Kermit once said, “It’s not easy being green.” (But I think that had more to do with avoiding Ms. Piggy’s affections than being a naturally green critter.) Green living is all the rage, and going green in the green-house is probably easier than you think.

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.