The Yard Farmer

There isn’t a fast guide to building an indoor greenhouse. However, several sources can help you get ideas for starting up one. When building one indoor, you need some materials and these materials depend on your needs as well as your budget. DIY greenhouses are relatively easy to set up and can be made from ordinary household building materials and using a common homeowner’s tools.

Greenhouses help expand an avid gardener’s hobby. An indoor greenhouse can be as intensive or as low key as you want it to be, how much gardening you want to do and how much money are you looking at in investing. If you are serious about your greenhouse, then a permanent structure is useful. If you just want to do gardening as a hobby, then a more basic greenhouse is adequate.

Frames for a greenhouse are the first thing that you would need to do. Frames can be built using wood, which is the most common material or metal or plastic. The frame can be constructed in four tiers such as a shelving unit-this creates a lot of space. Once the frame is up, you would need to cover it with materials that regulate heat and humidity. For this, plastic or poly film can be used. For a permanent structure, you can even use cement foundation, integrated doors and windows as well as an auto-venting system for temperature control purposes.

For indoor greenhouses, you would need to give thought to climate control. You can buy all in one units that combine hearing, cooling as well as air circulation functions which all can be controlled by a thermostat. A little bit of extra money is worth paying if you are planning to go through this route as these kinds of units has a remote sensor that can measure the heat levels in the greenhouse and ensures that heat is distributed evenly.

Watering plants is essential. Any gardener-beginner or not would know that. For your indoor greenhouse, you do not necessarily need to add in automatic sprinkles to do the work. A simple watering hose of can that you can water with your hands is good enough- plus it gives a little bit more exercise and the chance to look at your blooming garden everyday. Misting systems and automatic sprinklers are good if you are away from home most of the time but would still like to keep your garden tended. With a timer attached, you can ensure that your plants get watered at regular intervals.

Greenhouses can use soil or even a hydroponic base. If you are using soil, then make sure you have good potting soil or peat. Avoid from using garden soil as it has high content of clay and makes it hard for nutrients to reach your plant’s roots.

Make sure there is enough space between your rows of pots. For a more organized greenhouse, create a layout plan that details what plants are planted in the house and where. You can color code it to make it more interesting and recognizable. Enough room should be given between pots and rows so that plants are not crammed when they start growing bigger.

Glazing isn’t a new dance move and neither is it some new-found method of cooking. Glazing in botanical terms refers to the material that is used to cover greenhouse frames. Materials used to build a greenhouse frame varies as each time there is something new in the market that is more energy efficient, affordable and lighter than the ones before. Some of the most widely used and preferred options are glass, plexiglass, polycarbonate as well as poly film.

When looking for a greenhouse or building one, the glazing determines how much expensive a greenhouse can be. Glazing also enhances the appearance. If you are considering glazing options, you have to go over a few details such as suitability for your site as well as the installation skill level and not to mention your budget. Here’s a checklist for you when deciding what is best for your greenhouse frame:

1. What is the life span of each glazing choice?
2. How well does it compare to hail and rock resistance?
3. What is the cost for installation and maintenance?
4. How easy is it to install?
5. What is the glazing frame’s snow load support?
6. Is it fire resistance?
7. How well is the light resistance?
8. Is it energy efficient?
9. What is the weight-on the heavy or lighter side?

So what’s the different between these popular glazing options? Here is the breakdown:

Glass & Plexiglass

These are your more long-lived and strong greenhouse glazing options. The level of skill and expertise for the installation for these types of glazing is pretty high as precision is needed because the materials are rigid. Glass is heavy and brittle whereas plexiglass, though easier to work with can scratch easily and only used by a few manufacturers.

Both materials do not diffuse light so well which isn’t optimum for your growing plants. If you live in an area where there is constant thunderstorm and hailstorms, you might want to give glass and plexiglass a pass since it is expensive to repair. Pricing is moderate to high.

Polycarbonate

Another rigid and translucent material, this glazing is available in a single layer and honeycomb styles such as corrugate cardboard. Easier to install, this material can be cut into with a saw and comes with a warranty for 10 years. Pricing is mid range though a more energy efficient honeycomb varieties tend to be on the high side.

Poly film

An easier material to install even with homeowners tools. Poly is much thicker and more flexible. Because of its translucency, this material diffuses light well, reduces shadows and bounces off available sunlight which is good in aiding growing plants. Poly can last about 6 to 8 years and is easily replaced. Poly is also the least expensive of all the glazing options. You can get a more eco-friendly alternative by choosing poly film with ultraviolet (UV) protection. Most poly kits can be assembled on your own and they come in a kit complete with assembly instructions.

Organic gardening isn’t a new fad- it’s just becoming even more popular these days because people are more conscious and even environmental concerns are creeping up, making people more aware of the benefits of organic gardening than conventional methods. Organic vegetable gardening is a little harder to master compared to normal vegetable gardening. For a successful organic garden, you need practice that spans several seasons. Though that, when you taste your very first tomato or lettuce, you know that your efforts are worthwhile.

Organic gardening is the oldest form of gardening way before chemical fertilizers were used. Organic vegetable gardening is probably the most rewarding hobby and it’s less expensive too! If you are a beginner at vegetable gardening, best to start of with a small square feet of land rather than a large yard. You can even do roof top gardening and even have a successful balcony garden where raised beds can be used.

Starting Your Organic Vegetable Garden

The first step to any organic garden or any garden for that purpose are seeds, and in organic gardens, look for organic seeds. Organic seeds can be purchased at your local farmer’s market or even by mail order. An organic vegetable garden is even more sustainable in many ways than a conventional garden and a lot healthier too.

You avoid the usage of pesticides and herbicides by cultivating an organic garden and you will also maintain a healthy soil for years to come because you did not discriminately eliminate living things from the soil-which are creatures that actually aid your garden’s health.

Apart from organic seeds, good soil is also crucial. A well-cared for soil is the most effective provider of nutrients, pest controller as well as weed combatant. Begin your soil with good compost heap and preparation of soil using organic materials.

Some of the natural ingredients required in an organic garden would be by keeping animals such as chicken as their guano is an excellent addition for your compost. If your organic garden is huge, one way to provide natural crop weeding and fertilizer is by having some cows and sheep- their manure is also cheap and a far better fertilizer.

Benefits of an Organic Vegetable Garden

By cultivating an organic garden, you not only have a healthy land but you also have healthy vegetables for your and your family to consume. Commercially grown non-organic produce is coated in harmful carcinogens and poisons and by eating it; you cause damage to your body.

Organic gardening means that your garden is free of all this synthetic chemicals. Though you may think that pesticides are essential to ward of plant diseases, kill weeds and soil, it can also be done naturally. Of course, natural solutions are always safer, cheaper, easier and much more pleasant than their synthetic counterparts.

Not only are organic vegetables safer than the commercial variety, they are a lot more economical. Yes they are certainly a little pricier at the store but it isn’t as pricey if you are growing them. Organic gardening requires only natural materials and elements they are a lot cheaper compared to synthetic materials for the garden.

Traditionally, vegetable garden layouts are often set up in long rows of different types of vegetables. If you want a vegetable garden design, you don’t have to follow this traditional method. There are several different options of garden design for vegetables such as raised vegetable garden beds, potager gardens, four square garden design, formal asymmetrical garden layout, cottage vegetable design, pizza garden design as well as a vegetable garden design fit for winter.

• Raised Vegetable Garden Beds

Raised beds are a very popular garden design among home gardeners. In this layout, vegetables are normally planted closer together than in a row such as in the traditional garden layouts. If you have a small garden, raised beds are an ideal choice. Keep in mind that there is enough space in between the beds to that you do not need to thread on your beds to plant, weed or harvest. Raised beds can be built from recycled wood, bricks, concrete blocks as well as stones.

• Potager Vegetable Garden Beds

Potager gardens are French kitchen gardens. Here, flowers are mixed among herbs and fruits as well as vegetables and this garden is very symmetrical pattern either in a rectangular, square or triangular formation separated by bricks or mulch or stone paths. Potager gardens are commonly bordered by a clipped hedge. Potager gardens are delightful to include ornamental vegetables, frilly red or green leaves of lettuces, colored stems of flowers and rainbow Swiss chard. Do a careful research of the combinations of flowers and vegetables that can work well side by side if this vegetable garden design is what you are going for.

• Four Square Garden

This garden has a very simple layout. Divided into four squares, it is either square or rectangular with two perpendicular paths running between them. These paths are for access reasons that can be composed out of stones, earth, gravel or even a lawn. This four square garden is in the shape of a + sign and the path will enable you to walk among the different plants for planting, watering and harvesting.

• Formal Asymmetrical Garden

This garden design is ideal if you don’t want it to be too rigid or boxy, but not leaving out the sense of order. Common and easy to do geometric shapes take place in this garden, whereby the gardener uses two or three different geometric shapes to get the desired effect for their garden. Curved lines, modern materials as well as casual garden furnishings are all part of the asymmetrical garden.

• Pizza Garden Design

Who doesn’t love a pizza? This pizza garden design is a novelty design idea for vegetable garden designs as it is shaped like a pizza and the toppings are actually the contents of the garden. You can plant the plants that you would normally put on your pizza. For the best tasting Italian pasta tomato sauce, what can be better than freshly grown tomatoes from your garden? Also plant basil, oregano and onions as well as pepper in your pizza garden.

Does the sight of red, juicy tomatoes entice you? Or the thought of fresh crisp salad leaves sitting on the table tempt you? Imagine your hearty steak without its share of greens? Looks pretty bland doesn’t it?

Fresh gardening vegetables are tempting especially when they are crisp, green and colorful. It not only increases your appetite but it also gives you a balanced meal. You definitely do not need to know why doctors keep reminding us to eat more greens than any other food on the food pyramid. Apart from the fact that vegetables do your body good, it also enhances the flavor of any type of food or meal.

Gardening vegetables are pretty easy and you can actually plant any type of vegetables early in the season to broaden your family’s meal for the whole week.

Doing your own gardening for vegetables not only save you money from buying them at the market, it also enables you to cut down on the chemicals that are often used such as pesticides as well as provide a healthier option when it comes to greens.

A good way to start on gardening vegetables is to grow cool season crops as these group of vegetables make a steady growth in temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees. The best time to plant them would be in March and April.

Best Selling Gardener: "Square Foot Gardening"

Good soil preparation is always the basic for any gardening. If you are thinking of what soil to prep your garden in, a good choice would be Colorado’s clay soil. This kind of soil benefits greatly from organic matter so you can use spade compost, sheep or peat into the soil mixture.

In spring time though, when it doesn’t rain so often, keep the soil moderately moist for optimum results. Water is essential to germinate seeds and crucial in establishing seedlings as well as keeping your green leafy darlings from turning bitter. A well hydrated soil also enables essential soil nutrients to travel properly from ground to root to leaves producing proper vegetables, ready for you to harvest at the right time.

If in May, peas are an excellent choice for gardening vegetables. Any type of snow or shell peas make a great option for salads and May, with its right temperature ensures that these green beans grow in its luscious pockets. When planting peas, remember that these plants are creepers, so you would need to support them with a trellis or companion rows give the plant the support. Using thick sticks rooted to the ground near the growing creeper will also ensure that the plant will eventually make its way to the stick and grow its way up properly.

Fancy a salad with Swiss chard? May is also a great time to plant kale, rhubarb chard as well as Swiss chard. You can also add a little bit of variety to your little garden by including mustard greens, parsley, spinach and for a little bit of challenge-celery.

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible

If you want to quicken the germination process, try soaking the seeds overnight in water and this trick works best with roots or beets. Planting different varieties will circulate the nutrients in the soil much better as certain vegetables will soak up only certain nutrients. Be wary though from planting plants that need the same nutrients as than the growing process will take longer.

Gardening vegetables isn’t all that hard! Just came sure good soil comes first with adequate water.