pvc greenhouse complete!

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We just finished our pvc greenhouse.It's 16'x 12'~ I am excited about being able to start all my seeds for the garden next year but I would like to grow somethings during winter. It has electric heat and fan w/ thermostats. Does anyone know varieties that do well in the greenhouse? And where I can purchase seeds! Any hints on growing happy, healthy plants? Thanks

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), October 06, 2000

Answers

Debbie, If your "a little bit lazy as I am", you can install mister shower heads in the pvc and connect the water source to it to make watering easy, just be sure to install a freeze popoff. I asked the same question about suitability to a fella I work with, he said the house was just like any other garden except that in winter, you have to be the bee and brush a little pollen around. He did say its important to have enough multiple plants to ensure proper pollenation. Good luck .

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 07, 2000.

Debbie, if you want to spend money, Thompson and Morgan has a lot of special greenhouse seeds. Otherwise, check the hardware stores, variety stores, etc. They've still got a box of the 10/$1 type seeds collecting dust. Many greenhouse have seeds still, generally the specialty sorts, the big name brands have gone back to the companies.

If you've still got an outside garden, go take a look. Geranium and tomato cuttings work well, pepper and many herb plants can be dug and repotted. Greens should do well for you. I'd suggest this first year you don't spend a lot of money stocking your greenhouse, even if it means that all you grow are cuttings of friends' houseplants. There are some tricks to keeping heat and humidity levels and the light levels are reduced. An overfull greenhouse makes the adjustments harder.

I'm afraid you are so far south of me that I can't be a lot of help on varieties. There's a way to bring in super early strawberries, but I don't know if you can grow strawberries where you are or if the strawberries that do grow there are the right type. I'm sure you don't have to worry about snow loads the way we do around here. If you've got a Garden Club (white-gloved snots) or a county extension agent handy, ask them. Otherwise contact your nearest land grant college for help. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), October 08, 2000.


Congratulations on your greenhouse. We, too, just built ours this year and will be growing some things in it this winter. I have done a little research and I can tell you that during the winter you will have trouble growing some garden veggies unless you have artificial light as well. The plants will grow but the fruit doesn't make it. One of these problem plants is tomatoes and I am bummed out because I was imagining myself chomping down on a tomatoe in March. But, I do know that you can easily grow all types of leaf plants all winter such as lettuce and spinach and beet greens, etc. Basically, any of your cold weather crops will do okay without the extra light like cabbage and the chinese vegetables like bok choy, etc.

I will take a look at some books I have to see if I can get some more ideas since I just can't remember what will grow in the winter and produce fruit.

As someone else mentioned, you can grow houseplants quite easily.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), October 11, 2000.


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