Summer is here and you can’t wait to get out into
the garden! As the heat ramps up, a greenhouse may not be the first
gardening technique that comes to your mind, but maybe it should be.
The most commonly cited function for a greenhouse is to protect vulnerable
plants from freezing temperatures. That’s hardly a concern when
temperatures are the highest they are all year, right?
While this is true, it’s far from the only function
a greenhouse can serve. Take orchids for example. They enjoy a shaded
location with well aerated soil that allows for good drainage. They
also do well in humidity. They have a reputation for being difficult
plants to grow, but much of this is simple misunderstanding. Take the
soil as the first aspect. Many places that feature high humidity do
not have dry soil; they have rich, thick, wet soil that can strangle
the root systems of delicate plants. Digging up your entire bed and
laying down dryer soil is an expensive, time consuming process that
most gardeners won’t want to take on.
A comparatively inexpensive alternative is a miniature
greenhouse and pots for your plants. The greenhouse will help keep the
temperature and moisture levels constant, even when the weather is anything
but. And because you’re potting the orchids, you can use a soil
variant that they will not merely survive, but thrive within. Because
it’s a miniature greenhouse it is mobile, which means you can
move it into a location that is shaded for most of the day during the
summer, and to a sunnier spot in the yard during winter months. You
can even grow different plants in a miniature greenhouse during different
times of the year.
If your time and budget allows, a greenhouse kit can be
a great way to get into greenhouse gardening. These kits offer the supplies
necessary to erect a greenhouse, all you need to add is a few tools
and the time to build it. They are a significant savings over contracting
someone to build a greenhouse for you, and you will know exactly the
level of craftsmanship that went into building your greenhouse by the
time you are done.
Or perhaps you own a greenhouse already. Summer is the
perfect time to perform maintenance on it, or to install upgrades. Because
many greenhouse plants can be moved outdoors during the summer months,
you can clear out the entire greenhouse to install that watering system
you’ve always wanted. Here at Orchid Greenhouse, we have the supplies
for any maintenance or upgrade project you have in mind.
Summer is really the best time to build a greenhouse,
like one of our handy greenhouse kits. By the time October and November
roll around, it’s too late to start construction; your plants
need the shelter already completed by then. Besides, nobody wants to
be out in the cold swinging a hammer or digging holes. It’s miserable
work.
So do yourself a favor and use the summer months to plan
ahead and prepare for next winter. Install a new air circulation system,
or some shades. Build or add room to your greenhouse. Install an overhead
misting system, or a drip feed watering system. The best time of the
year to do it is right now, and when you and your plants are comfortably
within your greenhouse later this year, you will thank yourself.