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on spring. She and her husband, Bob, grow nearly all the vegetables they’ll use for the year in the resulting backyard garden, noting that New Hampshire ranks number three for locavore support according to the national StrollingOfTheHeifers.com/locavoreindex. She recommends, “Start small, with a plant or two, and then make one change a week toward greater self-sustainable living.”
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Greenhouse Magic Eat Homegrown Organic Veggies Year-Round by Avery Mack
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uch of America’s supermarket produce is expected to ripen in trucks, stores or at home after traveling many hundreds of miles from field to table. During the past six years, as Americans’ hunger for fresher, bettertasting food has deepened, the number of home gardens has risen by 8 percent, to 113 million. That’s more than one for every three people. Organic gardeners and others find that adding a greenhouse provides just-picked fruit and vegetables at their natural peak of ripeness and significantly extends the growing season. Preplanted seeds and seedlings flourish in the protected environment and provide robust plants for an outdoor garden. Many vegetables, especially greens, can provide multiple harvests in the greenhouse well into the colder months.
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“Greenhouse gardens are a constant experiment,” says Roger Marshall, author of The Greenhouse Gardener’s Manual, in Jamestown, Rhode Island. “I grew olive trees from seed, but they 42
A greenhouse that creates a warm environment for plants during cold weather may also overheat. “Air circulation is vital; vents and fans are necessary to maintain the right temperature,” advises Longacre, explaining that plants can’t breathe in a damp house. She suggests, “Water only when absolutely necessary and at the soil line, not on the leaves. In hot climates, use shade cloth on the top and sides of the greenhouse.” There are destructive insects and beneficial insects, Longacre says. “Aphids will kill a crop. Ladybugs can eat 50 aphids a day, plus mites and larva. After the aphids are gone, ladybugs like parsley, dill and geraniums for lunch. That will keep them around in case aphids return.” Ladybugs can be ordered online; stick to local species. Some plants, like tomatoes, eggplant or winter fruits, need pollination that can be applied by hand, but it’s time-consuming. An easier solution is to use vibrating trays to shake pollen loose and fans that distribute it from plant-to-plant.
were sterile, so I had to buy propagated trees. Like my fig tree, everything will eventually outgrow the space allotted for it.” The plants get nothing unless you provide it, adds Marshall. His two, 300-square-foot greenhouses use 100 gallons of water every three days, some collected in 55-gallon rain barrels. During winters, the unheated greenhouse protects leafy greens and Southern Climes, Too root crops. HydroEven in warmer ponic lettuce and climates, a greenChange from yard herbs share the house has benefits. shoes to greenhouse propane-heated In Orlando, Florida, greenhouse with sisters Katherine shoes to avoid figs, lemon grass, and Jessica Grandey cross-contamination. ginger, galangal make good use of and nine citrus a 200-square-foot trees. He opines greenhouse of vertithere’s nothing like fresh cal aeroponic towers. No Key lime pie in January. soil or additional water In Alstead, New ing is used because plant Hampshire, Celeste Lonroots receive a nutrient gacre, author of Celeste’s solution. The small space Garden Delights, uses provides the same amount her home greenhouse to of greens as a one-acre plot give seedlings a head start of land while using a tenth of
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