Kick Start Garden
A Green House Will Kick-Start Your Growing Season
By Barbara Fix, Researcher & Writer for Lipscomb Enterprises Inc.
Greenhouses will kick-start your growing season, and according to the National Horticulture Society, by 2009 two million Americans are putting this theory to the test. The burgeoning interest in greenhouses stems, in a substantial way, in response to the skyrocketing price of food. And many who are looking for an affordable solution to put nutritious fruits and vegetables on the table have turned to a mainstay of gardening; the greenhouse.
So, what’s up with greenhouses? Do the benefits outweigh the costs? You be the judge…
To begin with, a greenhouse will protect your fruits and vegetables from weather extremes. Although none of us can know what Mother Nature has planned for us, we can look to the weather anomalies recently experienced across the globe, and make our own determination. Next, we will need to decide…do we feel lucky? If not, at least we can depend upon a greenhouse to protect our plants from severe rain, high winds, hail, extreme insect infestation, and temperature fluctuations
Gardner’s fortunate enough to have a greenhouse can tell you they no longer need to regulate their fruit and vegetable growing to only what is “user friendly” for their climate zone. And should spring prove elusive, the frustration of having to wait what may seem like an interminable time to get back into the rich soil, the greenhouse can be a welcome friend.
To build, or not to build…
Depending on your expertise with a hammer and nail, you might be interested in going to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their free software download for greenhouse plans found under “Virtual Grower” to build your own greenhouse. You might also want to search bookstores and the Internet for greenhouse building ideas and instructions.
Kits are available that vary in price and quality, so do your homework before purchasing. Buying a pre-built greenhouse may seem the easiest route at first blush, but they can prove to be problematic, as they must be delivered on a trailer, therefore delivery costs can raise to the final tally.
Before you purchase, consider an attached greenhouse that will benefit from the warmth of your home and offers the convenience of easy access.
Which ever direction you decide to go, the minimum size recommended by the experts is 8 by 10 feet. You will also want to consider heating needs. If your greenhouse plans are merely to getting started with seedlings a bit earlier in the spring, an unheated greenhouse can give you an extra twelve weeks of growing time. But if like some folks, your plans are for year-round gardening to beat the winter blues, a simple electric heater is usually enough to keep a greenhouse warm enough for growing year round.
