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GROW WITH LITTLE LEBOWSKI
Growing in a greenhouse
By Little Lebowski
With spring out of the way and summer slowly cranking into gear, our thoughts turn to the great outdoors and the possibility of some nice bud grown under that free grow light in the sky. Outdoor crops are awesome, it’s almost free weed! However, they do come with their own set of headaches; you have no control over environmental factors like you do indoors, your plants are susceptible to all sorts of pests, disease and, worse still, crop robbers. Growing in a domestic greenhouse is a great way to utilise the natural light to grow you favourite plants, it offers the grower a level of environmental control and it also negates having to deal with a lot of the problems encountered with guerrilla outdoor grows. Yes, you will still have to fight off pests but they will be of the insect variety rather than rabbits, deers and the local thug’s pit bull! If you’re growing in a residential area, a
and retain any heat that permeates through the wall. They’re a great option if space is at a premium because they are essentially a ‘half sized’ greenhouse. Free standing greenhouses are usually apex shaped, like the shape of a house, and can be aluminium or wood framed. One important point to remember is that, the larger the frame, the larger the shadows they will cast over your plants.
The greenhouse provides a haven for ALL of your favourite plants sheeting stretched over it to form a solid structure. They’re usually cheaper than
A GREENHOUSE PROVIDES THE IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO HIDE A FEW CANNABIS PLANTS AMONGST YOUR VEG AND HERBS greenhouse provides the ideal opportunity to hide a few cannabis plants amongst your veg and herbs, keeping them shielded from the neighbours view and the smell relatively well contained. If you’re in a rural area then there’s no reason not to be a little braver and do a few more plants, just be prepared for the smell. Remember, a carbon filter isn’t an option in a greenhouse, it will fail due to the high humidity levels. Extracting through an in-line ozone generator will be your only option if the smell gets too much.
Poly tunnels are traditionally used in commercial horticulture but are also avail-
traditional greenhouses, but the sheeting will need replacing every 3-5 years.
Whatever size and style of greenhouse you decide on, it’s best to go for a diffused or semi-diffused coverings or panels, rather than clear panels. Clear panels deliver direct light, which is great for propagating or bringing on young plants, as the direct sun will keep everything warm and prevent seedlings from getting leggy. However, to grow your plants full cycle you really need to diffuse the light to stop all the plants fighting for the light and also prevent hot spots from forming. Diffused light encourages even growth throughout your full crop and will increase your average yield.
There are lots of options when it comes to purchasing a greenhouse, the first thing to do is to pick your style; leanto, free standing or poly tunnel. From experience, we’d recommend against the cheap and cheerful portable greenhouses. They’ll blow away on a windy day and A domestic sized poly tunnel cook your plants on a warm day! Lean-to greenhouses are assembled against the exterior wall of your house
next size up from the size you were going to buy. It’s nice to have some space to work and move around in. Plus, you’ll always fill any unused space with equipment and growing media.
able in domestic sizing. They consist of a curved aluminium frame with polythene
Unless you’re very tight on space for your greenhouse, it’s a good idea to buy the
Overheating is one of the main causes of plant failure in greenhouses. A greenhouse must retain warm air during the cooler months, but it’s equally as important to release hot air during the warm months. When choosing a greenhouse, give consideration to ventilation. The glazing must have vents to ensure good growing conditions. The combined area of all the vents when open should be at least a fifth of the
