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Find out more about Self Sufficiency
Latest Articles
Home Beekeeping
Find out more about keeping bees in your garden for honey
grow your own
15:40, 4th Jan 2012
Storing Apples
Find out how to store apples
fruits
12:23, 28th Jul 2011
Pear and Lemon Jam
Instructions for making pear and lemon jam
preserving
14:59, 27th Jul 2011
Making Apricot Jam
Instructions for making your own apricot jam
preserving
15:44, 26th Jul 2011
Grow and Make Harissa Paste
A recipe for harissa paste with ingredients you can grow yourself
grow your own
11:57, 30th Jun 2011
Grow Your Own Chilli Peppers
Find out how to grow your own chilli peppers
grow your own
16:06, 17th Jun 2011
Dry Chilli Peppers
Find out how to dry fresh chilli peppers
preserving
16:05, 17th Jun 2011
Make Lavender Biscuits
Find out how to make delicious fragrant lavender biscuits
foraging
12:22, 16th Jun 2011
The Greenhouse
Find out more about the benefits of greenhouses and glasshouses
The Greenhouse
greenhouse | building | grow your own | smallholding
A Greenhouse is an important part of any self-sufficient garden based in a cool climate. In most parts of the United Kingdom for example it is impossible to grow tomatoes without the warmth and protection of a greenhouse. In addition, a greenhouse is very useful for starting off seeds and seedlings, and for protecting vulnerable plants at night or in periods of bad weather. Best of all is that greenhouses can be used to grow all manner of exotic crops from peppers, to aubergines, and cucumbers to chilli peppers.
Most people will start with an unheated greenhouse, but if you can afford the extra expense of a heated greenhouse then a wide selection of fruits can be grown year long. Ideally the temperature of a greenhouse should be kept at 4 degrees Celcius at night with the sun warming the air inside to over 10 degrees during the day time. During the sping and summer the temperature inside the greenhouse can become too much so ventilation is required to release the hot air during the day.
A mixture of one part good compost, one part good topsoil, and one part sharp sand, and a little lime is the optimal soil for use in a greenhouse - particularly for growing tomatoes. You should never use poor soil since the limited space of the greenhouse should be used to best effect. If you intend to grow the same crop year after year and not use crop rotation, then you will have to remove all of the soil every couple of years to prevent the build up of diseases.
NEW - Click here to visit our Greenhouse Directory with details of suppliers of greenhouses and related accessories.
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Article Published: 11:29, 9th Jul 2008
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