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This is 2014, our first year of Greenhouse growing. We can’t believe how well everything has done our there. Take a look!
Dave and I spend a LOT of time in our chairs, sitting and gazing at the green wonderland he created for us. He happily putters about his plants daily. Building this indoor growing space has benefitted us in so many ways. The motivation behind this project was getting more space for his tomatoes and peppers and giving them a longer growing season. He accomplished both of those things. Plus I can grow herbs! Rosemary, Lemon Thyme and basil love this warm friendly growing space. cucumbers thrive in here as well.
Our greenhouse in spring 2015. A successful first year! Notice the white panels on the bottom of the greenhouse wall. Those are vents. They are open all summer and closed when temperatures get below 50 degrees F.
The plants have warmth and ventilation. The temperature climbs into the 80 degree F. Range, at the floor, when it’s very hot in summer. Mostly though, the temperature on the ground is a comfortable mid seventies. We have a LOT of passive ventilation designed into the west and east walls. so the hot air naturally chimneys up from the cooler east wall ground level vents to escape out the high west vents; taking most of the superheated air with it. That makes the lower levels where we work very comfortable indeed! More about the greenhouse design in this post.
We have discovered a few problems with growing the greenhouse way though. In two words, Pests and Molds! Aphids moved in almost instantly on the backs of a colony of ants and installed themselves cozily into our peppers. Our aphid wars and remedies are discussed in this post about aphids in our greenhouse. We use organic methods, so the battle is long, protracted and perpetual! But our peppers are outstanding!
These are sweet bells peppers. Just picked for our supper tonight. 2014
The tomatoes are visited by an infinite variety of molds, wilt and other funguses. Dave plants resistant varieties. He says you can tell WHAT they are resistant to by looking at what is attacking them. They are not getting the same diseases. They resist certain ones and get the others! We have TONS of ventilation, Three fans going all the time and our open North wall door. Molds still come! Incredibly though, the tomatoes are absolutely gorgeous!
Our first greenhouse tomatoes. 2014
Our Peppers 2014
We installed this high horizontal trellis to make use of the high ceiling space and give us something to grow and hang things from. The cucumbers did pretty well up there. We had to use tall ladders for harvest though and watering. Kind of awkward, but the cucumbers were stellar!
Our horizontal trellis growing Corinto cucumbers in the greenhouse. 2014
Our tomato trellis. A double trellis to support the vines. Works Great!
Trying my hand at growing Turmeric root at home.
Ginger is not as happy in the greenhouse as turmeric. But still growing
Krimson Lee peppers ripening in the greenhouse in August.
We plan to use the greenhouse almost year round by alternating crops. Winter crops will be mostly cool weather leafy greens like kale, asian greens and Arugula. Dave also starts all his seedlings out there. They love the greenhouse too!
Thinking about a greenhouse? We highly recommend it:)
[…] me now!” vegetables. They look at me from my counter tops, refrigerator, the garden, and greenhouse, fully expecting to be used at the moment of perfect ripeness which is right about… now! Time […]
Organic Gardening, Our Way - Homemade Food Junkie
Sunday 29th of November 2015
[…] of the ‘must do’ list. We are very excited about our successful beginnings in the new greenhouse. It has provided us with bountiful crops of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes and lots of fun […]
Why We Garden Organically - Homemade Food Junkie
Thursday 19th of November 2015
[…] planting a challenge and often late. That is why we are falling in love with our raised beds and greenhouse. Raised beds can grow food successfully most of the year with great,(imported and amended), soil […]
Delicious kale and carrots Green juice - Homemade Food Junkie
Saturday 31st of October 2015
[…] SO exciting to have greens in the garden that wintered over well. It is even MORE exciting to have a greenhouse growing greens and tomatoes and peppers and….it’s only […]
Our Greenhouse Produce and Projects 2014 - Homemade Food Junkie
Monday 26th of October 2015
[…] The tomatoes grew and grew and grew up the trellis Dave built. We enjoyed picking them easily through the hog wire he used. He thought tying the tomatoes onto the trellis worked very well and saved him tons of time compared to his system in his old tomato house. Overall we were energized and happy to be working out there this year. I enjoyed going out to the greenhouse to pick gorgeous fresh produce for our meals. I was even motivated to get out my water bath canner and make pepper jam and tomato salsa! We learned so much and had a blast out there. Busy, fun productive times. For a quick video tour of the tomatoes and greenhouse go here. […]
Tomato tuna Cups-Homemade Food Junkie
Saturday 13th of February 2016
[…] me now!” vegetables. They look at me from my counter tops, refrigerator, the garden, and greenhouse, fully expecting to be used at the moment of perfect ripeness which is right about… now! Time […]
Organic Gardening, Our Way - Homemade Food Junkie
Sunday 29th of November 2015
[…] of the ‘must do’ list. We are very excited about our successful beginnings in the new greenhouse. It has provided us with bountiful crops of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes and lots of fun […]
Why We Garden Organically - Homemade Food Junkie
Thursday 19th of November 2015
[…] planting a challenge and often late. That is why we are falling in love with our raised beds and greenhouse. Raised beds can grow food successfully most of the year with great,(imported and amended), soil […]
Delicious kale and carrots Green juice - Homemade Food Junkie
Saturday 31st of October 2015
[…] SO exciting to have greens in the garden that wintered over well. It is even MORE exciting to have a greenhouse growing greens and tomatoes and peppers and….it’s only […]
Our Greenhouse Produce and Projects 2014 - Homemade Food Junkie
Monday 26th of October 2015
[…] The tomatoes grew and grew and grew up the trellis Dave built. We enjoyed picking them easily through the hog wire he used. He thought tying the tomatoes onto the trellis worked very well and saved him tons of time compared to his system in his old tomato house. Overall we were energized and happy to be working out there this year. I enjoyed going out to the greenhouse to pick gorgeous fresh produce for our meals. I was even motivated to get out my water bath canner and make pepper jam and tomato salsa! We learned so much and had a blast out there. Busy, fun productive times. For a quick video tour of the tomatoes and greenhouse go here. […]