Sunday, May 31, 2009

Greenhouses are Perfect for Year Round Gardening

By Jaimie Leaven

Raising a garden in a greenhouse is an enjoyable and useful hobby. Many professionals in the field of stress management regard this type of activity as the ideal way to recover from a stressful day and get in touch with their surroundings. A greenhouse provides a protected environment for you to tend all kinds of plants. As well, it's more convenient to try out new varieties and hybrids. It's also perfect for providing a continuous supply of tasty, fresh vegetables all year long.

Before you buy or build a greenhouse, however, you need to do some planning. The most critical consideration in your planning is location. Garden greenhouses need a lot of sunshine all through the year. In order for your plants to flourish, they need adequate quantities of light. If you don't have enough natural daylight, you will have to supplement it with specialized lighting, which can be quite costly.

When positioning your greenhouse, keep in mind that the longest side of the structure should have the most exposure to sunlight. Avoid locating it near small trees that will grow to be large and shady. Once they're fully grown, their foliage will prevent the sun from reaching your plants.

Greenhouses let you grow vegetables and flowers in a limited amount of space in a controlled climate. Generally, these structures are made from glass or plastic in order to permit easy access to the sun's rays. As well, these materials will protect your plants from potentially damaging environmental effects. The structure must have proper ventilation in order to prevent overheating. Maintaining an optimal temperature is an important aspect of this kind of indoor gardening.

Be certain to purchase or construct a greenhouse that has a solid structure. It needs to be able to withstand hail, sleet, heavy snow and strong winds. It's all too easy for a flimsy building to collapse under the force of any of these elements.

With a greenhouse, you can enjoy fresh cut flowers and nutritious vegetables regardless of the weather outside. Just about every common vegetable is well suited to indoor gardening. Carrots, radishes, lettuce and tomatoes are very easy to raise in a greenhouse environment. If you're raising tomatoes, give them a string fence for support and so they can climb it. Herbs and spices are also appropriate for greenhouse gardening, and will grow easily in a small pot.

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