Greenhouse Growing

Juliana Mini 3 Greenhouse

Temps in the greenhouse have been reliably about 10 to 20 degrees higher or more  than the air temps, and I want to see if I can extend our season  into fall.  An extra 10 to 20 degrees means that we may be able to have fresh tomatoes long after the summer crop is finished.  By the end of June I’ll start fall tomato seeds in the garage under grow lights to get them big enough transplant into large containers by end of july in order to do two succession plantings, August 1 and Sept 1.  Johnny’s has a free shipping offer right now with dozens of varieties on sale, so I’ll experiment with these:  Valley Girl is 60 days, determinate, cold hardy and adapted for containers, as is Orange Blossom, a pretty low-acid variety.

I think lettuces would also be fun to grow in the greenhouse; they grow quickly and I can start them as late as October since they like cool temps.  These varities are adapted for greenhouse culture and the protection of a greenhouse will give us pretty lettuces.  We used row covers on the outside lettuces to prevent deer munching and I have to say that a light row cover really keeps the leaves pristine and tidy, they barely need to be washed.  Anuenue is a small iceberg type recommended for greenhouses, and Sergeant is an oakleaf with the same qualities.  Sergeant was on sale for only $1 a packet for pelleted seed, which is a great deal.  Lettuce seed is almost microscopic and fiddly to plant; pelleted seed is easier to work with because the seeds are coated with an organic clay coat that makes them easy to see and handle.