The most popular ways to grow plants in modern-day times is by using a greenhouse. Greenhouses can help us grow plants during all times of the year no matter what the weather or temperature is. Most people don’t even know where to get started with what they will need in the hobby though. This article will help teach you the basics of greenhouse growing and explain how to get started with an easy to follow the process. With these easy to follow instructions, almost anybody we will be able to grow flowers and vegetables in their very own greenhouse.
Budget
The number one thing we need to talk about is the budget that you’ll be able to put into the greenhouse. The bigger the greenhouse, the more money you’re going to have to spend on it. On top of the greenhouse itself, you’re going to need to know what type of materials you want it made out of. Do you want a glass greenhouse or maybe one made entirely of fabric? Either way, it’s obvious that one of these two options will cost a lot more than the other. You need to figure out exactly what you want and how much money you can put into it before even beginning the process of making your dream greenhouse.
Next, we need to talk about what it will cost to buy the plants. Plants do cost money, meaning in order to have a successful greenhouse, you’re going to have to budget in the cost of buying the seeds. While seeds don’t generally cost a lot of money you would be surprised how much they can add up after buying everything else. Never leave the sheet things out just because they’re cheap you need to have everything figured into your budget to make this work properly. You’re going to want to make sure that you factor in every little thing you have to buy to make your plants successful.
Things You Need
Next, we’re going to have to pick out some lights. Growing your plants indoors is going to require the installation of grow lights. These lights help plants grow during all times of the year and in any weather conditions. These are especially good for people who are in rainy climates or may not be in climates with strong sunlight. You’ll have to figure out just what you’re going to need by looking into the weather patterns of your region much more than you ever have before. Maybe you’ve noticed it’s sunny more often or maybe you’re thinking about how it rains most of the time. These things will affect what you’re going to need in order to make your plant grow successful.
There are lots of different types of lights on the market for different types of plants. If you want to grow more tropical plants, then obviously you’re going to need stronger light in a hotter environment for them to grow. Setting a goal of what type of plants you want to grow will help us figure out exactly what you’re going to need to make this greenhouse successful.
Next, how do you want to water your plants? Do you want to do it by hand or do you want to have an automated system? Be sure and if you’re going to water your plants by hand, can you have a water source nearby or a hose that can reach to your greenhouse? Carrying water back and forth and quickly becomes tiring if you decide to do it on your own. Likewise, you can also be very expensive to put in a sprinkler system. If you water with the sprinkler system, you will need to set how much water the plants you are choosing to have in your greenhouse will need.
You’re going to need dirt. While this may seem like a simple thing, there are lots of different types of potting soil you can pick from that will help your plants grow better. Be sure to look into what the best brand of potting soil is and how much they cost. If you choose to just dig up dirt from your backyard, you have no idea how much nutritional value it could have. In fact, if you live in certain areas of the United States, you may even find that you have more red clay than anything in your backyard.
Sure, you may have plenty of gardening tools and pots on hand. But now you will need to be sure to have a different pot for each different type of plant so none of the plants’ crossover in each other. Every plant has different nutritional needs which means they could overtake one of the other crops if it is from a different species. You will need to set up everything in a fashion that means it’s getting an equal amount of light and nutrients. This could be called a week-long project to figure out just where the perfect setup is for your greenhouse. Be sure to set aside time to make sure you can properly position everything for best-growing results.
Keep it Warm
Lastly, you need to understand what temperature you need to keep your greenhouse at. If you have plants that you don’t want to stop production during the cold months then your greenhouse has to be kept a little bit warmer than the outside weather. Growing plants near or around can the colder months of the year be easier than you think it is. You’ll have to check on your greenhouse daily in order to ensure that everything is running properly. If you’re expecting things like snow storms, you may have to do some extra work to ensure that your plants will get through it okay. While passive methods work most of the time during, a snowstorm or a strong frost, the inside of your greenhouse can go from being toasty to near freezing.
