Raising Fresh Veggies all Winter Long With Greenhouse Vegetable Gardening
You can cultivate vegetables in the dead of winter making use of greenhouse vegetable gardening techniques. To cultivate vegetables in a greenhouse is practically identical to growing them outside throughout the summer. There are just a few extra things you will need to do to imitate what nature would do naturally.
There are two different methods of making use of a portable greenhouse. One is known as the cold greenhouse technique and that’s when only the sun throughout the day gives the greenhouse its heat. The temperature at nighttime normally goes down to about 45 degrees at the coldest and heat does kick on when it gets very cold outside. No growing happens in this type of greenhouse, however you can maintain many plants that will come back in the summertime such as rosemary.
Greenhouse vegetables have to have warmth and the second method, the warm greenhouse system, should be utilized in this case. This technique will require more financial outlay since the temperature can’t fall below 55 degrees F. A heating system has to be installed into your garden greenhouse. You can use a propane, electric or gas heater.
There is hardly a vegetable that can be grown in a garden that can’t be grown in a greenhouse. Look in seed catalogs to find seeds specifically developed for greenhouse use. If you cannot find those get plants that maintain a compact size or that can be trimmed back to be smaller than the outside plants. There’s little room in a greenhouse and you don’t want it to be taken up with just a couple of types of vegetables.
An important natural action that must be conducted artificially is pollination. Insects, especially bees, don’t dwell inside. An example of pollinating a vegetable easily is done by pollinating tomatoes. Tomato vines should be tied to stakes made of bamboo and when the flower is ready the stakes need to be tapped both in the morning and at nighttime. You will know the flower is ready when the petals begin to curve backwards. Pay close attention to this since there are only three days that the flowers will be producing pollen to pollinate the vegetable.
You will need to supplement sunlight during the wintertime too so plan on supplying grow lights in a winter greenhouse. Plants typically need 8 hours of sunlight per day. You’ll also have to provide water and fertilizer on a regular basis.
Greenhouse gardening during the wintertime is a bit more challenging and takes more time than in the summer, but it’s also worthwhile. You can go to the greenhouse during a snowy day in January and pick a vine ripened tomato. You can enjoy that summer filled taste any time of the year.
Greenhouses are easy to build and maintain, and are available in an assortment of sizes and materials to suit every home and budget. You can even get an indoor greenhouse if you don’t have a backyard. Learn more at Garden Greenhouses.
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