Beginning Gardening Vegetbale Gardening Guide.

Many people have turned to growing their own vegetables and fruit at home. Often this is because they have become fed up of the mass produced offerings that you get in a supermarket that tend to be very uniform and aesthetically pleasing to look at but also rather tasteless. A great way of growing tomatoes, one of the most popular plants for amateur gardeners, is to utilise a greenhouse. Particularly if the weather where you live is not akin to perfect Florida sunshine and you need to provide a sheltered environment for your tomato plants. Anyone living in the UK for example will know exactly what is meant by that statement, growing tomatoes in the UK pretty much dictates that you have a sheltered sunny spot as a minimum but ideally you will have a greenhouse available.

It’s not just tomatoes that can benefit, greenhouse growing is a good option for many plants, cucumber, lettuce, peppers all thrive when grown indoors with the proper care and preparation. Tomatoes are a particularly good choice because they have high content of minerals and protein, so are very healthy, and of course done properly they taste delicious and are full of flavour.

Choosing the right tomato plant for your needs is important if you prefer large tomatoes a good choice is Beefsteak and this variety will happily grow in a greenhouse but might struggle outdoors due to the fact it is large and takes longer to ripen. Other types that can be grown in a greenhouse are Jumbo, Laura Caruso and Trend.

In all honesty any of the varieties of tomato can be grown in a greenhouse but for some you will need to monitor temperature and moisture more closely to ensure you do not encounter problems. Of all the varieties Cluster is probably the most popular because of the quality and taste of the fruit combined with a long shelf life, although I would advocate always eating your tomatoes as freshly as possible to ensure you get the best taste.

Another popular variety is the Heirloom tomato, these plants, as the name suggests, are that of an older but very tasty option, Perhaps not as disease resistant as the newer varieties but with a little care that should not be a problem and the results from a taste perspective are well worth the effort. There are many different types of Heirloom plants and they have to a large extent been kept in existence by amateur gardeners who are less concerned about shelf life and robustness when being transported than they are taste.

It is also possible to keep the seeds from Heirloom to cultivate your own plants. Something which is not possible with the hybrid varieties you purchase from commercial suppliers.

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No matter what your climate, even with the benefits of a greenhouse you will need to observe the growing cycles. No matter where you live, you will have two main growing seasons, a cool season and a warm season.

Planning ahead is important if you expect a bountiful harvest. Sitting down with a calendar and planning each of your crops in advance can be frustrating. To enjoy the most abundant crops however, you must think ahead.

On your calendar, work backwards. If you can plant a specific type of plant outdoors in May count how many days will it take from seed to a transplantable size. Use this as your guide to sowing your seeds. When does the soil in your area warm sufficiently that you can plant outdoors? Be sure that your seedlings aren’t too large when the the ground thaws. The shock of transplanting can damage the plant beyond repair, or at the very least stunt its ability to produce. Keeping the plant inside your greenhouse is probably not a good option as the structure will become too warm.

If you absolutely must begin early, if your spring fever is too strong, you can begin your seeds in a large pot or bin. When they are ready to move outside, take the entire pot and harden in a cold frame. If you don’t have a cold frame, use the container the plant is in. Simply tent it with clear plastic, being careful to not let the the plastic come in contact with the delicate leaves of the seedlings. When your plant is ready for the outside temperatures it should remain in it’s container. You don’t want to harm your plant after all the care you have given it to this point. The less you move it, the better.

You can opt for some plants that will happily thrive in a bin or pot. You can plant most anything in a container, but if the rooting structure is too large your pot will have to be very large. If anyone understands impatience, I do. If you choose to plant directly into the ground, begin your seeds in your garden greenhouse timing them so you can transplant at just the right time.

You should transition your plants gradually from the safety and warmth of their greenhouse to the outside air. Use a coldframe for the transition. For your most delicate plants, hardening is a necessity.

If you want to keep your greenhouse going during the coldest winter months, it is important to consider temperature cycles and needs of your plants.

Take Tomatoes as an example. Fruits and vegetables need warm temperatures to set their fruit. It’s possible to grow warm weather plants during cool weather but the temperature must be considered. Depending on how cold your winters, the economics of this may not make sense to your wallet nor for the amount of energy used. An additional cost will be lights. Tomatoes will not do well without a great deal of bright, direct light.

Heating and cooling an attached greenhouse is more efficient than a separate hobby green house. Often you can vent the heat or air directly from the main structure to which it’s attached.

Growing some fruits and vegetables during the cold weather can be quit expensive. You can choose vegetables that do well in cool climates. This can be lettuce, leeks, carrots, radishes among others. If you live in a temperate zone, you may not have to heat your greenhouse, even during the coldest months. If you have long, very cold below freezing temperatures however, you will have to provide some heat.

Planned with care, your greenhouse can be used all year.

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