Build Your Own Simple Greenhouse
In the fall of 2013, I decided to throw together a greenhouse over two of my raised beds so that I could grow some winter crops AND so that my tomatoes would be well protected for the 2014 growing season. I thought I might take it down halfway through the summer but it worked out so well and my tomatoes were so happy that I never ended up taking it down but instead improved upon the original design.
In the spring, I start my seeds indoors in seed trays. Once the seedlings emerge and are strong, I transplant them to 4 inch pots and move them out to the little greenhouse with lots of good plant happy lighting. When I have too many in the little greenhouse, the more mature plants can now be moved out to the big greenhouse. This past spring, we started over 100 plants using this process and most of them grew up to be big and strong. I added a brooder light in the spring when the nights were still dropping down to freezing or below. That kept the plants just warm enough to continue to thrive.
It is vitally important to keep the air moving inside the greenhouse. In the warmer summer months, I rolled up the sides and opened the doors. My tomatoes LOVED having the protection from the top while still receiving tons of good sunlight and a cross breeze.
Now here's one final picture to inspire you to build your own and to get excited about your 2015 garden.
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2 of 9 comments
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Thank you for all the great tips. It is so important to keep your garden safe from pesky bugs and harsh weather conditions and now we know how! About how long did this project take you to build? I am excited to see your garden updates🌱🍅.
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I'm so proud of how my greenhouse turned out. Thanks for the tips! I purchased UV treated greenhouse plastic so I wouldn't have to replace it for several years. I attached it with this wonderful wiggle wire stuff. It made securing the plastic so much easier. Hope this helps.
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