August in the Greenhouse
We did it! We made it to August and we have food in the greenhouse. The first year of owning a greenhouse is really a trial and error year. Learning the sun patterns, how much to water, ventilation and temperatures. I am so happy with my BC Greenhouse I cannot say enough good things about the quality, beauty and how much joy it brings me every time I pull the handle to go in. Here’s an update on what’s growing, varieties I planted and some tips I have if you are thinking about a greenhouse!
What is Growing?
Cucumbers: We planted over 30 cucumber plants and only lost one during the heat wave! We put up the shade cloth right after the heat water as we realized everything was about to cook. Thankfully, since we added the cloth, the cucumbers have established and taken off. We planted Picolino Organic varieties as the kids just eat them right off the vine and they are very prolific.
Tomatoes: I planted only indeterminate varieties in the greenhouse for vertical growing. I am growing over 30 plants and 4 varieties in the greenhouse. The determinate varieties I grow outside like Roma for pasta sauces. The varieties I chose this year are sweet million, black krim, sungold, early girl and black cherry. I prune the leaves under the sets of fruit for continuous harvests until October.
Watermelon: I planted 15 watermelon plants, they are finally taking off and I am learning a lot about the growth patterns as it’s my first time growing these varieties. I chose sugar baby and baby doll for a fun orange flesh colour. I’ll keep you posted on the success!
Citrus: Growing our own citrus was a huge goal for my husband and I as we used to have lime trees at our old place. We looked at our grocery carts and thought, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are all something we buy that are imported, let’s grow our own! We sourced all 4 plants that are dwarf plants (will get up to 10 feet tall) from a local supplier. The growth has been unreal to watch and we will be heating the greenhouse in the winter time.
We are also growing some artichoke, carrots, peppers and runner beans. It’s all starting to flourish. My husband made the potting bench and now I am ready to sow my fall garden seeds like Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cilantro and kohlrabi.
I will leave you with my three biggest tips if you are installing a greenhouse… Number one is get water/irrigation set up as soon as you plant. Hand watering was a lot of time and the plants needed more, especially during our early heat waves. Open the door daily, we do not have the fans hooked up yet but having the door open daily and creating airflow was key and finally, choose the right location! We are so happy we chose a full sun spot as we will be able to grow more all year long and the shade cloth has been a game changer to keep the plants from crisping in the summer. If you have any questions about a greenhouse I am always here or you can contact BC Greenhouses.
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