Mini Greenhouses or Season Extenders
Mini Greenhouses or Season Extenders
Get a Head Start on Your Growing Season
I am anxiously waiting for the day when I can get my Spring garden planted. I imagine most of you are feeling the same way I am. But, we don’t need to sit by and patiently wait. There are several ways that we can get a jump start on our growing season. This is done by using mini greenhouses or season extenders.A few examples of these are cold frames, low tunnels, a 4 tier stand, a pop up greenhouse and a mini lean to greenhouse.These are typically inexpensive and temporary set ups. But, what an added benefit they give us in the early Spring.
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Cold Frames
Growing Vegetables in a Cold Frame
This is a picture of my cold frame a couple of years ago. As you can see in the picture we had the covers off on that day. That is a typical setup for a cold frame. The covers will either be removable, or you can prop them up for daytime ventilation. These are excellent for getting an early start on cabbages, lettuce, beets, radishes, carrots, pak choi, spinach and cilantro. We dig down about 5″ and put soil cables
in the frames to add extra heat to the cold frames. We have attached the soil cables to the bottom of a piece of hardware cloth so that we don’t damage it when we are digging. We then cover it with our soil mix. When we are planting carrots, etc we always choose a shorter variety so that the soil cables do not interfere with their growing. This is a great way to get a head start on growing your vegetables. Most of these crops really just need protection from the frost, but they will do great growing in this setup.
Low Tunnels
Low Tunnel with Slitted Cover
Low tunnels will enable you to plant in your garden about 2 weeks earlier. You can also use these in the fall to extend your harvest season. They are available in a perforated cover (maximum temperature retention) or a slitted cover (maximum ventilation). They will warm the soil and give you frost protection both. If you use the black plastic garden mulch under these covers your soil will be warmed even more. These are temporary and only meant to be left on about 3 – 4 weeks. But, I am a great believer in experimenting in the garden. In Louisiana we plant our strawberries in the fall. When the temperatures drop below freezing (which typically is not very often) we cover our plants with a row cover. A couple of years ago I covered my strawberries for the entire winter with the slitted cover. The cover held up surprisingly well to our harsh winter winds. The only problem I had was in the Spring when the plants started to bloom. I had to hand pollinate all of the blooms. I quickly gave up on that and removed the cover. But, I was very happy with the outcome of this experiment.
Pop Up Greenhouses
These are temporary greenhouses that you can use for a variety of purposes. You can start your seeds in here. Or, if you start your seedlings in your home you can use this to harden off the seedlings. These greenhouses virtually Pop Up! There are no tools required to set these up. There are tie down stakes to keep them secured to the ground. You can also use these to overwinter some plants that do not require higher temperatures. These are great season extenders. There are even openings for ventilation which include screens. Portholes are supplied for water hoses or electrical cords. These come with the rip stop polyfilm coverings for durability. What a great place for your plants in the winter.
4 Tier Stands
These are super mini greenhouses. They come with 4 tiers and a cover that has a zippered door. They are great for starting seeds or protecting frost sensitive plants. These stands are lightweight and will fit nicely in a spot on your back porch. The covers are removable if you want to use these later as a plant stand.
Mini Lean To Greenhouses
These lean to greenhouses do not attach to your home. They have a back in them and can be placed up next to a wall. The lid and doors both open offering easy access to your plants and supply needed ventilation. The shelves are adjustable for a variety of plants. This season extender is covered with a polycarbonate covering. It can be used for a variety of purposes.
So there you have it. Just a few ideas for trying to get ahead of Mother Nature (and your neighbor). I have a neighbor who I compete with for the first vine ripened tomato of the year. No sense in not taking advantage of some of these great tools that are available to use. If we get just a little bit creative, we can probably come up with our own mini greenhouses. I have seen people cut the bottom out of liter pop bottles and place these over top of a plant for added warmth and frost protection. You would have to be careful with these and monitor your plants during the day. You don’t want to bake your precious seedlings. Also, if you garden in a raised bed you can make a pvc frame and cover the frame with a clear plastic. You have probably seen me talk about using only 6 mil, 4 year UV protected polyfilm for greenhouses. But, for a temporary structure such as this you could probably use any clear plastic. Again, just be sure to ventilate this during the day if needed. So hopefully this will give you ideas of your own and you will get out there and get a head start on your garden this year! Happy Growing. Tammy
