We have a greenhouse!!

[Sonshine]

YAY! We finally have a small greenhouse. Now I'm wondering what's the best way to utilize it. I figure I'll be setting my new tomatoe sprouts and pepper sprouts in it. I also bought some herbs I am planning on putting in there. Any other suggestions on what I should keep or start in there?

[draggahaus]

Which one did you get. I am thinking of getting one to start things in next year.
Heather

[DoubleD]

I have an 8'X8' greenhouse with automatic vents and an additional louvered window that can be opened up. I do not heat it. I use it in the winter to hold over potted plants that need just a bit of protection - my big mixed herb pots, large potted containers with miniature nectarine/peach trees, etc. I also have three big whiskey barrels in the green house that are filled with good potting soil - I grow lettuces, radicchio, kale, swiss chard, and spinach - items that are cold hardy and do great all through the winter given the protection of the greenhouse. I start these items in mid summer and have them fully grown going into the late fall - ready for harvesting throughout the winter months.

I am going to try moving my potted pepper plants in during the early fall too and see if I can keep them going this way as well.

In the spring, I use the greenhouse as my second step in seedling starting. I start them in the shop under lights and on a heat mat. As they get closer to being ready to plant out - I move them into the protection of the greenhouse to begin hardening them off and letting them "grow on" for a while longer yet. By doing that... I don't rush seedlings into the garden because I need space under the grow lights... and they transition better to the less protected environment of the garden. Right now, I have several big flats of seedlings out on the bench in the greenhouse - celery, brocolli, two kinds of onions, and leeks. During the height of the summer, I generally do not have much in the greenhouse - as the heat and humidity is really too much in there without the addition of a fanning system etc. I prefer to keep my greenhouse a low energy user (as in none!) - instead opting for it to be a great season extender.

[Sonshine]

Originally Posted by draggahaus

Which one did you get. I am thinking of getting one to start things in next year.
Heather

It's a 6 by 8 Larkin Greenhouse. It's made here in Georgia. We got a discount on it because the door was banged up a little. We were going to build our own, but couldn't have built it for what we got this one for.


So far I've put my potted herbs out there and the tomato and pepper plants I started.

[draggahaus]

I have been looking at a few in a catalog that I got in the mail. Hopefully next year. so do you think that it will be big enough for all you want to do. I have a tendency to get larger or more...it is a problem with me. lol I am working on it.

[Sonshine]

I figure it's a start. Next year we may try to expand it though. There's some things I'll probably keep in there year round, but for the most part I'll probably use it to get plants started to put in the garden.

I like Double D's idea of using it to extend my growing season. Although we did put a lamp out there for the herbs.