Michael York - Greenhouse Gardening for Beginners: Build Your Own Greenhouse and Grow Amazing Organic Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers All-Year-Round

GREENHOUSE GARDENING
FOR
BEGINNERS

Build Your Own Greenhouse and Grow Amazing Organic Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, And Flowers All-Year-Round. | BONUS: Plans & Ideas for Extending the Growing Season

Michael York

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Greenhouses

Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too. William Cowper

There is no denying that the human race has been experimenting with managed plant cultivation environments since Roman times. Naturally, these ancient people had more primal methods compared to modern-day practices. Be that as it might, its wonderful to think that garden enthusiasts were already around since that era.

Greenhouse gardening became more widespread in the United Kingdom (UK) and Netherlands during the 17th century. Even though these elaborate and colossal structures were not very practical, the daily close up during the night and winter was also tiresome. However, it does bear mentioning that it served its purpose, even with the cumbersome operational requirements.

It is said that the first modernized version of a greenhouse weve come to know today was invented by Charles Lucien Bonaparte (yes, he was a nephew of Napoleon I). He was a French botanist and built the first pragmatic greenhouse during the 1800s in the Netherlands. At the time, he aimed to cultivate tropical plants and plants with medicinal properties.

The Victorian era in the UK can be categorized as the golden years of greenhouse infrastructure. The English built large greenhouses, and the upper class, in particular, tried to outdo one another in attempting to make a greenhouse more elaborate than the other.

There are many interesting and chatty facts to share about greenhouses. Some of these facts include:

• Some estimate that there are currently more than 9,000,000 acres of greenhouse property worldwide.
• One of the best things about greenhouses is that they can be used all year round and installed in any climatic environment. It makes no difference if you live in an area with predominantly hot or cold weather, you can manipulate your greenhouse to work for you!
• Personal greenhouses range between 50-200 sq ft. And commercial greenhouses can reach up to 100,000 sq ft.
• Did you know that the glass used to construct greenhouses needs to be free from any air bubbles? If not, those bubbles act like a magnifying glass, potentially burning your plants.
• The glass used to make greenhouses should be of horticultural grade.

Once seen as a luxury experience only reserved for the wealthy, more and more greenies are turning to this as a hobby. The upper class had the uncanny ability to force fruits and exotic flowers to grow out of season through to full bloom and harvest. The modern greenhouse is smaller in stature and can be proportionally erected in almost any home environment. The plant collections of today are just as exotic, and its great to cultivate scarce plants that are often expensive to buy. Todays greenhouse gardeners use their structures for anything from herbaceous plants to tree propagation.

With the sharp increase in energy costs, the modernized greenhouse has become more common than ever. Notably, one of the significant drawbacks is that it doesnt retain heat well, even though solar energy is collected. This is why a backup heating system may be a good investment, although it can be expensive to operate. However, the modern greenhouse hobbyist can utilize a range of tactics such as purchasing insulation blankets, air-inflated covers, and even double-glazing. These methods have since proven to reduce heating costs by at least 50% (Totemeier, 1981 ).

There are many benefits associated with greenhouse gardening. Some firm favorites to highlight include:

• Its multi-purpose: Versatility is one of the best features of a greenhouse. You can basically grow anything in the structure and even change it up as often as youd like.
• Your one-stop gardening space: Another great reason to invest in a greenhouse is that you have one dedicated spot on your premises for all things gardening. You dont need a separate shed as you can also store all your garden implements in the structure.
• Constant returns: Not only can you decide how often, and which returns (in terms of harvest) you want, you dont have to be concerned about environmental factors hampering plant growth. In addition, you can now produce happy and healthy plants for 365 days of the year.
• Protection for plants: Not only are plants protected against environmental factors but growing them in a greenhouse means they are protected against various pests as well (more on this in a later chapter).
• Stable temperature control: You can now enjoy an extended growing season employing an optimum environment with a steady temperature. Even if you are new to this hobby, youll quickly learn that plants thrive in humid, warm environments that enhance growth.
• Design freedom: You can completely customize your greenhouse design so that it suits your surroundings. Your design can be visually appealing, and add value to your garden.
• Cost and energy efficiency: From a financial perspective, greenhouses can be cost-effective by reducing your monthly grocery bill. Also, its easy to spend a lot of money and never be satisfied with the number of flowers in your garden. You will have more than enough space to grow hundreds, if not thousands of different seedlings at a time. With this comes the option of trading plants amongst friends thereby, never having to buy more plants, seeds, or flowers again.
• Theyre great for your health: Spending time in nature is just the remedy to rid your physical and mental being from everyday stresses. For example, greenhouses armed with diffused lighting have been proven to alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Youll never find a more natural mood booster than this (Rogers, 2016).
• Chemical-free foods: Another great benefit worth mentioning is that you know your food is grown without pesticides unlike produce from a retail store, or greengrocer. Theres nothing better than wholesome, chemical-free foods.