9285 Greenhouse Vegetable Gardening

CONTENTS 1. ACQUIRING A GREENHOUSE 12 2. CULTIVATION 16 3. GREEN THUMB AND BLACK THUMB GARDENERS 20 4. SOWING, SEED STARTING, POTTING UP 29 5. IDEAL SUMMER BLOOMS FOR FLOWERBEDS 40 6. WIDE-BED SOWING FOR BOUNTIFUL FLOWER BEDS 7. GROWING VEGETABLES IN THE GREENHOUSE 62 8. VEGETABLE SEEDLINGS FOR TRANSPLANTING 82 9. EARLY HARVESTS IN THE GREENHOUSE 89 10. HOTBEDS AND COLD FRAMES 92 11. A FLOWERING GREENHOUSE YEAR-ROUND 99 12. OVERWINTERING PLANTS IN THE GREENHOUSE 110 13. SPRING FLOWERS, BULBS, AND PERENNIALS 117 14. HOUSEPLANTS - PROPAGATING BY CUTTINGS AND SEEDS 129 15. GREENHOUSE OPTIONS - PLACEMENT, MATERIALS 134 16. FOUNDATION 150 17. HEALING AND IRRIGATION 156 18. DECOR AND LIGHTING 169 19. CARE 178 20. LITERATURE, MATERIALS, AND WEBSITES 183 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 184 INDEX 185 HOW TO’S – Sowing 30 – Transplanting and potting up 34 Planting and care – Bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers 56 – Wide sowing 60 – Vegetable growing 84 – Planting in hotbeds/cold frames 93 – Sowing for spring flowers 118 – Planting bulbs 122 – Sowing perennials 124 – Propagating by cuttings 129

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Nutrients through irrigation 36 A list of summer blooms and plants 42–49 Ideal plants for hanging baskets 52 Plants suitable for wide sowing in flats 60 Vegetables suitable for indoor seed starting 84 Seed starting and growing in hotbeds or cold frames 95 Sowing in hotbeds for an early harvest 95 Over-wintering plants 115 Christmas bulbs 122 Best perennials to grow from seed 126 Best herbs to grow from seed 127

1.

Att skaffa växthus

att skaffa växthus

Introduction To many gardening enthusiasts, a greenhouse brings delight. The warmth and the smell of earth and plants, the feeling of spring, the taste of summer and the protection against blustery fall winds are all equally wonderful.

The gardener can plant, grow and harvest cucumber and basil, as well as create a splendor of flowers in garden pots and flowerbeds. A greenhouse offers the possibility of extending the growing season throughout the year, and to feel close to nature while remaining in sheltered comfort. A hobby greenhouse is seldom started as a money making venture, but the amount of plants and kilos of tomatoes that are often harvested in it makes it profitable all the same.

The pleasure seeker can create a peaceful oasis with scents and greenery. A few well-chosen plants are sufficient to generate the right atmosphere, while still leaving enough space for an inviting seating arrangement.

No matter how we plan to enjoy our greenhouse, it needn’t be expensive or cumbersome. We often unnecessarily over-complicate things when something simple ought to be adequate. If we make a decision on how we’d like to use the greenhouse and furnish it with that purpose in mind, it’s then possible to make it both bountiful and easy to care for. There are many ways to create lush green happiness in the greenhouse - early snowdrops, loved geraniums, sun-warmed tomatoes, shading vines and fine plantings of summer flowers are only some of the myriad possibilities.

Those of you who already have a greenhouse will, in the first half of this book, get tips on many additional plants you might consider growing. If the greenhouse isn’t working in any of the ways you had hoped or anticipated, then you’ll likely discover the cause in the book’s second half – the part that deals with the hardware: the type of building, as well as its size, shape, heat and ventilation systems.

Those of you who have not yet bought a greenhouse will glean useful information on what you need to take into account before you decide on a greenhouse structure.

The greenhouse is an environment that is warmer and lighter than both our gardens and our homes. It allows the plants more time to grow, and gives us opportunities to cultivate more of them; it also makes bigger demands for soil, water, fertilizer and care – a side to greenhouse gardening that might be somewhat tedious but is nevertheless extra important, and all the more fun and rewarding when successful. Together, the time and effort will turn your greenhouse into a fantastic, lush and flowery oasis, the gem of the garden.

August 2006 Inger Palmstierna

10

11

1.

1.

acquiring a greenhouse

Acquiring a greenhouse

1

acquiring a greenhouse A greenhouse is a fantastic asset, and offers many possibilities to any garden. It’s ours to set up and use as we like – as a quiet corner to enjoy a cup of coffee or as a collection shed, or to give us an efficient boost in producing more vegetables by extending the growing season. It is, however, not possible to combine all those aspects in one single structure.

Decisions and more decisions Before you have the pleasure of actually owning a greenhouse, you’ll have to decide how you wish to use it. This is probably the hardest part of selecting a greenhouse. If your priority is to have a comfortable outdoor room, you’ll need to plan accordingly. On the other hand, if your goal is to increase your production of vegetables, you’ll have to make sure that the plants get all the added space they require. Naturally, you can modify the plan from year to year if your needs or preferences change, but the construction and covering materials of the greenhouse will reflect its originally intended use.

If you want to both have a comfortable seating area for your coffee break and grow tomatoes, you’ll have to compromise. In Sweden, greenhouses that are smaller than 10 m² (107, 5 ft²) don’t require a permit if you follow all current building codes. This often means that the greenhouse space is limited, and therefore requires proper planning.

A greenhouse is comprised of a foundation, framework and roofing material; additional technical components such as ventilation, irrigation and interior decoration should be selected and purchased at the same time as the greenhouse structure. If you’re building a four-season greenhouse, you will have to plan for all the added elements before buying and laying down the foundation. A simpler heating system, such as a heating fan, can be added later.

Reasonable cost A very simple and practical way to get started is to buy a greenhouse kit. There is a multitude of greenhouse models available, in a wide range of sizes and styles, from Victorian gingerbread houses to ultra modern elegance, and wooden beauties. If you’d prefer to build your own custom greenhouse, there are many different ways to do that too. There is as much pleasure to be derived from a simple greenhouse built from old windows as there is from one designed to meet specific ideas, needs, wants, and environments.

Previous page: There is room for both a comfortable seating area and lush greenery in a bigger greenhouse.

Right-hand page: Whether built from a kit or custom-made, there is grower’s delight in both types of greenhouses.

13

1.

14

Before you have the pleasure of actually owning a greenhouse, you’ll have to decide how you wish to use it. This is probably the hardest part of selecting a greenhouse.

A larger greenhouse built from a kit and resting on base rails and slab.

The main components you should have in mind when buying a greenhouse are insulation and heating.

Is the greenhouse going to be used throughout the entire year or only during part of it? If you’re planning a four-season greenhouse and need to have permanent heating installed, your overall costs will be considerably larger than if you’re satisfied with late spring, summer and early fall usage. While the price for heating in the north of Sweden is significant, in southern Sweden the cold doesn’t linger quite as long, so the cost of heating tends to be lower.

Whether you’re using your greenhouse for plantings or as an outdoor room, you will need to factor in the cost of heating. If you plan to use the greenhouse to

without having to sink in concrete post anchors.

Such simply anchored greenhouses have weathered storms since 1988. Accidents can happen, but seldom have greenhouses toppled over due to an inadequate foundation.

If the greenhouse is going to be used as a fourseason room, then the building requirements change and require advanced foundation work, along with different sets of costs. At this point you have to consider the structure an addition to your main house, and the expenses will be commensurate with what it would cost to add a room—one with glass walls.

Acquiring a greenhouse is simple and the cost can be kept reasonable. There are many economical op-

overwinter plants, you’ll save money on other storage solutions. Large olive trees, magnificent trumpet flowers, a geranium collection and other favorites thrive in a sunny and frost-free greenhouse, and heating costs can be offset by not purchasing new plants every spring.

The greenhouse’s foundation needn’t be the big production many imagine it to be. If the structure is not going to be heated during the winter months then the foundation doesn’t take a lot of work. By all means dig, drain and lay down tile, but it’s generally not necessary for a smaller greenhouse. The exception is if you want a fully covered floor, which in smaller greenhouses can be set atop base rails placed directly on the ground,

tions, so you don’t need a complicated structure with an insulated foundation to enjoy it. It’s a bit like with cars, in that driving a sporty coupe is fun, but you’ll still arrive at your destination at the wheel of a basic vehicle. The main thing is that it’s functional and it gets the job done.

Price range doesn’t really affect the functionality of a greenhouse during the part of the year it’s being used.

However, the price of the greenhouse will influence how long during the year it can be used.

Don’t let the high cost of a ’dream house’ stop you from setting up a greenhouse. A cheaper greenhouse from at a big box store will also give you a great deal of satisfaction.

15

2.

cultivation

cultivation

2

cultivation What gives the greenhouse its special atmosphere is its cultivation. Plants, water and earth emit a wonderful smell and provide high humidity, but cultivation can be done in many different ways.

By deciding on which plants to grow and how much of the year to devote to them, it’s possible to set up a practical and easily cared for greenhouse. Plan for what’s most important to you: the pleasure of gardening, the seating for a leisurely coffee break, or for the economic benefits of cultivating vegetables and plants.

A common design is to make a narrow border along the length of the greenhouse where tall plants, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, can be set.You can install shelves for seeds and small plants along the opposite wall, or perhaps along the width of the greenhouse. To maximize the use of space even further, you can grow dill, lettuce and basil in the soil between the tomato plants. Pepper and paprika planted in larger pots can line the path.You can do all the cultivation in pots, the benefit being that plants are easy to move as needed, although they do need more care with watering and fertilizing.

If the greenhouse is a larger model, the short wall furthest away can be set aside for seating space for coffee breaks, in combination with a workbench.Very narrow shelves fastened to the house construction can hold a row of pots, which you can fill with favorites such as geraniums, fuchsia and myrtle.

How to grow In a greenhouse you can cultivate plants and flowers in many different ways simultaneously.

You can raise plants in pots placed on the ground.

You can also sow seeds directly into shallow boxes that contain soil. Dill, parsley, and lettuce grow well in boxes, too—they can be easily harvested as they grow.

It’s also possible to grow plants and flowers directly 16

2.

in the ground in the greenhouse, in what are usually called beds. Larger plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers are typically grown in beds. First they’re seeded in pots, and when the plants are big enough they’re transferred to the growing area, either in the ground or in a bigger pot.

What to grow Most people grow tomatoes and cucumbers in their greenhouses but there are many other options—some of which are suggested in this book. To simplify cultivation and plant choice, plants that are treated the same way are all collected in growing groups. Regardless of whether it’s a tomato or a cucumber, they grow very

Carnation, one-year annual.

Nasturtium, a great choice for flowerbeds.

Tomatoes prefer the greenhouse.

similarly, so instead of repeating the instructions for each plant, consider them applicable to all plants within the group. When it’s time to increase the workload, make it simple on yourself by choosing plants within the same growing group— you’ll have fewer details to keep in mind. As your joy in gardening increases, you can add other plant groups to your greenhouse.

early in the fall. If they can spend a month or two in the greenhouse beforehand, they will delight with flowers throughout summer. Even many tubers risk freezing before flowering. Plants in hanging baskets and big planters are many times more beautiful if the plants are given a chance to fill out to their proper size in a greenhouse before they are hung in place.

possible, and if the seed is very expensive or rare, you don’t want sow it directly outside—in a greenhouse you don’t run the risk of the seed rotting or birds and snails enjoying it as a snack. In a greenhouse, more seeds will probably germinate than in the ground.

Ideal summer blooms for flowerbeds (chapter 5) Some plants don’t reach the floweing stage before the first frost arrives, or flower extremely late if they aren’t first started in a greenhouse. We like early flowers in beds and flowerpots. Petunias, Mexican Marigolds, Lobelia and similar plants do flower even if direct seeded, but it won’t be until late summer or

Wide-bed sowing for bountiful flowerbeds (chapter 6)

It’s very simple to start flower seedlings in the greenhouse for transplanting later into the ground and in flowerbeds. It’s a very gratifying and easy way to grow flowers for bouquets and lush, colorful flower gardens. A greenhouse is the ideal place to get the most out of seeds and grow as many plants as

Growing vegetables in the greenhouse (chapter 7) The most common greenhouse vegetables are the ones that don’t have time to ripen outside—tomatoes, melons, eggplant and hothouse cucumbers, for instance. If the summer season is simply too short, you need to grow plants from seed to harvest in the greenhouse.

Depending on where you live, there will be other plants, like Cape gooseberry (physalis), paprika, and peppers, that also need to grow in a greenhouse to ensure that they will have time to ripen.

17