First we should start by understanding some greenhouse lingo.

Cold house, cool house, moderate house and warm house are common terms you'll see quite often.

They aren't three different houses, only one with different temperatures maintained inside. Just a note, these minimum temperatures represent night temperatures, not temperatures maintained during the daytime. The sun heats a cold greenhouse and usually has a minimum temperature of 28 degrees F maintained. No growth occurs in this type of house but you can over winter plants that are not frost sensitive. Cool greenhouses are heated during the cooler months either with gas, oil or propane to a minimum temperature of 45 degrees F. This is just warm enough for a little plant growth and frost sensitive plants can be over wintered here. A warm greenhouse is where all the action is. This house is heated at night during most months and a minimum temperature of 55 degrees F is maintained. A wide assortment of plants can be grown during the winter, including exotic varieties and most vegetables. T. Our UV roofing and weatherized windows cut down on heating costs in Winter and cooling costs in Summer.

summer cooling
Cooling a greenhouse during spring and summer, where temperatures can reach well over 100 degrees, is just as important. Tomatoes for example will stop growing when the temperature starts to inch toward 90 degrees. That is where our environmental system comes in play. If you plan on having an active greenhouse during the summer months, be sure to have adequate ventilation to maintain a temperature of 80 degrees. Use appropriate exhaust fans, roof vents, gable vents, or opening side windows (if possible). Many ventilation systems have automatic temperature control, activating (opening) when a certain peak temp is achieved.

growing season
If you live in an area with a short growing season, the cool weather could be upon you right when warm weather crops like tomatoes and peppers would be at their peak. A greenhouse can protect and extend your short season so you too can enjoy a red ripe homegrown tomato. You can have an earlier crop, for example, harvesting in June instead of July or August. Tender varieties, which otherwise may not grow in your area, can be grown and enjoyed.

plant variety
What vegetables can be grown in a greenhouse? Peppers, cucumbers, beans, eggplant, melons, squash and of course tomatoes do quite well. Carrots, lettuce and radish can also be grown inside. When searching through catalogues for seeds, look for varieties made specifically for greenhouse production. They will have qualities that will make growing them easier for you and assure your success. For example, 'Alicante' tomato is meant to grow in a cool greenhouse because it can tolerate cooler temperatures and 'Tornado' is an excellent bush type that stays compact, a good idea for the greenhouse.

seeding
Seed starting dates vary according to the vegetables grown and the type of house you are maintaining. For tomatoes growing in a warm greenhouse (min 55 degrees) start seeds in early January, transplant in February or early March into grow bags (bags filled with a soil mix made especially for greenhouse vegetable growing) or plant into 5-gallon pots, then place them against the south side of the greenhouse. This area will get the most sun and heat during the day. You will start harvesting your crop in June. For a winter crop, start your seeds by July 1, transplant to bags by mid- September. Both pepper and cucumber seed are started in late February, transplanted in April for a late June harvest. Place these also on the south side. Our tinted UV roofing shades your greenhouse starting in spring and continues through summer as the temperatures can soar to 100 degrees quickly. All of these plants are going to need support at planting time. Tie stems to bamboo stakes.

pollinating
Pollinating the crops becomes your job, if there are no bees inside to do the work. To pollinate tomatoes, tap on the bamboo stakes once in the morning and once at night when you notice the petals of the flower are curved back. You will have three days to achieve pollination once you notice the flower petals are curved. During the summer, try to maintain a temperature of 80 degrees during the day. Venting and shading will be necessary to accomplish this.

climate zone
Remember everyone's season is different, so grow according to your areas climate. Manipulating the environment by heating in fall and winter and cooling in spring and summer is our way insure the proper growth of your vegetables so you can be harvesting all year long.