Have you installed your greenhouse and are you now thinking about growing in it, except that you have no idea how? Do you imagine harvesting your own homegrown fruits and vegetables, but just don’t know where to start? Are you looking for a beginner’s guide to greenhouse gardening? Then we got you covered! Trial and error can be an essential ingredient of the learning process and patience is indeed power. With this compiled Greenhouse Gardening for Beginners’ manual, you will discover how to manage a greenhouse efficiently.
We understand that you have numbers of puzzles in mind. Slow down. We can assist you along the way in your journey.
Growing in a greenhouse can be so much fun for beginners and experienced gardeners alike but before you pick the plants you fancy to grow, examine and research what conditions, temperatures, and moisture your plants will require to flourish. This is a crucial step in order to make your plans thrive.
Easy plants for greenhouse starters
So what should you start with? What can you grow in a greenhouse? The answer is simple: Literally everything. But there are some plants that thrive easier than others. Begin with these simple plants and develop your knowledge in order to make your first experiences:
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- Leafy greens like lettuce
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- Sunflowers
Our easy-to-master pointers below can assist you in how you can use your greenhouse’s potential at its best. Take advantage of every equipment and accessories and it will give you numerous ways to make use of your greenhouse.
By following this basic Greenhouse Gardening for Beginners Guide, you will be more successful and face fewer difficulties – including those on temperatures, insects, water, food, space, light, air, and soil. If you are fresh to gardening, do not be extremely aggressive. Take it one step at a time. We have prepared simple tips for you to start your green thumb journey.
The Essentials for Beginners – Greenhouse Gardening 101
1. Starting seeds
A greenhouse is an excellent controlled environment, especially when you need to extend the growing season for seasonal plants. You can even grow certain veggies all year round. But again you may still be wondering, “Where do I start?”. Now let’s start with seeds.
Starting seeds normally happens in plain level seed trays, hydroponic trays, or single plug trays. They are prepared depending on their particular needs, for example, they may be immersed overnight, stratified, and then set in trays inside the greenhouse.
To do this, you need to understand the following greenhouse gardening basics for seasonal crops:
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- Be seed smart
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- Get a listing of what you’d wish to plant
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- Invest in containers
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- Get sterile soil to prevent plant diseases and pest infestation
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- Add fertilizer to your soil
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- Always water your plants as recommended for each individual plant
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- Check if your climate can handle these plants
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- How much sunlight are you getting
For beginners, it is important to identify the label and date per seed planted and record entries on the seed packets to recognize the plants easier. Start a little and allot your time to the seeds properly. Review the germination rate on the seed pack to decide how many seeds will provide you with the expected quantity of seedlings.
Hybrid seeds
Hybrid seeds are a healthy option because they are accessible at any garden stores. They are generally identified as F-1 by seed companies. Hybrids crossbreed two similar plants. Here are some more pros and cons of planting hybrid seeds:
Pros
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- They are bigger and healthier plants that look more identical.
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- They have greater and more consistent production.
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- You can harvest earlier than expected with improved yields.
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- They are not really influenced by ecological stress, pests, and diseases.
Cons
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- They are more expensive compared to other seeds.
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- Seeds from hybrid plants cannot be stored longer.
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- Some assume that the result is not that appetizing.
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- They will not be like their parent plant.
Heirloom seeds
Heirloom seeds are gardeners choice. You simply cannot defeat the flavor of heirloom vegetables. Heirloom types were produced particularly for their awesome flavor.
Pros
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- They produce a genetic variety for future cultivation.
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- The seeds are usually adjusted to the local environment.
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- They are passed on for generations.
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- Great for seed swaps.
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- Gardeners can keep the seeds for another year.
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- They are stable.
Cons
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- Your plants will not be quite like each other.
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- The cross-pollinated species must be separated.
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- Unusual plants must be removed.
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- It is difficult to buy some varieties in some stores.
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- There is no hybrid vigor.
Seed labels and their meanings
The government expects that every seed set that is offered for sale should be accurately labeled. It helps you buy the best quality that will satisfy your needs.
Open-pollinated
These seeds are also called true-to-type which will produce a true plant. It means that they will generate plants that are related to their parent plant which is essential for seed conservation.
Organic
These seeds came from plants that followed the USDA organic standards of a certain territory or region.
Non-GMO
These seeds are not grown with “recombinant DNA technology”. Non-GMO seeds are developed through specific or random pollination.
GMO
GMOs cross genes from separate plant kingdoms. Any type of seed can be GMO or open-pollinated, hybrid, and heirloom unless it is approved organic or non-GMO.
Percent germination (germ)
This shows how many seeds will sprout easily.
Hard seed
These seeds that don’t develop readily because of a thick seed coat.
Dormant seed
These seeds don’t sprout readily because it needs a pre-treatment or weathering.
2. Temperature control
Another lesson for greenhouse gardening beginners you must learn revolves around temperature control. Identify precisely what is happening inside your greenhouse.
You already have a head start with controlling the temperature of your garden by just using a greenhouse, however, no matter what you are growing you should consider getting an electric or gas heater to extend your growing season through the winter months or an Evaporative Cooling System to make it through the summer months depending on where you live.
In warmer months, you must keep it cooler in order for plants to survive. Moisture within a greenhouse is nearly always close to the peak due to the volume of greenery. Leaves generally perform a method called transpiration, in which they discharge moisture within the environment from pores in their exteriors.
It is essential to convince your plants that they are in a different climate. Greenhouses are intended to trap the warmth from the sun. If no one modified the temperature, it would keep rising or falling depending on the weather.
Its own environment is uniquely dependent on you. You should ensure that whatever heater/cooler you decide to acquire is economical, to keep your bills down.
Evaporative cooling helps regulate temperature and operates to add moisture back. It works perfectly in environments where the atmosphere is hot and dry similar to places like Arizona, Colorado, and California. Have a look at our evaporative cooler here!
A heating system needs to be effective to sustain the desired temperature throughout the daytime and nighttime. A programmable heater with automated timers is required if the temperature normally drops below a particular period. Gardening experts also advise that these heaters are useful for propagating seeds and seedlings in cold weather. You can even opt for propagating heating mats to further cut down on your energy bills. Learn more about the best greenhouse heaters here!
3. Light
There are some things a greenhouse cannot achieve. One of them is making days lasting. Most of your plants require light to flourish because the light is vital for photosynthesis. But not every light is alike. You should analyze the following aspects:
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- The variety of plant being grown
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- The season
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- How much daylight is achievable
Plants react in a different manner to the intensity and span of light. As plants develop and grow the number of leaves, the demand for light rises. Most of the light utilized by plants is in the noticeable light spectrum. Red and blue colored light are the wavelengths of light most widely used in photosynthesis. They are ingredients of white light or sunshine. Numerous man-made light sources have diverse color blends that may or may not suffice the photosynthetic requirements of your plants.
In summer and late spring, your greenhouse should receive adequate light for plant germination and growth. However, if you wish to plant in winter or late autumn, you might want to invest in an additional lighting system.
LED grow lights and fluorescent lamp strips are high-output lighting products that will serve you well in this regard. They are a crucial element to photosynthesis and satisfactory plant germination. They are particularly effective because they will cover a larger surface area and output the full spectrum of light your crops require.
Supplementing grow lights is the best alternative if you live in the North and don’t receive several hours of winter sunlight. Application of grow lights to extend the day’s period will be very beneficial. Whether you simply need to provide your specific plant a boost, or you intend to grow right over the winter, this will be an excellent choice.
Fluorescent lighting is commonly used in the greenhouse simply when a weak natural light is possible. It is applied in propagating spaces or germination room that experience no natural light.
Check out our greenhouse grow lights collection here!
