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Do i need a greenhouse?

18 years ago

Hi everyone. I have been trying to decide if i want to build a greenhouse or not. There are so many things i want to grow in my garden but a lot of the stuff i want to grow isn't available around my area like certain hot peppers and heirloom tomatoe varieties. Also there are certain things that i would like get an early start on because its almost frost time by the time i start getting fruits/peppers. A good example of this would be Tabasco peppers. I start getting green peppers half way early but i don't get enough to turn red to do a harvest until mid october around here and our first frost usually comes at the end of october. So i would like for these plants to get a head start.

The problem with my house lies that i only have 4 north/south fasing windows and they don't seem to get that much light. I don't want to have to put plants in bedrooms/bathrooms either and thats where 3 of the 4 windows are.

So what should i do everyone. I have searched on google and found simple greenhouses people have built. Should i look into one of these? I don't want to spend a lot of money though. They had a greenhouse at sams but it was well over $1000.

Please Advise,

Ncage

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Comments (7)

fiedlermeister
18 years ago
I start my seedlings inside early and grow them under ordinary flourescents until I can put them outside. Very few people have window light adequate for seedlings and they aren't needed.

john
ncage
Original Author
18 years ago
Will they get big enough to give them a good head start for say tabasco like i noted about? Since tabasco are usually 120 i don't have much time to harvest. This really sucks cause i love to make hot sauce. Last year i got my plants from the chile pepper woman in late may time frame.

Or here is another idea. I saw a contraption on TG's site that might help. Here is the description:
Wall O' Water - #6265 (Set of 3 Wall O' Waters) $11.75
Get an early start on your planting, and harvest tomatoes 4 to 6 weeks sooner than your neighbors! You can plant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants up to 2 months earlier than normal without fear of freezing. Simply fill the chambers of the Wall O' Waters with water a week before planting. The water absorbs heat during the day, then releases it at night, forming a tepee-like miniature green house that protects plants down to 16 degrees F.

You can go here to see it:
http://www.tomatogrowers.com/supplies.htm

What do you think?

thanks,
ncage
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byron
18 years ago
Nick

WOW has a drawback, 3 days w/o sun and they become colder than if the plants had no help.

A GH will give you 2 to 4 weeks for additional growth before plant out
fiedlermeister
18 years ago
It works for me and I have a shorter season than you do. Here is an earlier post on seed starting. Of course a greenhouse would be an advantage. Is it worth the expense and work? That's an individual decision.

Here is a link that might be useful: earlier
ncage
Original Author
18 years ago
Byron: Wouldn't you assume that if you planted them say a month before you regularly plant them? Its about mothers day around here that they sould be ok? I ordered them and said what they hey. I will give it a shot but im going to keep extra tabasco in case they would die.

Fiedlermeister: thanks for your input
byron
18 years ago
I start mine around April 1st in the house under lights

I transplant up and move to greenhouse around May 1st for about a June 10 plant out

( I don't have room in the house for the larger pots )

Byron
willardb3
18 years ago
Of course, you could have an heated greenhouse and grow chiles year-round........

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