Grow Tomatoes Year Round In A Glass Greenhouse
March 11th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Grow Tomatoes Year Round In A Glass Greenhouse
Building a greenhouse can be a costly exercise with much of the expense being determined not only by the materials but also by its size, and its intended use.
A glass greenhouse will allow the greatest amount of natural light onto the plants, but also allows the most heat loss during the colder months. Insulation can be provided for a glass greenhouse by placing a 4 mm thick piece of clear plastic on the inside of the glass. Allowing an air space between the glass and plastic will slow heat loss by about 20%.
The frame of a glass greenhouse is similar to that of any greenhouse, regardless of the covering. Whether it’s wood, metal or plastic, the basics of construction are the same. They are designed to sit on a foundation with a floor installed to make working in them easier, more comfortable and to better control the climate.
With a glass greenhouse you will need to think about the months when the weather is the hottest. If the temperature gets too high, it will damage plants and seedlings. The same will occur during the coldest months, especially in a uninsulated greenhouse. You will almost certainly need insulation if you want to grow tomatoes year round for example.
A heater is designed to keep your greenhouse at a constant temperature by use of a thermostat. Electric powered heaters are the most common as heaters using propane or heating oil require proper ventilation. Conversely, venting will be required during the hottest months to avoid “cooking” the plants in high heat.
Another factor of a glass greenhouse is it should be facing east to west so that it may accumulate the greatest amount of sun during the winter months. Also consider the prevailing direction of the wind. If it is primarily from the west, you will want to have the door facing to the east to avoid a sudden burst of cold air on the plants when you enter your glass greenhouse.
There are roof vents available that require no electricity which is beneficial for a passive glass greenhouse not located near a power supply. As heat in the greenhouse builds up, the canister of the vent causes an arm to move, opening the vent. As the temperature drops, the vent will close.
The roof style of your glass greenhouse is another consideration as it should be slanted enough to avoid snow build-up and allow for proper run off of rain.
With a properly constructed greenhouse you’ll be able to grow tomatoes year round.
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Grow Tomatoes Year Round In A Glass Greenhouse
March 11th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Grow Tomatoes Year Round In A Glass Greenhouse
Building a greenhouse can be a costly exercise with much of the expense being determined not only by the materials but also by its size, and its intended use.
A glass greenhouse will allow the greatest amount of natural light onto the plants, but also allows the most heat loss during the colder months. Insulation can be provided for a glass greenhouse by placing a 4 mm thick piece of clear plastic on the inside of the glass. Allowing an air space between the glass and plastic will slow heat loss by about 20%.
The frame of a glass greenhouse is similar to that of any greenhouse, regardless of the covering. Whether it’s wood, metal or plastic, the basics of construction are the same. They are designed to sit on a foundation with a floor installed to make working in them easier, more comfortable and to better control the climate.
With a glass greenhouse you will need to think about the months when the weather is the hottest. If the temperature gets too high, it will damage plants and seedlings. The same will occur during the coldest months, especially in a uninsulated greenhouse. You will almost certainly need insulation if you want to grow tomatoes year round for example.
A heater is designed to keep your greenhouse at a constant temperature by use of a thermostat. Electric powered heaters are the most common as heaters using propane or heating oil require proper ventilation. Conversely, venting will be required during the hottest months to avoid “cooking” the plants in high heat.
Another factor of a glass greenhouse is it should be facing east to west so that it may accumulate the greatest amount of sun during the winter months. Also consider the prevailing direction of the wind. If it is primarily from the west, you will want to have the door facing to the east to avoid a sudden burst of cold air on the plants when you enter your glass greenhouse.
There are roof vents available that require no electricity which is beneficial for a passive glass greenhouse not located near a power supply. As heat in the greenhouse builds up, the canister of the vent causes an arm to move, opening the vent. As the temperature drops, the vent will close.
The roof style of your glass greenhouse is another consideration as it should be slanted enough to avoid snow build-up and allow for proper run off of rain.
With a properly constructed greenhouse you’ll be able to grow tomatoes year round.
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Growing Tomatoes In A Greenhouse
January 22nd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Growing Tomatoes In A Greenhouse
Most people today are aware of damage to the environment, and many are trying to find ways to help in protecting our world. Choosing organic produce at home such as vegetables and fruits is a way to can help ensure that the food we eat is free of pesticides and undesirable substances. But how can we get fresh, home-grown produce all year, when we live in places where climate does not allow us to have year-round gardens?
A greenhouse or even a mini greenhouse can be the answer. While it may not feed a family of four, you can grow tomatoes in a greenhouse that are juicy, filled with flavor and that can be pesticide free for your family’s health. What building a mini green house can do is keep some of our food organic and pesticide-free and also reduce the amount of food commercial growers place on the market shelves. Not only that, if you have children, building a mini green house can instill a sense of pride in growing their own food and it will also show your children that there are other ways to sustain ourselves throughout life. Starting your children off by growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is great way to encourage them to experiment with other vegetable gardening.
How To Build Your Mini Greenhouse For Your Tomatoes
Using recycled materials to build your mini greenhouse goes one step further in keeping the Earth clean. You’ll need to collect some sturdy cardboard boxes that are at least six inches deep, as well as some wire from recycled clothes hangers and sheets of plastic, both thin and thick. Plastic from the wrapping around bundles of insulation is the perfect thickness for the base of your mini green house, and thinner clear types such as grocer bags can be used for the top cover.
Line the inside of your cardboard boxes with the thicker plastic, making sure you reach the top edge of the box so that no water will seep inside and leave you with soggy, disintegrating boxes. Taping the edges of the plastic down will make your mini green house even better and cleaner looking. Fill the plastic-lined boxes with nursery-quality soil or dirt from the outdoors that is free of seed.
The hangers will provide framing for your mini green house. By using wire cutters to remove the hook part of the hanger, you can bend the wire into a U shape. Insert the wire into the soil at one end of the box, and then cut and bend another wire into the same shape for the other end of your mini green house. If your box is on the long side, you can add more U frames to the middle part of your construction.
The rest is simple – choose seeds or tomato seedlings, plant them according to the directions on the package, and moisten the soil enough to be damp throughout, but not wet. Take the thinner, clear plastic, and cover the wire frames, stapling the plastic to the inside of the box on one side. Don’t staple the other side to the box, just tuck the plastic in, and set your mini green house in a sunny spot. At all times, you should see condensation on the inside of the clear plastic. If the plastic is dry, lift up the plastic and add water to the soil. That’s all it takes to build a mini green house that will soon have your seeds sprouting into full-sized plants!
Growing tomatoes in a mini greenhouse will produce an abundant crop over a long growing season.
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Pruning Tomatoes … and other tomato growing tips
December 26th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Tomatoes are one of the easiest plants for the home gardener to grow and provide an enormous burst of flavor when picked and eaten fresh from the vine. The tomato is one of the most versatile homegrown vegetables and can be used in a variety of ways from fresh in a salad or sandwich, to spaghetti sauce to canning.
There are two ways to get started growing tomatoes, one is to grow the plants directly from seed, starting them seed-raising mixture and planting them out when they’ve grown large enough. The easier way is to buy seedling from a nursery ready to plant in the garden. If buying from a nursery, make sure they have not been in the pot too long. Plants are usually ready for planting in six to eight weeks and the roots should not overfill a four-inch pot. Look at the drain hole on the bottom of the pot and if the roots are growing through, it has been there too long.
Tomatoes are not picky about the soil they grown in, however, the addition of humus and mulch can help provide the plants with the nutrients they need without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Large Tomato Plants Will Require Staking
Once the plant is in the ground and begins to grow, stakes or cages should be used to support them and keep the tomatoes off the ground while they ripen. Tie the stems to the stakes with tomato cord or use strips from old stockings or other soft material.
Pruning Tomatoes
When the first fruit begins to form on the vine, the plant will also begin to produce side-shoots in between the main stem and the leaf stems.
These side shoots should be pruned by pinching them out with the fingers and thumb. If allowed to grow these side shoots will produce a lot of foliage but few tomatoes. Any lower leaves that begin to yellow should also be removed to avoid the risk of infection.
After the plant has developed six or seven trusses of tomatoes break off the growing tip to stop the plant growing any more. If more than seven trusses of tomatoes begin to develop, the additional stems should be pinched out encourage the plant to produce good quality tomatoes rather than an abundance of low quality fruit.
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Growing Heritage Tomatoes
December 17th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
What are Heritage Tomatoes?
A heritage or heirloom tomato is one of many old varieties from which seeds have been saved over the years and passed down from one generation to the next. Most tomatoes purchased in a grocery are hybrids. Hybrids have been bred to produce greater yields, uniformity, shipping durability and long shelf life - rather than flavor. Heritage tomatoes stand out first and foremost for their amazing flavors. They frequently have distinctive shapes, tastes and colors (purples, oranges, greens and yellows). Many of them are just as hardy and sturdy as hybrid varieties.
Why are Heritage Tomatoes So Highly Prized?
Heritage tomatoes are highly prized by chefs, and anyone who appreciate fine food the world over because they are generally grown organically, are valued for their health giving antioxidants, vitamins, and cancer preventing agents, as well as their delightful rainbow of colors and their magnificent flavor.
Where Can I Get Heirloom Heritage Tomatoes?
Heritage tomatoes are frequently sold at the farm gate where they’ve been vine ripened. If you’d prefer to grow your own heritage tomatoes look for a seed supplier who specializes in heirloom or heritage seeds. Organizations like Seeds of Diversity have members who collect and share many varieties of fruits and vegetables including heritage tomatoes. An internet search for heritage seed programs should turn up several suppliers.
To help you grow rich, juicy, flavor-packed tomatoes we highly recommend you grab a copy of the downloadable e-book “How To Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes“, written by Lucia Grimmer, a plant pathologist and professional adviser to the tomato industry.
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Organic Tomato Gardening For Healthier Eating
November 14th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Growing Organic Tomatoes
For organic gardeners, the use of pesticides and chemicals is not an option as they look to nature to provide everything needed to help their garden grow. A rain forest is a prime example of how organic farming can use all that nature provides to produce taste and nutrition in every plant. Organic tomato gardening is a fairly recent endeavor as more people understand the harm that can be done to their health - as well as to the natural order of living things - by using chemicals.
Organic farming is the practice of using no chemicals in fertilizers or pesticides and keeping the soil free of such items. A buffer zone around the garden can prevent the inadvertent exposure to chemicals and help maintain organic tomato gardening in its purest form. Research has proven that nature has its own way of dealing with all living things, and for every insect that may eat the plant or destroy the fruit, there is another creature that uses those insects for food.
Many of the bugs that people believe are eating their vegetable plants are often mistaking a good bug for the bad one they are going after. The process of organic tomato gardening is just that, a practice not a sudden notion.
Deciding to practice organic tomato gardening is just the first step in the organic process. There may be chemicals in the soil from previous uses that will remain in the ground for years. In some cases before a commercial plot can be deemed organic, there is a 10 to 20 years period during which no chemical can be used. For most home gardens the wait probably will not be very long, as hopefully few chemicals have been used previously.
Natural compost and a layer of organic fertilizer such as leaves or grass clippings can be turned over in the garden in the fall and will supply nutrition for organic tomato gardening in the spring. While most pests will have natural predators, spraying plants with a garlic juice and water mixture can help fend off some of the more persistent creatures.
One of the biggest advantages of organic tomato gardening is that tomatoes can be plucked from the plant and eaten on the spot without worry of what is on the fruit and the potential side effects of ingesting unwanted chemicals. A healthy crop packed with nutrients and flavor will result from organic tomato gardening.
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