Growing vegetables in a hothouse or greenhouse is not quite the same as growing them in a regular garden setting for a variety of reasons.
The main reason is that the hothouse extends the growing season and gives the grower the ability to grow more produce for a longer period of time.
Other reasons is that a greenhouse allows for better climate and temperature control, which some vegetables need close monitoring in order to thrive and grow. The best way to grow vegetables in a hothouse is to plan ahead and decide what you want to grow. Certain areas should be set aside for different types of plants because some will grow and produce below ground whereas others need room to spread out or climb.
First of all, set up the planting area carefully and make certain that a watering or misting system is easily available.
- Seeds need to be planted in loose or sandy dirt that allows for easy germination.
- Some of the seeds have different times for germinating so it is important to keep track of them by writing down the type of seed planted and the date.
- Make sure that the pots or growing medium you are planting the seeds in is free from disease and pieces of old plants.
After the plants have their first true leaves, move them to a place that has more room either in pots or tubs so that the roots can develop. Plants like beans and cucumbers love to climb so plant them near a trellis for support. Tomatoes also need support and have different maturity times when the fruit is produced. Wooden lattice supports or tomato boxes can give the stems and vines enough support to allow for large healthy vegetables that taste better than store bought varieties.
Growing vegetables in a hothouse requires frequent care of the vegetables to make certain they are growing properly.
Weeds may not be a problem inside the greenhouse but there may be some instances where the plants may need to be trimmed or thinned to produce better vegetables and fruit.
The growth material may not always be dirt, hydroponic tubs are often used in commercial greenhouses;
- They have a nutrient filled liquid solution that plants grow in.
- This allows for better growth and development of the various types of vegetables being grown and saves on the wear and tear that dirt filled hothouse planters or tubs would cause.
It is important to set up the hothouse so that the water inside the tubs containing the growing media are recycled and reused when necessary.
- This is one way to make certain the space inside is better used by using the tubs which is more effective than crops that are grown in the ground.
- One of the popular mediums being used with hot house gardening is to have the plants growing is coconut husk fibers in tubs because it allows oxygen to reach the roots and gives them stability to grow and hold the plant upright.
- The varieties of plants grown in hydroponic hot houses are most often those that are susceptible to disease when planted by using traditional methods.
Many of the hothouses have watering and cooling systems that is controlled with the use of computers and monitors that measure humidity, temperature and composition of the nutrients used in the growing tubs.
- Part of growing vegetables in hot houses is to check them frequently to see what is ripe and pick them when they are.
- Do not allow overripe plants to remain in the greenhouse or hothouse as they will release a gas that causes other vegetables to ripen faster and this can harm their taste and quality.
- Pollination of your vegetables can be done by hand if you have a few special species of plants, otherwise, allow the local bee population to help.
An important part of growing nutritious vegetables is to check their health every few days.
Be aware of signs of fungus and disease that may appear on the plants as a powder or mildew, remove the infected plants and burn them and thoroughly disinfect the container they were growing in. This will prevent your crop of vegetables from becoming infected. When handling diseased plants, wear disposable gloves or gloves that can be cleaned easily after the plants are removed from the hothouse. Controlling disease is important to make sure your plants remain healthy.
Plants that are grown in hothouses are often in high demand during the off season when they are not able to be grown outside.
- This is where you can make a profit on the vegetable crop and save up money to invest in more hothouse plants and supplies for the following year.