How Hothouse Gardening Works
Hothouse gardening works by the scientific principle commonly referred to as the greenhouse effect. The glass or plastic covering of the greenhouse allows sunlight rays to penetrate the covering, but only certain rays of sunlight are allowed to escape back through the glass or plastic. Long wavelength infrared rays of sunlight are trapped within the hothouse, creating a warmer environment within the hothouse structure.

The temperature in the hothouse is controlled either by a climate control system or, as is more common, a ventilation system. Louvered windows and vents in the ceiling or sides of the hothouse allow heat to escape when the temperature rises. In addition, some hothouse gardeners choose to place shade cloths over the greenhouse during the hottest parts of the day to inhibit sunlight and the resulting warm temperatures. Ventilation also allows fresh air to circulate into the hothouse, which further lowers the temperature.

Timed watering devices, such as sprinklers or misters, administer water to the hothouse plants, creating a moist environment. This humidity is trapped in the hothouse unless ventilation is provided. In this manner, even hand watering creates a relative humidity inside the hothouse.

The Benefits of Hothouse Gardening
Hothouse gardening allows people who live in an otherwise barren region to enjoy the fruits produced in a hothouse environment. Hothouses also allow dedicated gardeners to extend the growing season, with some plants producing fruit well into the winter months.

Hothouse gardening also provides the opportunity to grow exotic or fragile plants in any region. Because the hothouse gardener can strictly control the growing conditions, such as temperature, heat, humidity, water levels, and amount of sunlight, it is possible to grow nearly any crop imaginable with the right knowledge, equipment, and dedication.

Hothouse gardening, also called greenhouse gardening, is becoming an increasingly popular hobby. Gardening lovers around the world sing the praises of hothouse gardening for the many benefits and advantages, the wide range of choices available to the greenhouse gardener, and the spectacular results of hothouse gardening. Even professional commercial growers love hothouses and invest time and money into constructing hothouses for business use. Hothouse gardening benefits gardeners from various backgrounds and is useful in a wide variety of applications.

Drip System – A drip watering system usually sets down in the pot or soil and has a slow, steady drip that keeps plants moist without over watering the soil. Drip systems are usually made from hoses or bottles with tiny holes. The holes in hoses cause a high surface ratio and only allow small amounts of water through. If you don’t have the means to buy a drip system, you can always make one out of a gallon jug or a 2-liter bottle. By cutting a few holes in the cap of the bottle and a few around the sides of the bottom, you can make your own drip system that will keep your plants well watered even if you forget about them from time to time.

Misting System – These systems are good to use for plants that only need a small amount of water, such as cacti because their root systems make the most of any water applied. In addition, these can help to cool your greenhouse and add humidity in dry climates.

Running Water – Running water systems are probably the easiest to fabricate and can be made using PVC pipe, just like any other irrigation system. A great idea for the running water systems is to use barrels to collect rainwater. This is a great way to water your plants by conserving water and cutting down on the costs of upkeep. When designing your running water system with rain barrels, be sure to put in a good working valve so that you can retain all of the water you catch from the rain.

Greenhouse watering systems can be as unique as the gardener who is using them. There are many different types and uses and can either be pre-made or designed yourself. It is best to keep the plants together which have the same basic watering needs, just to make it easier to adequately water each plant. If all else fails, consult your local gardening expert to help determine which type of watering system is right for you and you might be surprised to find they could already have a system drawn out that fits your eco-friendly watering system needs.

I am not a sophisticated vegetable gardener. My growing expertise focuses on perennials, shrubs and trees. Vegetable and fruit gardening needs to be simple for me to enjoy. If you want to be successful in growing your own crops, I recommend starting off with radishes, swiss chard, and snap peas.  The seeds are large, easy to handle and have a high success rate.  I find it fun to get the family involved and a great way to encourage future generations to get bit by the gardening bug…

General Planting Tips for Cool Weather Veggies 

• Look for seeds that are “open pollinated” or marked “organic”.

• Radishes, chard and peas are considered ‘cool’ weather crops. They can be grown through summer months in succession or you can rotate your crops after harvesting has occurred. I am now planting carrots in place of the radishes. The peas are still producing in mid-July. The chard can be harvested almost year-round.

• Make sure to add compost to give them a rich home to develop strong root systems.

• Build the soil up in rows and into little mounds with compost.

• Take a 6″ wide piece of wood with notches carved into it at every 12″ to use as a template for sowing seeds. Placing the wood sideways twice will calculate 1’ space you need between rows so you can walk through them easily for harvesting and weeding later.

• Water daily to establish seedlings and then whenever the temperature rises over 80 degrees. Check the water saturation level by driving a dry #2 pencil into the soil and see how far it comes out wet. This trick will let you know how far your watering has penetrated into the soil.

• Mark rows with recycled plastic forks to hold seed packets.

• It’s important to keep weeds down so veggie starts can grow as fast as possible. Hand weeding is recommended on all produce.

• Slugs seem particularly fond of young radishes and will nibble on the “fruit” exposed about the soil line. Putting a clean tuna fish can filled with cheap beer will keep the slugs occupied.

• I find it strange that I scrutinize produce at the local grocery store or farmer’s market, but have no problem accepting defects in my own produce. I do not spray for pests or diseases’, so keeping an eye on developing plants is critical. Using a floating row cover may be desirable if you notice heavy pest damage early on.

• Water early in the morning to keep fungal diseases to a minimum.

Radishes Raphanus sativus
French Breakfast Radishes“Petit Dejeuner”French variety that can either grow long or round. They have distinctive white bands at the bottom followed by deep red to the leafy green tops.	Rainbow Radishes‘Easter Egg II’ These little beauties come in a variety of colors ranging from white, shades of pink, cherry red, deep burgundy, and violet. Exactly round they all have brilliant white centers no matter the outside coloring.

Swiss Chard Beta vulgaris
Rainbow Chard‘Bright Lights’Stalks come in a vivid range of yellow, pink, red, yellow and orange.  Large, dark green ribbed leaves.	Container Chard‘Easter Egg II’ Brilliant gold stems hold deep green and ribbed leaves. This particular variety is great either in the ground or in containers for small, urban gardens.

Peas Pisum sativum

Edible Pod Bush Peas  ‘Sugar Sprint’ • A stringless pea variety that is great to grow on bamboo trellises, or iron teepees covered in netting to give the vines something to scramble up on. • Make sure to train the vines when small to grow upward. • Large seeds can be pushed directly in soil with a #2 pencil. Mark 1.5″ up the pencil to make sure they are consistently sown to the same depth.

Learn More

For Pacific Northwest seed choices; visit the following seed companies online:

• Renee’s Garden

• Territorial Seeds

• Ed Hume Seeds

• Seeds of Change

Great books to research include:

• The Edible Garden, Sunset Books

• Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades, Steve Solomon

Help Your Neighbor

Are your beds overflowing with fruits and veggies? Do the neighbors close the blinds and won’t answer the door when you come knocking with zucchini in a basket? Don’t waste that produce!

Plant a Row for the Hungry is a non-profit cause led by Garden Writers of America. Since 1995, over 14 million pounds of produce providing over 50 million meals have been donated by American gardeners.

Please consider planting one extra row of food to donate to those who need it most. Check with your local food bank or better yet, independent garden center that move local produce to people in need.

While the controlled environment in the greenhouse is favorable for many reasons, nutrient depletion is a definite drawback. To help keep your greenhouse plants green and healthy, fertilizers and food additives are essential.

Fertilizers and Foods for Greenhouse Plants

Plants require essential elements for proper growth. These elements are boron, carbon, calcium, chlorine, copper, hydrogen, iron, oxygen, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, sulfur, and zinc. Plants extract carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from the air, and the remaining nutrients are obtained from water and soil. A depletion in any of these essential elements can inhibit plant growth.
Fertilizers and plant foods supplement these essential elements and allow the plants to thrive under optimal growing conditions. Some common supplements are peat moss, compost, and water-based fertilizers.

Serious greenhouse gardeners are known to fertilize varieties of plants according to professional recommendations. Certain greenhouse plants often suffer from common element deficiencies. For example, geraniums cannot tolerate high soluble salts. This calls for a water-soluble fertilizer containing calcium and magnesium, often referred to as a geranium special.

Most greenhouse gardeners keep a reference book on hand or consult their favorite greenhouse gardening website for specific recommendations on fertilizers and plant foods. This plant-by-plant look up method ensures proper feeding of plants by pinpointing common problems and solutions.

Some greenhouse gardeners choose to select only organic fertilizers. The backyard compost pile is the most common source of plant food for organic greenhouse gardeners. Other sources include powdered milk, coffee grounds, powdered lime, and aged manure.

If you are interested in learning about the specifics involved in selecting the best fertilizers and foods for your greenhouse plants, your local library holds a wealth of fertilizer knowledge. The specific may become complicated at times making you wish you had a degree in chemistry to better understand the complex processes. Overall, understanding the basic of fertilization in the greenhouse is well within the grasp of the everyday greenhouse gardener.

• 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.

We arrived at 11:30am and the place was already packed!  One of the things I love about summertime in the Pacific Northwest is the plethora of garden tours and festivals we have to choose from. Instead of going to the same events over and over, I try to attend a few each year I haven’t been to before.

One such event is Sorticulture which was recommended by a few garden friends in Seattle. The festival is held each year in Legion Memorial Park located in Everett, Washington from June 12 – 14, 2009. The 4-acre park had the unexpected delight of housing the Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens to explore as well.

Sorticulture featured hand crafted garden art, outdoor display gardens, kids’ activities, food vendors, wine garden, and live music. There were Washington and Oregon garden personalities on hand for garden focused presentations.

Washington-based specialty nurseries offered reasonably priced plants to take home. Lush and tropical Honey Bush (Melianthus major) for $9.00 in a gallon pot was a steal!

Sorticulture has the same feeling as the Salem’s Art Festival held at Bush Pasture Park July 17-19, 2009 only on a slightly smaller scale and with more of a plant focus.

Parking was easy if you arrived early. If not, the city of Everett provided free parking and bus service from Everett Community College. The event was free to the public and on a bright, sunny clear day in June there was nothing finer.

One of the inspiring display gardens was created by Planscapes landscape designer Pam Roy.
Housed in a round metal animal watering trough, Pam created a self-contained garden island. She carefully place two bubbling rocks and filled the space ornamental grass, Acanthus mollis, Irish moss, and glass artwork topped off with crushed gravel and rocks. It was a perfect example of how even in a small space – a miniature, peaceful garden space can be designed.

I am not opposed to driving to find treasures that may escape us locally. To make it a worthwhile day trip from Portland, I stopped by Ravenna Gardens and Smith & Hawken at University Village on the drive up. Dana, my Seattle plant buddy and I strolled through the vendor booths at a comfortable pace and finished in about two hours. Arms bursting with books, plants and garden art we had a successful garden fair.  On the way home, we rounded the day out with a stop to Molbak’s located in Woodinville, Washington.

Please consider adding Sorticulture to your garden event must do list for June 2010!

Photos taken by Dawn Hummel, June 2009.

Soil tampers can be used before or after sowing seeds. They evenly push tiny seeds into soil easier than a fist or fingers. I tried sourcing pre-fabricated tampers locally and on the internet. Available from the UK, tampers range about $10 – $25 online not including shipping. I wasn’t ready to shell out funds allocated for plants and seeds, so I created yet another carpentry project for my husband.

Materials and Time Required
Total project cost averaged $5.00 using scrap wood and materials on hand.
It took one person and two hours to build four soil tampers.

Tools Used
• Black sharpie marker
• Broom and dust pan
• Dust mask
• Ear muffs (hearing protection)
• Extension cord
• Eye goggles (eye protection)
• Jigsaw
• Metal angle
• Power drill
• Quick grip clamps
• Ruler
• Screwdriver
• Straight edge
• Tape measure
• Wood glue
• Workmate table

Materials Needed
• Container templates
• Wood screws
• Scrap 1/8” – ½” plywood

Prep Work
Step 1. Clear and clean working area.
Step 2. Prior to beginning project, charge all cordless tools.
Step 3. Pick a clear, cool and dry day to work.

Cutting Corners
Anything that can save a tremendous amount of time on repetitive tasks always catches my attention. Since I plan on using the same size containers for seed propagation repeatedly, I selected four template containers.

Square and Round Container Templates
• Copy outline of container onto plywood in pencil.
• Secure wood snuggly with quick grip clamps to stabilize template on workmate table.
• Screw blade into the jigsaw tool facing out.
• Cut ‘inside’ the template line so the tamper will fit inside the pot snuggly.
• Create a long handle out of scrap wood.
• Dab a spot of wood glue, center the long handle on wood base.
• Using a wood screw or nail, turn base upside down and attach handle.

Seed Tray Template
The seed tray template took the longest to construct, but provides the most time savings when starting large flats.
• Copy outline of tray pack cell onto plywood in pencil.
• Measure the center of each of the cells. Using a black sharpie marker and straight edge or metal angle, create crosshairs on the underside of tamper template.
• Secure wood snuggly with quick grip clamps to stabilize template on workmate table.
• Create nine small block tampers and one long handle out of scrap wood.
• Center each individual tamper onto base. Attach using a spot of wood glue for added strength.
• Using a power drill and wood screws, turn base upside down and attach each block tamper to the cross hair lines.
• Invert and attach long handle to middle of tamper.

Saving Time and Money
Martha actually had a project that was as simple and easy to create as shown on the video. Save time sowing seed flats in the greenhouse and money by using materials around the garage. Have fun and get growing!

Photos taken by Dawn Hummel.

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.

Cultivation Tools

Any gardener will tell you it’s quite important to have a cultivation tool on hand when gardening. Tools such as trowels, shovels and spades are quite popular for digging. While traditional gardening requires larger digging tools, most greenhouse gardening tools for cultivation are hand-sized and smaller than traditional tools. After all, you won’t need a full size shovel for your greenhouse gardening. The great news is greenhouse gardening doesn’t typically require the gardener to use large tools such as tillers, often rented for soil cultivation by traditional gardeners. In fact, greenhouse gardeners choose their own soil for growing.

Pruning Tools

Some greenhouse gardening tools many gardeners can’t live without fall into the pruning category. Depending on what you plant, you may need a set of pruning tools for your greenhouse. Pruning shears, lopping shears, hedge shears, pole pruners and pruning saws are commonly used in gardening. Of course, many of these are too large for the greenhouse and are often used when taking care of trees and shrubs. So, you may not need all of them. However, having a handy pair of hand-sized pruners available is a wise idea.

Watering Tools

All plants need water to live, thus an important greenhouse gardening tool addition is a hose, watering can or sprinkler system. Outside gardens often rely on the rain for watering. However, inside a greenhouse plants will need gardeners to provide moisture. Sprinkler systems can be well controlled and save you time. However, a watering can is much less expensive. The size of the greenhouse is something else to consider when thinking about what watering method will work best. If the greenhouse is small, a watering can might be effective. However, a large greenhouse will obviously need a larger watering system and method. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending three hours a day watering your plants. It really is up to the personal preferences of the gardener on what type of watering tools to include in their greenhouse gardening tool kit.

Basic greenhouse gardening tools are essential to have on hand before you begin this year’s greenhouse gardening adventures. Many greenhouse tools can be purchased at gardening centers or online. They are often made of durable materials and will last for years, when properly stored. Be sure to keep all gardening tools out of the natural elements to ensure they will last longer.

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.