Hello all, I am in PA in the United States and am a long-time gardener of edible crops. I started a blog on Substack about my garden to talk to people about gardening but don't have much of an audience there so I thought I would reach out here, too. I am mostly looking for gardening friends and to bounce ideas off of everyone! Thank you for welcoming me and I look forward to our conversations and reading about everybody's gardens.
@Oleri Gardening just checked out your garden it’s a doosey. Your greenhouse is huge How well does it protect the plants from diseases and insects. I am a curious ole soul. And any heat or water system as well as pro lighting? Looks like a gardeners Dream house .
@Pacnorwest Thanks! The greenhouse is pretty big at 16' x 48'. It doesn't really protect the plants from insects and diseases... but maybe does? It mostly protects them from extreme weather like strong winds, hail, freezing temps, and dumping rain. Because the plants don't get stressed from the extreme weather, they may be protected from the insects and diseases that like to take advantage of stressed plants so that's why I say maybe. For watering, I just use four 100' soaker hoses connected to a four-way water meter that can turn on and off automatically. It's really low tech! Downside is that I have to replace the hoses every couple of years. No lighting at all except for a few solar pathway lights that come on at night and help in case I need to grab something for dinner after dark. I love the greenhouse, but it has its costs as well as its benefits which is why I use raised beds or in-ground beds outside of it as well. For example, the poly traps some heat in the summer so I must use a shade cloth. Even then, inside the greenhouse is typically 5 degrees F warmer than outside. It also traps some moisture, which can exacerbate fungal issues or encourage slug activity. The greatest benefit to the greenhouse is extending the growing season. I get a few weeks extra on both sides!! I'm very grateful.
Welcome @Oleri Gardening , I do have fruit trees and I grow Summer salads but that is all really as I love my flowers too much. I also love my greenhouse in the Winter and can happily snuggle myself up in there with a mug of Hot Chocolate and my classical music playlist and still get to enjoy my gardening fix .
Hi Oleri, Welcome to GardenStew. You will find us a cheery group, always with a helping hand and we really get excited about pictures!! Jerry
@Oleri thank you for answering all my greenhouse questions. Very nice you can extend your garden seasons and since you’re a seasoned gardener maybe you can share some growing tips . I bet your freezer is full of veggies. From looking thru your garden site you have a lot of space used well and veggies galore. Greenhouses really can be more difficult in some ways to control insects. I have a tiny greenhouse 3 shelves in a surround design. It was a kit, my son and I built it. I can cram in tons of seedlings and over winter fav plant collections and start seedlings. It’s to hot to keep plants inside in summer. It has auto fans/vents and auto thermostat, grow lights for flowers and green plants and hose water. See pic…
