Don't know a thing about Greenhouses?

digitS'

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I just happened onto this. I suppose that you had better know before you click the link on their webpage that it is 78 pages with color photos so takes awhile to download. This link just goes to the webpage that gives you the table of contents and why they put it together :).

United States Botanical Gardens, Greenhouse Manual: LINK

Imagine that you teach science at the elementary school level. The school board wants to have a greenhouse at your school! But, you have never managed a greenhouse. You don't even know what greenhouse and supplies to recommend they buy. Here you go :) from the Botanical Gardens. It should be useful for anyone thinking about one for the backyard.

Me? I'm going back and forth from the greenhouse this morning, putting tomato plants in the basin to soak up some water! It is so danged windy out that I'm not willing to bring those tall plants out to water with the hose. So, I'm back to treating the poor dears like seedlings.

Steve
 

Zeedman

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A lot to digest, but I've bookmarked it for future reference. I've been wanting to upgrade from my small Harbor Freight greenhouse, which is only suitable for seed starting. What I want is something heated, which can be used for limited 3-season gardening, and over-wintering tender perennials (such as chayote squash & hardy figs).
 

Alasgun

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We get the most out of the Alaskan growing season by incorporating a green house.
we are fully in by mid April and completely done by November 1st. Thats a 3 month extension of the regular garden season! And we’d not have tomatoes, beans, cucumbers or summer squash consistently; without it.😊
 

R2elk

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Me? I'm going back and forth from the greenhouse this morning, putting tomato plants in the basin to soak up some water! It is so danged windy out that I'm not willing to bring those tall plants out to water with the hose. So, I'm back to treating the poor dears like seedlings.
I have my potted plants in the greenhouse in tryas. I keep water in the trays and and let the plants get their water from the bottom.
 

ApplePi

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I just happened onto this. I suppose that you had better know before you click the link on their webpage that it is 78 pages with color photos so takes awhile to download. This link just goes to the webpage that gives you the table of contents and why they put it together :).

United States Botanical Gardens, Greenhouse Manual: LINK

Imagine that you teach science at the elementary school level. The school board wants to have a greenhouse at your school! But, you have never managed a greenhouse. You don't even know what greenhouse and supplies to recommend they buy. Here you go :) from the Botanical Gardens. It should be useful for anyone thinking about one for the backyard.

Me? I'm going back and forth from the greenhouse this morning, putting tomato plants in the basin to soak up some water! It is so danged windy out that I'm not willing to bring those tall plants out to water with the hose. So, I'm back to treating the poor dears like seedlings.

Steve
Wow this is great, thank you for sharing! We've decided to go the greenhouse route this year.
 

ducks4you

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I think of my east facing, 3 sides with windows enclosed porch as a springtime greenhouse. Plants that wouldn't survive outside can do pretty well starting there, and they don't suffer from seedling sunburn. If I have them by an open window I don't need a fan on them either.
MY problem is that it is also a room on the house, so it's hard to mesh clean room with dirty plants.
 
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digitS'

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There are other problems with house windows.

Modern homes have double pane glass. Something that I have read is that glass reduces light by about 10% - so, 2 panes, 20%.

Something that is also somewhat apparent to me as I mow the lawn, the grass immediately in front of the South Window is different. It receives more sunlight than elsewhere in the yard. Because house walls tend to be vertical, sunlight is reflected away from the home interior. Fortunately, the low angle of the Winter sun makes for less reflection. However, when plant starts for the garden are needing all the Spring sunlight possible, the reflected light is also being lost to them.

Steve
 

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