Greenhouse gardening is not that different from your average outside gardening. The main consideration that you need to think about is controlling the temperature of your greenhouse. Remembering that plants thrive at temperatures that are slightly lower than what is in our houses and that they require a much higher humidity than we are used to, will let you see that your greenhouse plants get the proper environment.

The best way to ensure the right amount of sunlight and heat for your greenhouse is to build it in a spot that can take advantage of the maximum amount of sunlight right throughout the year. This is especially important during the spring and fall seasons as the sun is at its lowest point in the southern sky. You should try and have your greenhouse located where the sun's rays will reach through a southeastern to southwestern direction.

To ensure that ventilation flows throughout the greenhouse you should space your plants evenly around the gardening areas. One method of having good ventilation is to open the greenhouse doors in the morning and close them in the late afternoon. This is a fine method in the winter time as well, providing that you keep the weather report in mind and make sure that winter frost does not creep into your greenhouse in the late afternoon.

The other way is very simple. Just hose down the entire greenhouse floor and then open the ceiling vents. This method cools down the entire greenhouse very quickly.

For whatever plants that you have in your greenhouse, commercial potting soil works fine. Rather than having your plants in pots or containers you should grow them in large tray beds. The best greenhouse gardening soil mixtures include fir bark, sand, peat moss, vermiculite and perlite for drainage.

As with all types of gardening you must see that your plants receive adequate water. Greenhouse gardening means that care must be taken not to over water your plants. A climate controlled greenhouse regulates the moisture level with the greenhouse.

Planting in a greenhouse means using your imagination. You should have plenty of space so that you can pot new plants and move around seeing to the health of your other plants.

You will need to plant vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips and other root vegetables in a deep box tray which will fit under benches. Lettuce and other low growing leafy vegetables can be planted in tubs with vegetables that have a taller growth. Vegetables like peas, cucumbers and tomatoes do well in tub type containers.

All you really need for successful greenhouse gardening is your imagination. Let it loose, and see what happens!

To your gardening success!

John Smythe