Tip 10: How to Succeed with Greenhouse Gardening

To be successful with greenhouse gardening there are few other factors we’d like you to consider. Factors such as watering, soil quality, pests and maintenance can all influence your success. Hopefully you can use this guideline to help you with what to keep track of.

SOIL 

The soil you use in your greenhouse should have nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which are all needed to grow healthy plants and crops. You can purchase special greenhouse potting mixes at your local garden centre or nursery. Most plants grow well if your soil has a pH ranging from 6.2 – 6.8. You can determine the soil pH using a test kit available at your garden centre. Yearly additions of compost to your soil will also make its quality excellent for growing.

WATERING

Regularly watering plants within a greenhouse is not necessary since the greenhouse builds up its own moisture system. The only time when you need to water is when the soil is dry. However, different plants have different needs and some plants need more water than others especially during the warmer seasons. The best thing is to use a moisture gauge to measure the moisture and humidity within the greenhouse. Whether you prefer to water by hand or use a drip irrigation system or a misting system, keep a journal of when to water certain plants and stick to that regimen.

PEST CONTROL

Good maintenance of your greenhouse will help you with the success of your crops and plants. If transporting new plants from the outside into your greenhouse, make sure to check them for pests and/or diseases. In a humid climate, pests and diseases will thrive. Disease will quickly spread to your other plants and before you know it all your plants will be infected. When you harvest your crops, you also want to make sure you rinse all fruits and vegetables before bringing them into your house. This way you will keep any bugs away from entering your home.

GROWING CROPS

Fruits such as peaches and grapes grow very well in greenhouses. They don’t require a lot of space. Vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants do well also in a greenhouse environment. When growing anything in a greenhouse, make sure you check on when to sow it. Your local garden centre can provide this information as well as which varieties will perform best in a greenhouse environment.