by Kim Dieter

Created on: April 09, 2010

Lush bedding plants and pots of healthy houseplants can easily be grown in a backyard greenhouse.  Good greenhouse management to produce healthy plants is necessary.  There are several tips to provide an optimum greenhouse environment for plants.

 Greenhouse Maintenance:

 Before planting begins, the greenhouse should be well maintained.  To provide an optimal climate, the greenhouse should have adequate heating, ventilation and cooling systems.  All systems should be in proper working order.  If some of these systems are not available, it is still possible to use the greenhouse during parts of the year.  For example, if there is no evaporative cooling system for hot weather, the greenhouse can be used to germinate seeds during the late winter and early spring.  If the heating system is not adequate, planting in the greenhouse can be delayed until the danger of severe frost is over. 

 Plant selection:

 Carefully select plants to be grown in the greenhouse.  Bedding plants, defined as herbaceous (non-woody) plants that will be planted outside during the spring and summer, are very popular for greenhouse production.  Flowers used as bedding plants include petunias, pansies, geraniums, zinnias, and marigolds.  There are also a variety of vegetables, herbs, ground covers and small fruits that grow well as bedding plants.  Tomatoes, peppers, basil and strawberry plants are popular choices.

 Time of planting:

 Planting seeds in pots or flats in the greenhouse start many bedding plants. It is important to carefully time the planting of bedding plants so the plants are ready to transplant outside at the proper time.  For cool season plants such as cabbage, transplanting may occur after the danger of moderate or severe frost has past.  For warm season plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers, transplanting must be delayed until the danger of any frost has past.

 Warm season peppers, for example, are planted about 8 to 10 weeks prior to the date of the last frost.  If the date of the last frost is May 1, the pepper seeds should be planted in the greenhouse between February 15 and March 1. 

Match plant requirements with the greenhouse climate:

 Houseplants or potted plants grow well in a greenhouse if their requirements match the greenhouse climate conditions.  Night and daytime temperatures, the humidity and the day length should be adjusted to match the plant requirements.  It is easier to grow plants with similar requirements than plants with widely varying requirements.

 To make growing plants easier:

 There are a number of devices to make growing greenhouse plants easier.  Greenhouse heat mats can be placed under the pots or flats of newly planted seeds to keep the soil at the optimal temperature.  Automatic watering systems are programmed to keep soil moisture content at desired levels.  Water and electricity supplied to the greenhouse make it easy to use these devices.

 Quality, fresh seed and fertilizer should be used for all greenhouse projects.  Signs of insect infestation or disease should be carefully monitored. 

 With careful management, the backyard greenhouse can produce beautiful and healthy plants.

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