How to Grow Plants in Greenhouses

A large greenhouse with tropical plants.

A properly set up and prepared greenhouse offers gardeners the chance to grow their food and landscape plants. When improperly prepared, greenhouses create a perfect environment for disease outbreaks and pest activity. The best way to prevent potential problems is to practice good greenhouse hygiene.

Things You'll Need

• Bleach
• Flower pots
• Sterile soil
• Fan

Instructions

1. Disinfect everything. Soak pots, hoses, utensils and other greenhouse items in a strong solution of bleach and water (nine parts water to one part bleach).

   Allow them to soak for several hours. Rinse pots with clean water before use.

   Spray tables, benches and all exposed surfaces with the bleach solution. Allow them to air-dry.

   If bleach will harm the surfaces, use another, less caustic form of disinfectant.

2. Supply heat to the greenhouse. Cold climates require additional heat at night and during winter days. Build a contained compost system in your greenhouse to supplement other heating methods. Trial and error will determine how large a heap you need to heat your greenhouse.

   Provide this system with good ventilation. More research is needed to create a reliable compost heating system (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/compostheatedgh.html#compost Go to Bulleted Text). If another heat source is preferred, use wood, wood, electric, solar or gas.

3. Use sterile soil in the greenhouse. Sterilize homemade and purchased soils by cooking them before use. Cook small amounts of soil in the oven at 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Greenhouses provide hot, humid conditions just right for the spread of soil-borne diseases and pests.

4. Use healthy plants from reputable wholesaler greenhouse owners. Purchase plants that show no signs of disease or pests. Every treatment you have to give to plants cuts into your profit line. That means that many discount plants may end up costing more in the end than more expensive, healthy plants.

5. Install a fan to add to airflow in the greenhouse. If the greenhouse is allowed to sit with no movement, diseases and pests form and quickly spread. Small greenhouses require only inexpensive box fans to move the air. Larger systems will require bigger fans.

References

• New Mexico State University: Clean Old Flower Pots Before Reusing
• The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: Greenhouses at the New Alchemy Institute
• Colorado State University: Start Seed and Transplants in Sterilized Soil