Greenhouse production offers a cost-efficient way to extend the growing season at both ends and to even grow some crops year-round. A good greenhouse is both part of and a supplement to your landscape. A lot of information is available on greenhouse growing, equipment, and supplies. This article presents a few basic considerations and is meant as a starting point. Following-up on some of the ideas provided here with your own research and experiments is recommended.

Most people think of greenhouses as solar meaning heated and lighted by the sun. Those that rely only on energy from the sun are passive systems. Solar greenhouses are insulated to collect and store energy from the sun for use at night and during cloudy weather. In areas such as the Pacific Northwest, however, most of the light in winter is diffuse and little direct light from the sun reaches the earth because of our cloudy climate. As a result, greenhouse production in these areas will likely require the use of supplementary light and/or heat. This type of greenhouse system is often referred to as an active system.

Greenhouses can be attached to a building (house, shed, barn) or freestanding. Most commercial greenhouses are freestanding. Whichever type you choose, the best placement is such that light is captured from all directions. For an attached greenhouse, the south side of a building will be the sunniest all year. The north side is not recommended. Another factor to consider in deciding where to locate a greenhouse is wind, especially one that is freestanding.

In the areas with long periods of short gray days during winter, solar heating can be unreliable. Electric lights and alternative heating sources (e.g., electric, gas or oil) can be used during the colder months to overcome this limitation. You may also want to install a backup heating system in case of power failure.

Some experts suggest that any greenhouse from simple hoop structures to glass conservatories which grow plants in the soil can produce vegetables without artificial heat. To achieve this, all you need is to do is add a second protective layer of translucent material inside the greenhouse. This twice tempered climate in your green- house is three zones warmer than where you live. USDA climate zones are based on a 10° F spread so this means the temperature inside a greenhouse could be 15-30° F warmer, a significant difference in the cool months of spring, autumn, and winter in many areas.

Ventilation is as important as heat. Lack of proper ventilation can result in too much heat or conditions that favor mildew and disease. So a completely sealed grrenhouse is not ideal.

Greenhouse production offers a wide variety of plant choices, including those that may be grown year round and those that can be transplanted outside. Cold tolerant vegetables such as brassicas, lettuce, spinach, scallions, parsnips, beets, chard, radishes, and turnips are easily grown in a greenhouse throughout the off seasons.

Winter plants have to be planted before winter to overcome the limitation on growth caused by the cooler temperatures of winter lower levels of light. During the period of winter when there are less than 10 hours of daylight, newly sown seeds grow very slowly. Count on these crops for early spring harvest.

Warm weather crops like melons, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes can be started early in the greenhouse for later transplanting outside or can be grown inside the greenhouse all the way to harvest. Such crops will not yield as well in winter but it is possible to get tomatoes in winter with added light and heat. For winter growth in the greenhouse look for varieties of plants grown in the South which are varieties adapted to short-day culture.

Other possibilities for greenhouse growing include herbs, specialty or delicate plants such as orchids, some types of mushrooms, bedding plants, bulbs, potted flowers and, of course, cut flowers. Organic vegetables are prime candidates for greenhouse growing. Cut flowers that can be grown successfully include bachelor’s button, calendula, carnation, chrysanthemum, gardenia, lupine, marigold, pincushion flower, poppy, snapdragon, stock, zinnias.

Whether you plant cold tolerant or heat loving plants, timing is key in greenhouse growing. Once you understand your greenhouse climate and light conditions you will be able to schedule plantings to maximize growth and harvest.

Disease is often best handled by practicing proper hygiene, cultivating strong, healthy plants which will be more resistant to disease and pests, and weeding out weak and sick ones. Diseases and pests can enter the greenhouse via insects, in soil, on plants, and on seeds so careful handling and monitoring can go a long way to prevent disease and pest infestation.

Prevention is very important in the greenhouse environment but diseases and pests will inevitably be a problem at one time or another. Pest management rather than eradication is a more realistic goal and is the basis of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Perhaps the most important aspect of IPM for greenhouses is monitoring and understanding the life cycle and behavior of pests. This information will help you develop the most effective control strategy, and enjoy the benefits of your greenhouse.

In searching for information on getting rid of bugs from my vegetable garden, I came across some really valuable information from many online sources. I should start by saying that I have just started using some of these suggestions, and do not assure you 100% effectiveness, yet. That information will have to follow in a few weeks.
My search originally started by looking for chemical-free products to kill off any unwanted pests. I was quickly swayed by all of the information available about companion planting. Companion planting involves planting differing plants around the plant you wish to protect. Each pest has a plant it doesn’t like, this works in our favor when we know which pest we’re dealing with. It is imperative to keep the additional plants localized to the protected plant. Bugs are smart enough to go another route or even jump from plant to plant to get its fix. It’s best to surround the protected plant with the deterrent plants listed. For example, to get rid of ants with aphids, plant pennyroyal and spearmint around the stalk of the protected plant. A few feet to each side will not deter the ants from going right through the middle.
Here are some simple rules to follow when protecting your vegetable garden from pests:
Ants (carrying aphids) then plant pennyroyal, spearmint, southernwood, tansy,
Aphids plant pennyroyal, spearmint, southernwood, tansy, garlic, chives, coriander, anise, nasturtiums and petunias.
Asparagus beetles apparently do not like tomatoes
Borers dislike garlic, tansy, and onion
Cabbage maggots are stopped if you plant alternating rows of mint, tomato, rosemary, sage.
Cabbage moths apparently do not like mint, hyssop, rosemary, southernwood, thyme, sage, wormwood, celery, catnip and nasturtiums.
Carrot Fly dislikes rosemary, sage, wormwood, salsify, onions, coriander
Chinch bugs don’t like soy beans so surround your lawn with them.
Colorado Potato Beetle doesn’t like green beans (me neither), horseradish, dead nettle and flax.
Cucumber Beetle is repelled by radish and tansy
Cutworms are driven to distraction by tansy
Eelworms are repelled by big stinky marigolds
Flea beetle wormwood, mint, catnip, tomatoes
Fruit tree moths of all sorts don’t like southernwood
Groundhogs castor beans and human urine although the latter is enhanced by imbibing products made from hops
Japanese Beetles garlic, larkspur/delphiniums, tansy, rue, geraniums
Leafhopper petunias and geraniums
Mexican bean beetle marigold, potatoes, rosemary, summer savory, and petunias
Mice don’t like mint (mice hate fresh breath)
Mites are repelled by onion, garlic and chives
Moles don’t like spurge, castor plants and castor oil, fritillaria bulbs
Nematodes stinky marigolds, salvia, dahlia, calendula, asparagus
Plum curculio are supposedly repelled by garlic – don’t ask me how you get it into the tree but I’ve read this more than once. (maybe all copying from one source)
Rabbits don’t like onions or the onion family (garlic/chives etc)
Rose chafer geraniums, petunia and onion family
Slugs don’t like rosemary, wormwood and that might be the only two plants they wont’ eat
Squash bug don’t like tansy and nasturtiums
Pumpkin beetle doesn’t like nasturtiums (and nasturtiums don’t like it either)
Tomato hornworm is deterred by borage, marigolds and basil.
White fly won’t go near nasturtiums, marigolds, nicandra
Wireworms apparently don’t like mustard and buckwheat.

A lot of people, myself included, are growing our own vegetables to beat the credit crunch. And why not? Planting a few seeds in containers on your patio or in your backyard yields delicious, organic results – and money savings, too! Growing organic vegetables is easier than you think. Here are the 12 vegetables you will have no problem planting, tending for and harvesting in your own garden, even if you are a first-time gardener!

#1 Radish

Radishes are particularly easy to grow and can be intercropped with rows of lettuce to take up a minimum amount of space! Great thing about radishes is that very few pests bother them. Choose a sunny, sheltered position in soil, well fed with organic matter. Sow the seed thinly, evenly at ½ inch below the soil’s surface with one inch of space between each. Water the soil thoroughly before sowing and after the seeds emerge water them lightly every couple days. Radishes are a great source of potassium, folic acid, magnesium and calcium, and are perfect in salad dressings or as a garnish for salads. Radishes are fast growers and should be ready to pull in several weeks.

#2  Zucchini/ Squash

Zucchini and squash do well in most climates and they need very little special attention. If you plant zucchini you’ll probably end up with way more than they can even eat!

Zucchini and squash are very low in calories but full of potassium, manganese and folate. Sow several zucchini seeds in a heap pile of composted soil a foot high and a couple feet wide. Space each heap pile approximately 3 feet apart, water them heavily every other day and wait for them to sprout in a couple weeks. They should be ready to harvest about a month later. For any early start sow the seeds singly about ½in (1.25cm) deep, in small pots and place in a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C). After germination of seeds, grow on in a well lit spot, harden off and plant out after the last spring frost when the weather is warm.

#3 Carrots

Carrots tend to be pest free and need little attention. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, antioxidants, carotene and dietary. Dig a hole less than an inch deep and plant a couple of seeds in each, and leave several inches in between holes. Thin out in stages to 4-6in (10-15cm) apart. Keep the soil moist but remember to water the carrots less as they begin to reach maturity.

#4 Spinach

A highly nutritious and easily grown crop, high in both calcium and iron. Spinach can be eaten plain, cooked, and made into a chip dip. Turn over the soil with compost and plant seeds less than an inch deep, placing them at least 4 inches apart to give room for growth. Pick young leaves regularly. Sow the soil a couple more times in the first month and keep this area well-watered.

#5 Peas

Peas are another high-yield crop, both sweet peas and sugar peas. Other than fruit flies, these guys attract very few pests. A good source of vitamins A, B and C. Cultivate the soil just prior to sowing top dress with a balanced fertilizer. Keep in mind that your soil must drain well in order for peas for flourish. Space each seed several inches apart and sow them one inch deep. Freshly planted seeds require ½ inch of water every week, while more mature plants need a full inch. Any surplus peas can be frozen very successfully.

#6 Peppers

Peppers contain nutrients like thiamin and manganese. Peppers can be stuffed with meat and rice or used in salsa and pasta, and raw in salads. Till the soil with compost and Epsom salts, this will make it rich in magnesium to help the peppers develop healthily. Peppers can be produced outside in growing bags, large pots etc. Since they grow best in warm soil, sow the seeds a foot or more apart in raised beds or containers. Water them frequently, keeping the soil moist, or they may taste bitter once harvested.

#7 Lettuce/ Baby Greens

Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow; you just have to plant the seeds, water and watch how fast it grows. Lettuce is a good source of folic acid and vitamin A, used as the main ingredient mostly in salads, but also can be stuffed with various ingredients to make a lettuce wrap or top sandwiches, hamburgers and tacos. When cultivating the soil with nutrient-rich compost, break up any chunks and remove debris. Make sure that seeds are planted between 8 and 16 inches apart and water them every morning. Avoid doing so at night because this could cause disease. Loose-leaf varieties are ready to start cutting about seven weeks after sowing.

Baby greens are simply greens that are harvested while they are still young and tender. They are true instant gratification vegetables – you’ll be harvesting your first salad in under a month! Sprinkle the seeds as thinly as possible across the soil in a 2- to 3-inch wide band. Space rows of baby greens 6 to 8 inches apart. Or plant baby greens in a pot, and cut your salad fresh every night!

#8 Onion

Rich in dietary fiber, folate and vitamin C, onion need little care – just give them plenty of water. Plow the soil a foot deep and get rid of debris. The easiest way to grow onions is from sets which are small onions. Plant sets so that the tip is showing about 5in (13cm) apart in rows 12in (30cm) apart. Or, plant the seeds a couple centimeters deep and several inches apart. Weed this area frequently but gently and provide them with about an inch of water every week.

#9 Beets

The beet (beetroot) can be peeled, steamed, and then eaten warm with butter; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a condiment; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad.. Betanin, one of the primary nutrients in this deep red or purple vegetable, can help lower blood pressure. Clean and strengthen the seeds by soaking them in water at room temperature for a day. Plow the soil and remove any stones from the top 3 feet. Plant each seed 2in (5cm) apart, thin out to 4in (10cm) apart and water them at least once every day.

#10 Broccoli

For the most part doesn’t need a lot of special care, broccoli is easily grown vegetable that gives the best return for the space it occupies and is cropped when other green vegetables are in short supply. One row of 15ft (4.5m) will accommodate six plants to give self-sufficiency for a family of four. Sow broccoli seed in spring in a seed bed ½in (1.25cm) deep and transplant when the seedlings are about 4in (10cm) tall 2ft (60cm) apart each way.

#11 Tomatoes

There are many benefits to growing tomatoes – they’re good for you, they’re tasty, and the dollar value of the yield can be very significant. Tomatoes are rich in nutrients like niacin, potassium and phosphorous, antioxidants like lycopene, anthocyanin and carotene, and vitamins A, C and E.

Sow the seed just below the surface in a tray of peat-based compost. When the seedlings have made two pairs of true leaves prick them out into 3in (7.5cm) pots and place them in a light, warm place indoors (like windowsill). After the last danger of frost has passed, pick a spot in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight and test the soil’s pH level – needs to be between 6 and 7. (To decrease pH level add sulfur, to increase it add lime). Spread compost over this area and mix it with the soil. After hardening off, set tomato plants 2ft (60cm) apart in rows 3ft (90cm) apart, bush plants 3ft (90cm) apart. Water them a couple times per week. Tomatoes do need a little more attention then the other vegetables on the list. However, for the little bit attention that tomatoes do need, you get an incredible reward in the large amount of fruit that they produce. Here are a few tricks for growing tomatoes.

#12 Herbs

There are many herbs including thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, sage, chives, parsley and oregano that need very little attention and can be grown successfully in containers on a patio, balcony or terrace. Purchase some of your favorite small herb plants from your local nursery and get a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep. You can plant multiple herbs in a wide or long container or use at least a 6″ pot for individual plants and you will enjoy not only their fragrance and beauty but also their culinary benefits. Water sparingly because herbs don’t like to sit in wet soil.

If you are a little apprehensive about planting an organic garden, start slow with any of the veggies I’ve mentioned. Soon you will gain confidence and have a beautiful organic garden, complete with delicious vegetables and bragging rights!

Organic gardening differs from “conventional” gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pest control. Organic gardening is planting without chemical fertilizers and naturally building the soil to support healthy plant life. People are increasingly aware that organic food is better for the environment. This primer of organic gardening will help you get started in this fun, healthy hobby.
The main thing to remember is that organic gardening is not only about pesticide use and the soil that your garden grows in. The goal is to create an ecosystem in your back yard where every part is respected and in good shape. Robust plants can better defend themselves against pests and diseases.
Soil Is the Source of Life
The soil is the source of life for plants. Indeed, one of the problems with chemical gardening is that it sterilizes the soil and steals the life from it. Organic soil is living, and has lots of living matter in it. It is from this wellspring of life that plants create the nutrients you will eat.
At the beginning and end of every growing season, the organic gardener works the soil by adding natural garden fertilizers to enrich the soil and replace nutrients that the plants have used. You can use animal-based organic fertilizers and plant-based organic fertilizers or any combination of both. You want to add bulk to the soil along with nutrients.
Animal-Based Organic Fertilizer
Animal-based organic garden fertilizer can be reduced to one word: manure. Cow manure, chicken manure, fish emulsion and bat guano are most usually used, but you can additionally use horse and rabbit manure. Use solid animal-based fertilizers to dig into the soil, and make “manure tea” to use when transplanting seedlings.
There are some safety issues to recognize when using animal manure. All manure should be aged or composted before using it as an organic garden fertilizer to remove E. coli and other potentially troublesome pathogens. As well, you cannot use manure from humans or predator animals, such as cats. Their digestive systems contain bacteria that are pathogenic to humans, and the bacteria can get into or on food grown in soil fertilized with their feces.
Plant-Based Organic Fertilizer
Compost, seaweed, worm castings and green manure are the most standard plant-based organic garden fertilizers. Seaweed and kelp are usually purchased as dried and processed organic garden fertilizer.
Green manure is planted as a cover crop, normally in the fall after harvest. Plant a nitrogen-fixing crop, such as soybeans, and the symbiotic bacteria in the roots will add nitrogen to your soil. Then, when the cover crop emerges in the spring, dig it into the ground, and allow the plants to decompose and enrich the soil.
Compost
Far and away the most common plant-based organic fertilizer is compost. Compost is an excellent way to recycle vegetable matter. There are many theories on composting, and you can learn how to do it from community workshops, books, or other experts. Fundamentally, however, compost is not hard to make. You just save all your vegetable scraps, garden wastes, remains of plants, grass clippings, dried leaves and other vegetable matter and let it decompose. A hot compost heap that is turned frequently (so that it gets air into it) will make compost in a matter of weeks. A compost heap decomposes faster if it generates heat, and it needs to be at least three cubic feet to get good and hot. If your compost pile isn’t that big or doesn’t get very warm, or you don’t turn it, don’t despair, it will still make good compost. You can just throw your vegetable waste in a pile and leave it. If it sits for a long time, like a year, it will compost by itself.
A worm box is an alternative to a compost-pile. Worm castings are very rich in nutrients. To create worm castings, start with the right kind of worms, which you can get from any organic gardening source. Place them in a covered tub of some kind with your slightly damp vegetable matter. The worms do all the work, and you get rich organic garden fertilizer at almost no cost. Either read about how to set up a worm compost system, or you can buy a kit at your garden center. Remember to add earthworms to the soil too, as they create natural fertilizers in the soil and provide aeration.
Add natural fertilizers such as these to the soil at least twice a year and dig them into the top six inches of soil. You’ll have rich, dark, productive soil within a couple of years–even if you started out with sterile, gray, chemically treated dirt.
Water Is a Necessity of Life
All living organisms need water. It is important for the health of your plants to give them enough water to thrive. However, indiscriminate water use wastes water and washes away the soil. Watering where it is not needed encourages weeds. Water when the sun is low, early in the morning or in the evening to cut down on evaporation. It is important that the water gets to the roots of the plants without running off and taking valuable soil with it, so add water slowly and let it soak in. Use a soaker hose to water only your garden plants and nowhere else. If a soaker hose (or irrigation system) is not a choice for you, dig a shallow well around the base of each plant and fill it up and let the water soak in. Use a mulch around plants to conserve water and to prevent rain from eroding your fertile garden soil.
Don’t Let Weeds Rob Your Garden Plants
Only your cherished plants should get the advantage of the rich soil and water you provide. Therefore, it is necessary to take out all the other plants which find your garden a great place to live. That is, it is important to weed your organic garden. In the mid-twentieth century, at the height of chemical use in gardening, it became usual to spray herbicides on the soil to control weeds. But now we understand how damaging such chemical use is to the environment. Pulling out weeds by hand is neither hard nor particularly time consuming. Your organic garden is a beautiful place to spend time, why not spend it taking out the weeds that compete with your plants.
Here are the basics of weed-control. Firstly, make sure you get rid of weeds before they go to seed. Weeds routinely produce thousands of seeds in a short period of time. If there are patches of weeds growing at the periphery of your garden, make sure to mow them before they spread seeds. Second, when pulling weeds by hand make sure to pull out the roots so the plant doesn’t grow right back. Use a trowel to dig out deep-rooted weeds. Third, use mulch as a barrier to weed growth. Organic mulch will also help maintain moisture and add organic material to the soil. You can cover the entire area with plastic during the winter season to kill off weed seeds.
Control Pests without Harmful Pesticides
Pest-control is probably the biggest issue facing organic gardeners. Chemically-based pesticides are some of the most toxic substances to have on your food or polluting the environment. How, then, do you keep ravenous bugs like Japanese beetles from destroying your produce? In organic gardening you begin with the least toxic intervention and proceed from there.
Pest Prevention
The first step is to plant wisely. Remember that healthy plants will need less help from you with fighting pests, so make sure that your plants are well-fed and have adequate water. Also, use companion planting and crop rotation to discourage pests before they arrive. Some plants keep bugs away and planting them next to your tasty plants is a good idea. Garlic, onions and marigolds are commonly used to repel bugs. Plant them in a border around your garden and between your garden plants. Crop rotation is the method of planting a different crop in a given area of your garden each year. Where you put tomatoes this year put squash or corn in the next year. Crop rotation is especially helpful in preventing plant diseases.
Non-toxic Pest Controls
The next step is to remove pests when you find them. Remember that not all bugs are pests. In fact, a number of bugs are your helpers in pest control, but the wholesale use of toxic pesticides eliminates the predatory bugs as well as the harmful ones. It is important to be able to identify the good bugs and the bad bugs. Go out early in the morning or late in the evening when it’s cool, and remove any tomato hookworms, potato bugs, Japanese beetles, slugs or other harmful insects that you find. Squash them, or carry a bucket of soapy water to drown them. Better yet, feed them to your chickens. The most efficient way to remove small bugs such as aphids and mites is to spray the plants with the hose, using a strong stream of water to wash the insects off.
Physical barriers are another non-toxic method of organic pest control. They prevent pests from getting access to your plants. Some examples of barriers are to cut the top and bottom out of coffee cans and push them into the soil around tender young plants to keep cutworms away, or use fine netting to cover your plants to protect them from grasshoppers or birds.
Predatory Insects
One of the biggest defenses against pests are other bugs. Bugs that eat other bugs are a fantastic organic gardening pest control. Ladybugs, praying mantises, and lacewings are all beneficial insects. You can buy them at the garden store and release them into your garden. These predatory insects control aphids, mites and many other pests. Most spiders are bug-eaters, too, so let spiders work for you.
Using Organic Pesticides
If you are using these non-toxic pest controls and you are still faced with an overwhelming pest invasion, the last resort is to use organic pesticides. They are routinely made from plant derivatives or minerals. These natural pesticides are certified for use in natural farming and are far less dangerous than synthetic pesticides, but they are still toxic. It is important that you determine how harmful the insect pests are; you may elect to live with them rather than use something that is organic, but more toxic than you want to expose your food to.
Insecticidal soap is quite safe for food plants and the environment and works well to get rid of garden pests. Buy it at your garden supply store, or make your own by adding a few drops of liquid dish soap to a cup of water. Spray it on the plants, and then rinse off. This works great on aphids and thrips.
You can usually tell how toxic an organic pest control is by checking for a warning label. If there is no warning on the label, the substance is probably non-toxic. If the label says, “caution,” it is mildly toxic. “Warning” on the label means it is moderately toxic, and “danger” means the substance is very toxic. Organic gardening pest controls rarely have a “danger” warning on them. It is very important to apply organic pest control products exactly as the label directs. These products can be dangerous, so they must be used correctly to minimize everybody’s exposure to toxic pesticides.
For More Information
If you want to get started on your organic garden, you’ll find an abundance of help. Look for gardening clubs or workshops in your community; gardeners are always eager to give advice. Additionally, there are countless books, magazines and web sites. You can also look up your local Cooperative Extension Office, which offers advice in cooperation with local universities. Like all living processes, there is a rhythm to organic gardening. You don’t do everything at once. Begin slowly and learn as you go.