse design today is the pyramid shape. What this shape provides is a close proximity to a direct 90-degree angle to the sun when the sun is hanging low in the sky. There are also other shapes such as the traditional greenhouse shape, the lean-to and even the dome. While most of the sunlight reflects off of the roof, the sidewalls are what allow most of the light in. The closer you are to a 90-degree angle to the sun, the more light will be let in during peak times.

2. Size – The size of your greenhouse is a definite factor in design. Depending on the shape, it may or may not be feasible to build a greenhouse with both the size and shape that you desire. For instance, it would take a lot more room to build a larger pyramid shaped greenhouse than it would a traditional one. If you are just looking for a small space to grow a few plants, then just about any shape of greenhouse would work for you.

3. Materials – The materials used to design and build the greenhouse are extremely important. Some designs incorporate a wood and glass frame with a metal roof while others are made completely of opaque plastic greenhouse panels. Once again, size may be the determining factor on what types of materials you can and cannot use to design your greenhouse. The bigger the greenhouse, the more structural materials you will need to use; as it becomes more like a building, it will need to be constructed more like an actual building.

4. Space – While you might have dreams of grandeur and quarter acre greenhouses, your allotted land, the state government, due to the physical size of your back yard, might not be so accommodating. Take a look at the space you have to build on and ask yourself how much room you really have to take on this project.

While you can always purchase a pre-made greenhouse, think of how much more you would appreciate the space if you built your own. As sure as the sun sets, you will take great delight in growing something beautiful in the building you designed and put together. Who said you couldn’t have a do-it-yourself designer greenhouse?

• Don’t transplant seedlings until they have 4-5 full leaves. This ensures that your delicate seedlings are big enough to survive outside of the greenhouse.

• Some crops need to be transplanted while the weather is still cooler. You should wait until the risk of frost has passed, but these crops prefer cooler temps and may wilt if transplanted during warmer temperatures. Some cool weather crops are lettuce, spinach, carrots, and beets.

• Leave the root ball intact when transplanting seedlings. Dig a tapered hole similar in size to the plant’s previous container and water the cavity well prior to planting.

• Tomato plants can be burried deeply in the soil during transplantation. Up to 2/3 of the current plant height can be buried beneath the soil to ensure a strong root base and a healthy plant.

• Use the bottom portion of the soil from the old container as fill in the new transplant area (without disturbing the root ball). Water this soil well before placing the seedling in the earth to provide an immediate water source for the delicate plant.

• Give your seedling a taste of the outdoors for an hour or two in the early morning or late evening for several days prior to transplantation. If the plants respond to this outside exposure by wilting, bring them back inside the greenhouse and try again another day. You should also slightly reduce the amount of water and fertilizer the seedlings receive to help them adjust to their new outdoor living environment more easily.

• Set up a fan in the greenhouse for a week or two prior to transplantation to help simulate wind. This will help stimulate your plants to grow stronger stems that will be better equipped to withstand the elements.

Transplanting your starts from the greenhouse involves preparation and additional work for about two weeks prior to the transplantation date, but the added effort results in vigorous crops and better yields. These transplanting tips can help you get the most from your greenhouse efforts.

1. Gable Greenhouses: Aesthetically Pleasing Designs
This architectural style often correlates with other Colonial style buildings on a property, providing a continuity of visual form that is pleasing to many greenhouse gardeners and homeowners. Such an attractive flow of design adds value to a property and is readily accepted by zoned communities and picky neighbors alike.

2. Gable Greenhouses: the Perfect Choice for Snowy Regions
The gable greenhouse is ideal for climates that receive a large amount of snow and ice, as the steeply sloped sides of the roof facilitate shedding of heavy snow. Excess snow and ice accumulations can crack or cave in a greenhouse roof. A design free of snow and ice also allows more winter sunlight to penetrate the gable greenhouse’s roof panels, providing extra nourishment for delicate winter plants.

3. Gable Greenhouses: Extra Headroom in Less Space
A gable-style greenhouse is an extremely popular choice for gardeners of above average height. The first steeply sloped angles of the roof provide adequate ceiling height, while the more gently sloping angles provide ample headroom for tall gardeners, even when working near the exterior walls of the greenhouse. This design element takes full advantage of limited greenhouse spaces.
The added height afforded by the gable greenhouse roof gives greenhouse gardeners the option of growing extra tall plants and climbing vines without resorting to excessive pruning. This design also helps create an open-air feeling in a cramped space for gardeners who dislike confined spaces, but must settle for a smaller greenhouse.

4. Gable Greenhouses: Various Options
Gable-style greenhouses come in many varied options, just as other styles of greenhouses. A smaller gable-style greenhouse could cost as little as $600, while a larger gable greenhouse could run in the thousands of dollars. This style of roof design adequately supports both Lexan and glass roofs, and often features fold out vent windows as an option.

Gable greenhouses are the greenhouses of choice for many greenhouse gardeners because of the aesthetic appeal, snow shedding tendencies, extra headroom, reasonable pricing and multiple options. For these reasons and more, a gable greenhouse may be the perfect choice for you.

Growing Year Round
What I can grow in the greenhouse is only limited by how warm I can keep the structure year round. My ultimate goal is to overwinter tropical plants, so I will need to keep the ambient air temperature above freezing, optimally 32 – 40 degrees. Growing warm weather plants and starting seeds, a minimum temperature of 60 – 70 degrees is recommended.

To complete this project for a 6′x8′ greenhouse space, you will need two people, approximately two hours and the following items:    

Template Creation
Once the Solexx panels were attached to the aluminum frame, we installed closable base vents. The Solexx panels arrived rolled in cardboard which we recycled as a cutting surface. The leftover panel material came in handy to create vent templates. The templates made sure the vents were the same distance from the base of the greenhouse floor. We measured six inches (6″) from the base of the greenhouse positioning the cardboard to create the template. Next, we copied the base vent template onto the Solexx panel marking which way to position the vent.

Married to an Engineer
The round PVC piping provided by Solexx in the base vent kit provides buckling protection of the panels. Being married to an engineer can be a curse when it comes to these types of projects. He always prefers to come up with a “better way”. He ultimately changed how the base vents were installed on our greenhouse frame. After much discussion and cajoling, my husband opted to use metal angle brackets* instead of the PVC piping provided. To keep hole drilling mistakes down to a minimum on the greenhouse, he pre-drilled holes in the four corners of the base vent and angle brackets using the Solexx template and power drill with a 5/32″ drill bit.

Installing Base Vents on Greenhouse Panels
The base template was again used to position the vents six inches from the greenhouse base. Tape or hold the template on the panel. Copy the 4 1/8″ x 10″ horizontal opening using a black sharpie marker. The Solexx panels are easy to cut using a standard box knife. It is helpful to have two people for installing the vents and positioning the brackets. One person holds the brackets and vent on the inside of the greenhouse while the other person uses a socket wrench to screw the base vent and bracket into the Solexx panel. Make sure the panel does not buckle. If it does, back out the screw until all pieces lay flat against one another.

Next Steps
Even though the base vents are installed and help to keep the air temperature stable, cross ventilation will not take place until a large vent is positioned on the back wall of the greenhouse. I am considering purchasing a 24″ x 12″ Easy Flow Louver with a solar louver opener or a 12″ exhaust fan (760 CFM) with a 12″ intake shutter.

Feedback
Have you had any experience with either of these units in your own greenhouse? I would love to hear your experience and comments!

Choosing Plants

When you’re interested in growing winter crops in your greenhouse, choosing the right type of plant to work with is essential. Reading about the various winter varieties is important if you want your garden to thrive. Be sure you’re growing your plants at the appropriate temperature by using an inexpensive gardening thermometer. Many times if your local gardening center doesn’t offer plants during the winter you can order them via seed catalog companies. The seed catalogs should tell you exactly where each plant will thrive, and during which seasons. Thus, the choices of what to plant become easier.

Vegetables to try in cold-weather greenhouses:
Lettuce
Kale
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Beets
Fava Beans
Garlic
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Radish
Parsley
Spinach

Flowers to try in cold-weather greenhouses:
Christmas Cactus
Freesia
Impatiens
Amaryllis
Azalea
Pansy
Primrose
Sweet Pea
Snapdragon

Winter Crop Needs

Various plants will have different requirements and needs when grown in the winter months or in a cold-weather greenhouse. As a general rule, you’ll need to reduce the amount of water you provide during warmer seasonal growing. Most often, the first inch of soil should be dry before you give the plants water again. During the cold months, plants will grow slower and require less fertilizer, as well. In fact, many plants will survive and grow well without fertilizer is you provide organic content in the gardening soil. Remember, though the weather temperatures are cooler in winter months, there will still need to be some sort of ventilation possible for your plants. Plants require fresh carbon dioxide and gas exchange for them to be able to photosynthesize properly.
Planting and tending to winter crops during the dreary cold months can be a great way to stay active and happy during the harsh winter weather. Not only can winter crops provide entertainment for a gardener, but they can also provide delicious vegetables throughout the winter months when grocery vegetables are at their highest prices. So, essentially gardening in the winter can save your family money! Just be sure you think fully about what you’re going to plant and how you’ll tend to them before jumping into this gardening task.

Clutter Removal
After covering the greenhouse with the new Solexx panels, it quickly became a haven for over-wintering plants through the snow covered drifts of December. A myriad of tools, supplies, books, pots, and bird seed were clumsily stacked high and piled in corners. Tropical plants crowded and jammed the floor covered in frost cloth. Plants were moved onto the patio and the spring ritual of cleansing began.

Sweeping Out the Past
The sand and crushed gravel floor of the greenhouse is enclosed by gray cement pavers down the middle. The sides were choked with volunteer weeds. The pavers got swept. Weeds pulled. Spider egg sacs and cobwebs gathered and gently placed under rocks in the garden.  Benches and racks cleaned with Windex and old dish rags. An inventory list of what each bench houses is prepared and my chicken scratch typed into Excel. The printed list will be posted on the greenhouse wall so I can quickly find or replace commonly used items. Materials or supplies stored year-over-year collecting dust will be  donated to Goodwill or set aside for the yearly garage sale.

Cracked Pots
Inspected for cracks, broken containers are placed in a shard pile for future use in bottom of pots. Dirt encrusted pots are cleaned with a weak solution of bleach, dish soap and water.  Sparkling clean and neatly stacked containers are easier to locate by size and color.  Potting media is kept off the ground by stacking on a wooden bench. 

Handles and Tools
Linseed oil is applied to all wooden tool handles. A new bucket of builder’s sand and a quart of motor oil mixed together will keep larger tool blades clean and rust free.  Cotton rounds soaked in isopropyl alcohol rubbed on hand tools blades prevents diseases from spreading from one plant to another. I prefer cotton rounds over cotton balls as they bend around blade edges easily and protect my fingers. The cotton rounds also work better on jagged pruning saw edges.

External Inspection
Walk around the greenhouse. Check the panels and screw entry points. Tighten or loosen screws as needed. Open the base vents to let fresh air inside. Clean any mold forming on the panels – especially the roof – with weak mixture of bleach, dish soap and water.

Prepping for the New Growing Season
A sparkling clean 6×8 greenhouse can be readied for starting seeds in one day’s time. There is nothing like opening the greenhouse door and actually being able to walk inside. It smells fresh and beckons to grow. For the first time in over seven years, the seed bench is actually being used for its intended purpose.

Follow the germination ruminations as the seeds push through the handmade potting soil and chick grit in the weeks to come!