This year my wood-framed greenhouse needed repairs after several big storms, including a hurricane, as well as 40 years of constant use. It leaked and required some serious attention. In fact, in one area the wood had rotted to such an extent that I could push a finger through it. This highlights the problems with […]
Keeping records of what goes on in a greenhouse can be an enormous help. It’s how I’ve learned precisely when to start my vegetable and flower seeds, as well as which potting medium and lighting conditions will give optimal germination and growth. From looking at my records, for example, I know that I get the […]
During summer, greenhouse plants need a lot of attention. Temperatures inside a greenhouse can easily soar to over 100oF (38oC) even with all the windows and doors open. Such heat can significantly stress your plants. The problem with high heat is that it causes water in plants to get quickly depleted through transpiration. Transpiration is […]
Even in a larger greenhouse, choosing the right plants can be difficult. I once decided to grow a banana plant so I could harvest my own bananas. It grew and grew and grew right out through the skylight until it was about 4’ taller than the 12’-high greenhouse. Every summer the wind off the ocean […]
Fig trees typically grow in warm climates, so there are many regions too cold for them to survive the winter. In general, hardiness zones lower than 6 are not fig-friendly. One old-style method of protecting a fig tree during winter in cold climates is to tie up the branches after they’ve shed their leaves and […]
Step into your greenhouse. Do you feel like sneezing? Coughing? Do you have an itchy nose? These symptoms could be signs of an allergy to mould, which is a form of fungus. The moist, enclosed environment of a wintertime greenhouse that is filled with plants can be a veritable welcome mat to mould. Three main […]
As I was moving an orange tree in my greenhouse a few weeks ago, whiteflies started flying around my head. These are one of the most common greenhouse insect pests. How do you know if you have them? Just hang a yellow sticky trap near one of your larger plants and then shake the plant. […]
In a few weeks, many greenhouse owners will be buying and planting tomato seeds, and as always, they will be confronted with a bewildering array of varieties to choose from. They can buy hybrid or heirloom tomatoes, determinate or indeterminate ones, and these come in a vast array of sizes, colors, designated uses, and methods […]
If you’ve just acquired a new greenhouse, what plants should you choose for it? This can be a tough decision for beginning greenhouse gardeners because of the great diversity of options available. The best approach may be to actually embrace that diversity. By this I mean picking one or two varieties from major categories of […]
Getting your first greenhouse can be very exciting, but it can also make you a bit apprehensive when you realize there may be more to greenhouse gardening than you initially thought. Where will I get enough plants to fill my new greenhouse? And what kinds of plants are best suited to it? Should I worry […]
Cymbidiums are beautiful flowering plants in the orchid family, featuring many showy flowers arranged on unbranched stems. For the winter greenhouse these orchids are a favorite. They are also very popular as cut flowers during the winter months. Typically, they come into bloom in late January through March when little else is in bloom. When […]
Here in Rhode Island, this summer has been one of the hottest on record, with more 90˚F (32˚C) days than ever before. Such high temperatures can easily overheat a greenhouse. If you’ve ever left your greenhouse doors and windows closed on a hot, sunny day, you may have seen the temperature soar above 120oF (49oC), […]
