Methods Used for Growing Fresh Vegetables in Your Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a convenient way to grow vegetables at home. You can control its internal temperature and provide with all the optimum factors necessary for growth of the vegetables. It forms a protective zone for the vegetables, allowing them to grow throughout the year. This further increases their annual yield. Choosing a good site for building the greenhouse is also an important concern.

The method that you choose for growing the vegetables must be conducive for their growth. For this, you need to garner all information relevant for their healthy growth. The walls and the roof of the greenhouse must allow penetration of adequate sunlight and they should be durable enough to withstand adverse climatic conditions.

Right Time to Grow

Determining the right time to grow the vegetables is quite tricky. You should have a complete knowledge about the growing season of the vegetables and then plant them accordingly. Basically, the vegetables are classified into two categories, viz. warm season vegetables and cool season vegetables. One thing that you ought to keep in mind is the frost date. Start growing vegetables after the period of frost. This way you can ensure that the vegetables will mature much before the next frost season begins. Cultivate warm season vegetables during any time of the year and cool season vegetables specifically during the winters. You can maintain the temperature inside the greenhouse with thermostats and electric light and you can also maintain humidity inside the greenhouse.

Growing in a Hydroponic Medium

Some vegetables that prefer hydroponic medium are tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce etc. In this arrangement, plants are grown in a nutrient rich solution instead of soil. Choice of the hydroponic medium depends upon the requirements of the plants. Plants that require large amounts of water are grown directly in water reservoirs. The liquids containing nutrients are directly fed into the roots of the plants and they are pumped into the reservoirs to maintain a consistency. The wick method is suitable for plants requiring moderate amount of water. A connection is established between the growing medium and the reservoir with the help of a wick that draws all the nutrients and circulates them to the roots of the plants. The composition of the nutrient medium depends upon the plant species. Often gravel, coconut husks, mineral wool and sand are incorporated in the nutrient medium. The soil is mixed with water for the purpose of holding the nutrients and it doesn’t contribute directly to the growth of plants.

Growing in Soil

This is probably the easiest method to grow vegetables in a hydroponic medium. Soil beds are created on the ground where the seeds are sown directly. Vegetables can be grown from roots, grafts or cutting could also be planted into the soil. The soil is prepared by adding nutrients, fertilizers, manures, etc. The composition or the components of the soil are measured according to the requirement of the plants. Even container gardening is sometimes the preferred choice for growing vegetables inside greenhouses. If it’s a large-scale plantation, then you must install automatic irrigation system to keep the soil well drained.

Growing in Pots and Containers

Container gardening has become popular today owing to many advantages. You can prepare the soil in pots and sow the seeds in them. Make sure that the containers or the pots are spacious enough to propagate the roots. Spray fertilizers in a desired amount and protect the plants from insect or pest attacks. You can trim the plants occasionally and provide all the necessary conditions required for growth of the plants. Container gardening is suitable for small scale plantations.

Methods to grow greenhouse vegetables vary according to the species and their requirements. We have explained you the most common techniques over here that you can easily implement at your home. Also, consider the soil and climatic conditions at your place before growing the plants.